Latest news with #SeoulMetropolitanGovernment
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
Can a city cure loneliness? Seoul is spending millions to try
In Seoul, you can call a city hotline at 3 a.m. just to say you feel lonely. You can walk into a 'Maeum (Korean for 'heart') Convenience Store' to eat free ramyeon and talk with someone about the emptiness you've been carrying for months. These are not gimmicks. They are part of a sweeping five-year, 451.3 billion won ($330 million) effort by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to confront a crisis few cities have dared to name outright: loneliness. South Korea is facing a growing epidemic of social isolation, with Seoul at its epicenter. People living alone now make up over 35 percent of all households in the capital. A recent Seoul Institute survey revealed that 62 percent of single-person households reported experiencing loneliness, while 13.6 percent were socially isolated. A separate study by the city in 2023 estimated that approximately 130,000 young people between the ages of 19 and 39 are living in near-total social withdrawal, a phenomenon also discussed under the Japanese-derived term 'hikikomori.' 'Loneliness in Seoul is no longer a private burden,' said Lee Soo-jin, director of the Seoul Isolation Prevention Center, the country's first public agency tasked with identifying and assisting socially withdrawn residents. 'We are witnessing a mental health collapse across age groups. But for many, especially young people and older men, there's simply no obvious place to turn.' Lee has spent the past year building outreach systems that can identify high-risk individuals who are often invisible to the formal social safety net. Her team uses data-sharing agreements with welfare offices, utility companies and delivery services to identify signs of withdrawal, such as uncollected mail or repeated solo food orders. Once flagged, individuals are contacted through phone calls, home visits or digital channels and offered tailored support like counseling, peer mentoring or community group referrals. The city's broader initiatives include a 24-hour support line integrated into the existing 120 Dasan Call Center, a chatbot for those uncomfortable with phone calls, and an online platform called Toktok24 that guides users toward counseling and community programs. Still, scholars and ordinary citizens have questioned whether public policy can meaningfully address a condition as personal and complex as loneliness. 'Loneliness is not the same as being alone,' said Byun Geum-seon, a social welfare professor at Ewha Womans University who co-authored a major 2024 study on youth isolation. 'For some, solitude is freedom. For others, it's suffering. Governments can detect behavior. But the feeling of loneliness must be acknowledged by the person experiencing it.' Byun's study, based on the Seoul Youth Panel Survey of over 5,000 respondents, identified seven distinct profiles of social isolation and loneliness. These ranged from economically disconnected youth to emotionally isolated individuals embedded within family or employment networks. Her research found a strong correlation between loneliness and mental health problems like depression and suicidal thoughts, even among those who weren't socially isolated in the traditional sense. 'In some cases, people are surrounded by others but still feel they cannot speak openly or be seen for who they are,' Byun said. 'This is especially common among young women living alone, and among men who feel they've failed to meet social expectations.' Shin Hye-jin, a 28-year-old graduate student who moved to Seoul from Daegu five years ago, recalled how her first year in the capital felt more isolating than she could have imagined. 'I lived in a goshiwon (a small dorm-like room) near campus. I never met my neighbors. Even in class, no one talked unless we had to, for group projects,' she said. 'There were nights I realized I hadn't heard my own voice for days.' Shin later joined a neighborhood 'Silent Walking' group she found on Danggeun Market, also known as Karrot, a hyperlocal app popular for trading secondhand goods that now hosts thousands of hobby-based social groups. 'It sounds silly, but walking silently next to strangers helped,' she said. 'It felt safe. No one expected anything from me.' Since 2023, participation in Danggeun's neighborhood clubs has increased 20-fold, according to the company. These communities are often low-pressure and centered around shared identities or interests, covering niche topics from ADHD support to bread tasting. For many, they provide more sustainable social bonds than formal city-run programs. Director Lee Soo-jin recognizes the limitations. 'Seoul City knows it cannot manufacture meaningful connections,' she said. 