Gwangjin-gu Operates 'Happy Table' for Middle-aged and Elderly Single-person Households

Selected for Seoul City Single-Person Household Support Project, Operating Cooking Classes to Promote Healthy Eating Habits

Targeting 100 Middle-Aged Single-Person Households... Learning Various Cooking Methods Including Low-Sodium and Seasonal Foods

Alleviating Loneliness through Communication with Neighbors via Food, Creating a Platform for Continuous Meetings

Gwangjin-gu (District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) is operating ‘Happy Table,’ a program that supports healthy eating habits for middle-aged single-person households.

‘Happy Table’ is a communication program where neighbors living alone gather to cook and eat together. It was established to protect the health of middle-aged single-person households, who have a high incidence of chronic diseases, and to create natural opportunities for interaction to alleviate feelings of isolation.

Building on the great response last year, the project was selected again this year in the Seoul City Single-Person Household Support Public Contest and has continued.

The target group is 100 middle-aged (ages 40-64) single-person households, divided into four sessions running until October. Each session includes three cooking classes where participants communicate through food.

The first class focuses on low-sodium food for chronic disease prevention and management, the second class uses seasonal ingredients to boost immunity, and the third class makes easy-to-prepare convenience meals.

In addition, various programs such as ‘Traditional Fermented Sauce Making,’ ‘Healthy Snack Making,’ and ‘Food Reading Club’ are conducted. In December this year, a ‘Food Sharing Event’ will be held to showcase the changed eating habits of cooking class participants.

The first and second cooking classes held in the first half of the year were so popular that they closed early. One participant said, “I used to just eat roughly living alone, but now I learn cooking and meet good people, making each day enjoyable.”

The third and fourth cooking classes in the second half of the year will be held in September and October. Each session will recruit 25 participants, and those interested can apply by phone to the Health Policy Division of Gwangjin-gu Public Health Center.

District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho said, “I hope this will be an opportunity for middle-aged residents living alone to maintain a balanced diet and build bonds with neighbors,” adding, “We will do our best to support a healthy and happy daily life in response to the rapidly increasing demand from single-person households.”