Many young people in South Korea live in social isolation. That’s according to a report from South Korea’s Ministry of Equality and Family last week. That is why the ministry now wants to make a monthly payment, which is part of the Youth Welfare Act, to ensure that those affected have more opportunities, at least financially, to do something outside of their own four walls. In addition, it should support the “emotional stability” and “healthy development” of young people, reports “CNN”.
Young people between the ages of nine and 24 are to receive up to 650,000 South Korean won a month, which corresponds to around 495 US dollars. To do this, they have to apply to a welfare center and prove that they have less financial means than the average income in South Korea.
According to the Korean Institute of Health and Social Affairs, about 350,000 people between the ages of 19 and 39 live in loneliness and social isolation in South Korea. Some would only leave the house to go shopping. Isolation would often start in adolescence, often as a reaction to health or financial problems or a complicated family situation. In Japan, the phenomenon of young people shutting themselves off has been known as “hikikomori” (roughly “to withdraw”) for decades. According to a study by the Japanese government from November last year, the corona pandemic in particular is said to have increased this isolation.
Quellen: CNN I,CNN II, The Guardian