'What we can do is build the scaffolding. We can give people options for what to do when they realize they're struggling.' Part of that scaffolding includes spaces like the Seoul Maeum Convenience Store, a cross between a mental health center and a cafe, where people can drop in anonymously for free meals, information or just a moment of calm. The city is also expanding peer support programs such as "Everyone's Friend," where formerly isolated residents are trained to provide outreach and emotional assistance to others in similar situations. Professor Byun cautioned against a one-size-fits-all model. 'What reduces loneliness is not just connection, but continuity. You need to feel that you matter to someone, and that they will notice if you disappear.' This is why the government's role is less about delivering relationships and more about making them possible. 'If someone walks into one of these city programs and leaves with a phone number or a reason to leave the house again next week, that's a small win that is worth the effort,' said Lee.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
Hazardous materials found in kids' items from Chinese platforms
Children's summer textile products sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms have been found to contain toxic substances far exceeding permitted safety levels, the city announced Thursday. In the latest safety inspection conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on 24 items of summer shoes and clothing for children from AliExpress, Shein and Temu, 14 were deemed unsuitable for sale. According to the city government, products from Temu and AliExpress contained hazardous materials at levels up to 33 times higher than the country's legal standards. Four types of summer shoes being sold on AliExpress contained a phthalate plasticizer that exceeds the legally permitted amount. The items were also found to have lead levels that exceeded standards by 25 times. Phthalates are commonly used to increase the flexibility and longevity of plastics. But they are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can affect the body's reproductive function and increase the risk of cancers. Lead exposure beyond safe levels can also negatively affect health, including the reproductive health and brain development of unborn children. The city government underlined that the DEHP, or di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, which is a chemical linked to various health concerns like developmental issues and potential carcinogenic effects, was also found in the shoes' insoles. Three summer tops from AliExpress and one kids' shirt from Temu were ruled unsuitable for their high pH levels. South Korea permits a pH range between 4 and 7.5, but three clothing items from AliExpress measured over 8.5, while the Temu top had a pH of 7.8. The city government also detected nonylphenol that exceeded the standards by 1.3 times in a shirt sold on AliExpress. Nonylphenol is a toxic substance known to disrupt estrogen and potentially cause infertility. The city's exam revealed structural problems for five pairs of summer pants, such as excessive drawstring length, which can pose safety risks for children. A pair of children's pants also showed a pH level of 8, which is outside the permitted range of 4 to 7.5. Items from Shein, meanwhile, tested within the acceptable limits. The city government has requested that AliExpress and Temu halt sales of these products based on the findings and urged people here to be cautious when purchasing children's items through overseas shopping sites. The Seoul Metropolitan Government added that it would continue safety inspections in June, focusing on children's umbrellas, raincoats and rain boots.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Seoul promotes urban gardens through comic book
Book about transition into garden city available in five languages Stories of Seoul's urban gardens are set to be promoted in a multi-language comic book 'The Story of Garden City Seoul,' the city said Wednesday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, South Korea's renowned cartoonist and scholar Rhie Won-bok — who made a name for himself with his graphic narrative 'Far Countries, Near Countries' — has teamedc up with the city government to introduce Seoul's green spaces. The four-chapter comic book presents stories about one of the city's major initiatives to transform itself into a 'garden city,' where nature and urban life coexist and allow citizens to enjoy gardens in different sizes. While the comic book explains why Seoul's leafy transition is a solution to urban environmental challenges in the introduction, it highlights how increasing the number of accessible gardens can enhance the quality of life by providing spaces for healing and leisure. The cartoon also recommends some of Seoul's unique gardens and presents detailed information, including their locations and preview images. The book is available for download from the city government's official website ( in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese and Spanish. It can be viewed in ebook format. 'When introducing ideas like the garden city, where people and nature live in harmony, a cartoon can resonate far greater than a formal document,' Rhie was quoted by the city government as saying.
