Geumcheon-gu Turns Unmanned Laundromats into Suicide Prevention Centers... Launches "Our Neighborhood Mind Laundromat" Program

Mental Health Checks While Waiting for Laundry

Supporting Residents' Well-being in Single-Person Household Areas

On April 10, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Yoo Seonghoon) announced that it will officially launch the suicide prevention program “Our Neighborhood Mind Laundromat (Wash and Talk),” utilizing unmanned laundromats, starting from April 18.

Exterior view of Our Neighborhood Mind Laundry (Wash & Talk). Provided by Geumcheon District.

On April 8, the district signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the private company The Builders & Company to operate the program at three locations: Laundry Express Shop Gasan Digital Branch, Laundry Express Shop Snuggle Gasan Branch, and Laundry Express Shop Doksan Station Branch. The district will complete the setup of the spaces, focusing on Gasan-dong and Doksan 1-dong, where single-person households are concentrated, by April 17. The program will then open on April 18.

“Our Neighborhood Mind Laundromat” is an on-site, community-based project designed to help people check their mental well-being while waiting for their laundry to wash and dry. Through promotional materials placed in the in-store “Mental Health Zone,” visitors can naturally assess their state of health and easily conduct self-assessments using a QR code. When the laundry cycle is complete, a notification text message will be sent out, which also provides information on the Geumcheon Mental Health Welfare Center and guidance on mental health assessments, enabling people to receive professional help promptly in times of crisis.

Based on the results of this initiative, the district plans to further expand programs to identify high-risk groups using other venues such as convenience stores.

A district official stated, “For single-person households at high risk of social isolation, unmanned laundromats can become everyday communication channels. Just as stains are removed from daily life, we will build a thorough local safety net so that the gloom in people’s hearts can also be washed away.”

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