Crossing the Threshold of Isolation... Yeongdeungpo-gu Operates 'Go.Bong.Bap' Connecting Single Male Residents in Gosiwon

Operating 'Gobongbap,' a Self-Help Group for Middle-Aged and Older Single Men... Preventing Depression and Social Isolation
Practicing Social Network Building and Community Service through Gardening, Meal Preparation, and Sharing Side Dishes
Finding Hidden Single-Person Households and Leading Them Out of Social Isolation Thresholds

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced that it will operate the ‘Go·Bong·Bap’ self-help group to help middle-aged and older single men at risk of solitary death build social networks and prevent isolation.

Isolation and the risk of solitary death among middle-aged and older single men have emerged as social issues. This is because they are prone to social isolation due to economic failures such as divorce and unemployment, as well as the breakdown of family relationships.

Accordingly, Yeongdeungpo-bondong, together with the local community security council, is operating the ‘Go.Bong.Bap’ self-help group to help middle-aged men living alone in goshiwon build social networks and prevent solitary death. ‘Go.Bong.Bap,’ an abbreviation of ‘Goshiwon men serving meals,’ is a group where middle-aged men isolated in goshiwon come out into society to share food, interact, and practice sharing and volunteering in the community.

They engage in various social activities with peers of similar ages. They leave their rooms where they live alone to cook and eat meals with neighborhood friends, building relationships. In addition, they participate together in activities such as gardening, preparing meals with harvested produce, sharing side dishes and kimchi, joint birthday parties, and watching movies.

They also form small groups such as ‘Our Neighborhood Hongbanjang,’ which does home repair volunteer work, and ‘Raonjena,’ which enjoys one-day workshop experiences, allowing them to enjoy leisure and cultural activities.

Furthermore, Go.Bong.Bap identifies isolated middle-aged and older single men who find it difficult to ask for help. They lead these hidden single men out of the threshold of isolation by participating in psychological counseling together.

One man who participated as a Go.Bong.Bap member last year said, “During a temple stay I joined through Go.Bong.Bap activities, I was able to spend some time facing myself through meditation,” and added, “I learned the joy of volunteering by sharing side dishes made with my peers with other single-person households going through similar difficulties as I did in the past.”

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “The best treatment for single-person households experiencing psychological difficulties is various activities and network formation with others,” and added, “Yeongdeungpo-gu will be the first hand to lean on in daily life and loneliness through Go.Bong.Bap.”

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