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The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it would spend ₩451.3 billion or $327 million to stop its loneliness epidemic.
The funds would enable various initiatives over the next five years to “create a city where no one is lonely.”
These efforts include a 24/7 hotline, in-person visits, and open spaces to help Seoul residents connect and communicate with each other.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that social isolation and loneliness are an expanding global issue. As a result, South Korea has been experiencing more deaths due to this mental health condition.
Seoul’s Ministry of Health and Welfare reported that the number of deaths due to loneliness or “lonely deaths” rose to 3,661 in 2023.
