Seoul City Expands 'Meal Support for Single-Person Households' Program

‘Happy Table · Healthy Table’ Award

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 31st that it will expand the operation of the social dining program "Haengbokhan Bapsang" (Happy Table), where middle-aged single-person households gather to cook, share food, and communicate, along with the pilot project "Geonganghan Bapsang" (Healthy Table) targeting young single-person households.

Last year, a total of 1,389 people participated in the "Haengbokhan Bapsang" project, showing great interest as it reached 126% of the initial target number, and the participant satisfaction rate was also high at 92.2%. This strong response is attributed to the fact that "Haengbokhan Bapsang" was not just a cooking class but became a place of exchange connecting lonely single-person households.

Based on such positive responses from the field, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will expand the project this year. The "Haengbokhan Bapsang" project for middle-aged single-person households will expand the participating autonomous districts from the existing 10 to 15, and the pilot project "Geonganghan Bapsang" for young single-person households will be newly launched in 5 selected autonomous districts.

The newly launched "Geonganghan Bapsang" this year consists of a "cooking class," where young single-person households learn the basics by making various themed dishes, and a "health program," where they enjoy exercising and recover their health.

Young single-person households show a high rate (46.7%) of skipping at least one meal a day compared to other age groups, indicating a need to address dietary issues. Accordingly, through "Geonganghan Bapsang," the city plans to improve the eating habits and health recovery of young single-person households by teaching basic cooking skills so they can have healthy meals on their own.

The "Haengbokhan Bapsang" for middle-aged people operates with a "cooking class," where middle-aged single-person households learn healthy cooking together, and a "communication program" to strengthen exchanges among participants.

Kim Seonsun, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Women and Family Policy Office, said, "According to last year's single-person household survey, one in three single-person households (39.7%) skip at least one meal a day. 'Haengbokhan Bapsang' and 'Geonganghan Bapsang' are policies aimed at solving such dietary problems of single-person households and forming bonds among participants to catch both physical and mental health benefits." She added, "The application for 'Haengbokhan Bapsang' and 'Geonganghan Bapsang' will begin on the 1st of next month. We hope for active participation from many autonomous districts."