Oh Se-hoon, 1.39 Million Single-Person Households to Receive 4 Major Safety 'Community-Based Support'... 5.5 Trillion Won Invested Over 5 Years

Comprehensive Support Across Four Key Areas: Health, Safety, Isolation, and Housing
Expanded Support Focused on Vulnerable Groups and Social Networks...Relieving Pain and Anxiety in the Lives of Single-Person Households

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City will concentrate an investment of 5.5789 trillion KRW in the '4 Major Safety Policies'?health, safety, isolation, and housing measures?to alleviate the inconveniences and anxieties of single-person households through a mid- to long-term comprehensive plan for supporting single-person households, which is Mayor Oh Se-hoon's first pledge.

On the 18th, Mayor Oh held a press conference at Seoul City Hall and announced the 'Seoul City Single-Person Household Safety Comprehensive Plan,' stating that eight core tasks across four areas?Health Safety (health and care), Crime Safety (crime), Isolation Safety (economic anxiety and loneliness), and Housing Safety (housing)?will be promoted. This plan is a comprehensive support strategy for single-person households, which account for 34.9% (1.39 million households) of all households in Seoul but have been left in blind spots.

Seoul City will expand the 'Single-Person Household Hospital Safety Companion Service,' which has surpassed a satisfaction rate of 96% just two months after its launch, to serve a cumulative total of 100,000 people by 2026. A pilot project supporting 'Good Food Packages' composed of seasonal ingredients for single-person households who find it difficult to maintain balanced meals will also begin this year targeting youth.

To strengthen the safety net in 'single-person household dense residential areas,' where the crime rate is four times higher than other regions, the 'Safety Village Guardians' will be expanded to 51 locations by 2026, and approximately 2,000 additional closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) will be installed around university areas and one-room apartment districts. The ‘Safety Door Keeper,’ which allows residents to check the situation at their front door 24/7 via a door camera and request emergency dispatch for only 1,000 KRW per month, will be expanded more than tenfold to a total of 20,000 users by 2026.

Additionally, the 'AI Conversation Service' targeting middle-aged and older single-person households at high risk of solitary death will be expanded to 30,000 people by 2026. From early detection of isolation and loneliness, which single-person households are more vulnerable to compared to multi-person households, to loneliness management using AI technology and community networks, and social reintegration through economic independence, a more detailed 'Single-Person Household Care System' will be established. The 'Life Link Stethoscope' project, where local doctors detect high-risk groups for depression and suicide early and connect them to specialized institutions, will also be expanded.

In the housing sector, more than 70,000 customized housing units reflecting the characteristics of single-person households with a minimum area of 25㎡ will be supplied by 2026. Seoul plans to additionally supply 57,310 youth housing units near subway stations and 11,700 youth purchase rental units by 2026 to help young single-person households suffering from high housing costs live long-term without rent burdens. In particular, the minimum housing area will be expanded from 14㎡ to 25㎡ or more, and the quality of housing will be improved by significantly reflecting the demands of young single-person households, such as introducing mandatory parking ratios, built-in appliances and furniture, and expanding community facilities. The 'Single-Person Household Jeonse and Monthly Rent Safe Contract Assistance Service,' where experts such as certified real estate agents accompany tenants to thoroughly inspect contracts, will also start as a pilot service this year.

Furthermore, Seoul City unveiled the single-person household policy brand 'Singgeulbonggeul Seoul' and the slogan 'OK Alone, OK Together.' 'Singgeul' in Singgeulbonggeul combines the English word 'single,' meaning 'alone,' and a smiling expression. Through a character symbolizing the '1' of single-person households, it aims to improve perceptions of single-person households and enhance policy awareness and empathy.

Mayor Oh said, "In an era where one in three households is a single-person household, the happiness of single-person households is the happiness of Seoul citizens," adding, "We will shift the Seoul City policy paradigm, which has long been designed and executed based on four-person households, to resolve the pain and inconvenience experienced by those living alone and simultaneously improve their quality of life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.