Songpa-gu Forms Public-Private Partnership Task Force to Prevent Solitary Deaths

From October, Regular Working Meetings with Resident Contact Agencies such as Electricity, Water, and Gas, and Welfare Institutions to be Held
‘Songpa-type Solitary Death Prevention Council’ Formed... Systematic Operation Planned with ▲Investigation Team ▲Discovery Team ▲Project Team

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) held a practical council last month with local welfare institutions and resident-contact organizations to prevent solitary deaths, initiating the establishment of a close cooperative system for preventing solitary deaths and supporting socially isolated households.

According to a government survey, solitary deaths increased by an average of 8.8% annually over five years from 2017 to 2021. The number of households at risk of solitary death in the district nearly doubled from 2,300 in 2021 to 4,000 in 2022, highlighting solitary death as a social issue.

The district empathized with the seriousness of the solitary death situation and has been steadily laying the groundwork to build a welfare safety net. Starting with the enactment of the "Ordinance on the Prevention of Solitary Death and Support for Socially Isolated Households in Songpa-gu" in July, a comprehensive plan for solitary death prevention was established. In September, the district also signed business agreements with resident-contact institutions such as electricity, water, and gas providers, creating a solid foothold for project implementation.

Subsequently, the district moved quickly to strengthen a sustainable public-private cooperation system even after the MOU. On October 17 and 24, two practical councils for solitary death prevention were held to discuss practical measures for identifying and supporting isolated households.

First, at the 1st practical council held on the 17th, heads of related departments from 11 welfare institutions in the region gathered to discuss current issues related to solitary death prevention projects and agreed to form a project team for smooth future project implementation.

At the 2nd practical council held on the 24th, the district and 10 resident-contact institutions focused on identifying households in crisis. They shared the operating procedures of the crisis household reporting channel "Songpa Hope Talk," which allows reports via SNS during work, and exchanged views on forming a discovery team in the future.

The district plans to continue gathering diverse opinions through regular practical councils and establish a "Songpa-type Solitary Death Prevention Council" tailored to the district’s characteristics. The council will be systematically operated by dividing roles and functions of participating institutions into ▲Investigation Team ▲Discovery Team ▲Project Team.

Specifically, the Investigation Team, composed of the district office and community service centers, will oversee the solitary death prevention project. The Discovery Team, responsible for identifying households in crisis, will include 10 contracted institutions and other resident-contact organizations, while the Project Team, consisting of welfare centers and single-person household support centers, will carry out various support projects. Cooperation and information sharing through the established council are expected to enable quick and effective responses to crisis signs.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “Since solitary deaths occur in welfare blind spots beyond administrative reach, both public and private sectors must work together carefully. We will strive to implement various solitary death prevention projects so that no one faces a lonely death, creating an inclusive city where everyone is happy without isolation.”

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