Every year, thousands of South Koreans – mostly middle-aged – die alone, cut off from their family and friends. Sometimes it takes days or even weeks before their bodies are found.

These are the country’s “lonely deaths”, known as godoksa in Korean. It is part of a larger problem of loneliness and isolation across the country, one that is pushing the government to pull out all the stops to combat it.

In the bustling capital of Seoul, city officials have announced they will spend 451.3 billion won (nearly $327 million) over the next 5 years to “create a city where no one will be alone.”

The new initiatives, CCN reports, include loneliness counselors available on a 24/7 hotline, an online platform for similar counselling, and follow-up measures, including personal visits and consultations, according to the metropolitan government.

“Loneliness and isolation are not just individual problems, but tasks that society must solve together,” Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said in a press release. The city will “mobilize all of our municipal capacity” to help lonely people heal and “return to society,” he added.

Middle-aged South Korean men die alone

The city also plans to introduce expanded psychological services and green spaces, meal plans for middle-aged and older residents; a special “search system” to identify isolated residents who need help; and activities that encourage people to get outside and connect with others , such as gardening, sports, book clubs and more.

Experts have welcomed the measures, but say more needs to be done – in part because loneliness in Korea is linked to certain unique parts of Korean culture that are difficult to change.

“Loneliness is an important social issue right now, so efforts or policies to address it are absolutely necessary,” said An Soo-jung, a professor of psychology at Myongji University – warning, however, that “careful consideration is needed for how effectively these measures will be implemented”.

Thousands of lonely deaths

The problem of loneliness has gained national attention over the past decade as the number of related issues has increased – such as young people withdrawing from the world and spending their days isolated at home, often for months at a time. The phenomenon, known by the Japanese term “hikikomori”, has become increasingly common. South Korea had as many as 244,000 such deserters in 2022 by one estimate.

The number of lonely deaths has also increased – reaching 3,661 last year, up from 3,559 in 2022 and 3,378 in 2021, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health and Welfare published last week.