Gyeongbuk Province Launches Korea's First Dialogue Donation Movement... "A Major Shift from Cash Welfare to Heart Welfare"

The launch ceremony of the Dialogue Donation Movement held at Gyeongbuk Provincial Office on the 4th.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Koo Dae-sun] Gyeongbuk Province launched a conversation donation campaign to overcome loneliness for the first time nationwide on the 6th under the slogan "Changing the World with Small Conversations."

The conversation donation campaign is a program where the conversation requester shares their story through small conversations and receives comfort and healing through the interest and advice of the conversation donor.

On the 4th, an official launch ceremony for the "Gyeongbuk Conversation Donation Campaign" was held at the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office, attended by about 200 people including individual donors, local universities, organizations, companies, and general residents.

The launch ceremony proceeded with a project progress report, a pledge by conversation donation representatives, and a special lecture. After the ceremony, the plan is to expand the conversation donation campaign into a nationwide movement, starting with a conversation donation challenge for residents.

Currently, South Korea is one of the world's top 10 economies, but it ranks first in suicide rates among OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries and 59th in the UN World Happiness Index. The number of people feeling lonely is increasing due to the rise in single-person households, competition, comparative culture, and the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

In particular, a loneliness survey conducted in April on about 1,500 residents showed that 6 out of 10 people felt lonely, and experiences of depression and suicidal thoughts were also high.

In response, Gyeongbuk Province has recognized loneliness not as an individual problem but as a social issue. Since March, it has established a loneliness countermeasure team and has been conducting activities such as loneliness surveys, developing loneliness scales, and enacting ordinances for loneliness prevention and support.

Additionally, a dedicated conversation donation website has been launched, and in cooperation with cities and counties, about 200 conversation donors and requesters have been registered. Various promotional methods such as a conversation donation relay, media, SNS, and broadcasting the conversation donation song will be used to attract public interest and participation.

Furthermore, to promote the industrialization of mental health beyond manufacturing, the province is collaborating with local universities. Andong National University is creating a specialized conversation coaching program, and Handong Global University is developing a customized conversation donation app, supporting mental health industry startups.

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, said, "Cash welfare support for the economically lowest class has its limits. Now is the time to fundamentally shift the welfare framework to mental welfare." He added, "Gyeongbuk, which led the Hwarang, Seonbi, patriotic, and Saemaul spirit cultures, will take the lead in elevating the small conversation donation into a nationwide movement once again to create a new Korea where citizens are happy."

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