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Korea is building an AI workforce, but not the citizenry: global AI governance adviser
South Korea is investing heavily in AI. The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to train 10,000 AI professionals annually. Major companies like Microsoft and Intel are backing education programs. But what if all this is missing the point? 'Korea is doing what every ambitious country does when a new technology arrives: it's training specialists,' said Vilas Dhar, president of the $1.5 billion Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, in an interview with The Korea Herald. 'But building an AI future isn't just about specialists. It should also be about citizens.' Dhar, in Seoul for the 2025 Asian Leadership Conference on May 21-22, leads one of the world's largest philanthropic institutions focused on AI and digital equity. With a background in both computer science and law, he advises major global bodies including the United Nations, the OECD, and Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. As South Korea heads into a presidential election on June 3, both major parties are competing over bold visions for AI development. The Democratic Party has pledged a massive 100 trillion won (about $73 billion) investment while People Power Party has promised to train 200,000 young AI professionals. Both aim to position South Korea among the world's top three leaders in AI. But these plans, Dhar argues, reflect a familiar, and potentially dangerous, pattern seen in many countries: rapid investment in AI infrastructure and workforce development, with little attention paid to how the general public understands and engages with these powerful technologies. During his visit here, he met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and discussed some of the capital's recent AI initiatives, including the expansion of the 'Seoul Software Academy.' The program now offers short-term training in AI coding and data skills at 20 campuses across the city. Just last month, Seoul added 45 new AI-related courses, touting a 76 percent job placement rate in 2024. While efficient, Dhar pointed out that the focus remains overwhelmingly technical. 'Training someone to code is useful,' he said. 'But what happens when AI coding also gets replaced in 10 years? More importantly, what happens when that same person is later asked to decide whether an AI system should be used to allocate welfare or predict crime? Do they have the context? Do they know how to ask whether it's fair or biased?' Dhar sees a crucial distinction between 'AI skilling' and 'AI fluency.' The first, he says, is about teaching people how to build AI systems. The second is about equipping people to live with them, which is about understanding what these systems do, how they affect daily life, and how to hold them accountable. When asked what real leadership on AI education looks like, Vilas Dhar referenced the US. In April this year, President Donald Trump launched a national initiative to introduce AI education across schools and workforce programs, with a White House task force coordinating efforts between educators, industry, and government. 'It's not perfect,' Dhar said, 'but it shows a willingness to ask, 'how do ordinary people learn to live with AI, not just build it'?' He doesn't underestimate the challenge. 'Sometimes, elected officials don't fully understand the systems they're deploying, which is understandable.' he said. 'But that's also exactly why we need public institutions that make AI legible and accountable to ordinary people.' Otherwise, the gap between those who build AI and those who live under it will keep growing. 'The most advanced AI society won't be the one that codes the fastest. It'll be the one where ordinary people know what AI is, what it isn't, and how to live alongside it.' mjh@
Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Korea Herald
Seoul's annual triathlon event to kick off Friday
The second annual three-day public triathlon event hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government will kick off on Friday, the city government said Tuesday. The triathlon event, also known as the 'My Pace Hangang Triathlon Festival,' is set to run from Friday to Sunday at Ttukseom Hangang Park in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul. The city government announced that participants can take part in each of the three courses -- swimming, cycling and running -- over the three days at their 'own pace and style,' based on their fitness levels. Participants can choose between two courses: a beginner's course and an advanced course. The beginner's course will span 15 kilometers, including a 200-meter or 300-meter swimming course as well as 10-kilometer and 5-kilometer courses for biking and running. The advanced course will span 31 kilometers, including a 1-kilometer swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run. Though a majority of participant spots will be reserved for those who registered in advance, the city government added that on-site registration will also be available, with a separate registration booth for foreign nationals. In this year's event, soccer player Jesse Lingard of FC Seoul, actor Park Jin-hee and other fitness influencers and YouTubers will also take part. On Sunday, Lingard will participate in the running course with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. The city government added that other activities will also be available over the three days for those who aren't taking part in the triathlon, including water sports and cultural and sports performances.
