Seoul:

Authorities in Seoul, the South Korean capital, plan to spend 451.3 billion won (about $327 million) over the next five years to combat the “lonely deaths” – a crisis that is seeing thousands of citizens , mostly middle-aged men, die alone every year. go unnoticed by their family and friends.

Known as “godoksa” in Korea, the deaths are part of a larger problem of loneliness and isolation in the country, as the government makes every effort to combat it. Sometimes it takes days or even weeks for authorities to find these bodies, CNN reported.

Seoul authorities, in announcing a $327 million initiative this week, said they wanted to “create a city where no one is alone.”

Apart from this, they will provide loneliness counselors on a 24/7 helpline and an online platform for similar advice, in addition to other follow-up measures such as visits and in-person consultations.

In an official statement, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said city authorities would mobilize all municipal capacities to help people feeling alone heal and “return to society.” “Loneliness and isolation are not just individual problems, but tasks that society must solve together,” Oh Se-hoon said.

The city also plans to introduce several other measures such as expanded psychological services, green spaces, nutritional meal plans for middle-aged and elderly people as well as a dedicated “tracing system” to identify isolated residents who are looking for help.

Activities will also be held to encourage people to venture outside and connect with others. These include sports clubs, gardening clubs, reading clubs and more, according to the CNN report.

According to the latest figures from South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of “lonely deaths” reached 3,661 last year, a significant increase from 3,559 in 2022 and 3,378 in 2021.

However, part of this increase could be due to a broader definition of “lonely death” by the relevant ministry. To qualify as a “lonely death”, a body had to be found only after a certain period of time, but the term now applies to any individual who remains socially isolated, away from family and loved ones and who dies by suicide or illness .

The demographic crisis that South Korea is experiencing could be another factor explaining this increase. The downward trend in the birth rate and the aging of the population show that there have been systematically more deaths than births in the country in recent years. South Korea’s overall death rate, including “solitary deaths”, is increasing. Additionally, men in their 50s and 60s made up more than half of the total group.