Seoul City Expands Customized Safety Policies for 1.56 Million 'Single-Person Households'

Expansion of 'Hospital Safe Companion' and 'Jeonwolse Safe Contract'
Strengthening of 'One-Person Household Support Center' Programs in Autonomous Districts
Expansion of 'Safe Village Security Guards' to All 25 Autonomous Districts

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is expanding and promoting a 'Customized Comprehensive Safety Policy' for single-person households. The city plans to discover additional policies to alleviate daily difficulties, such as the 'Single-Person Household Jeonse and Monthly Rent Safe Contract Assistance Service' and the 'Hospital Safe Accompaniment Service' targeted at working single-person households.

On the 22nd, Seoul announced that it will launch the 'Customized Comprehensive Safety Policy' focusing on ▲Daily Safety ▲Isolation Safety ▲Security Safety for 1.56 million single-person households.

First, the city will strengthen the 'Daily Safety' support projects aimed at resolving daily difficulties faced by single-person households. The 'Hospital Safe Accompaniment Service,' which has received high acclaim with nearly 30,000 cumulative uses in two years since its launch, will diversify payment methods including mobile easy payments and introduce a callback service.

The 'Jeonse and Monthly Rent Safe Contract Assistance Service,' which expanded to all 25 autonomous districts last year, will conduct a pilot operation on Saturdays for working people. The social dining program 'Happy Table, Healthy Table,' which showed a high satisfaction rate of 93.5%, will enhance the effects of improving dietary habits and expand communication opportunities through 100% face-to-face operations, increased cooking class sessions, and the introduction of communication programs.

The 'Isolation Safety' support projects to restore social networks for single-person households will also be expanded. The 25 autonomous district 'Single-Person Household Support Centers,' which serve as on-site support institutions for single-person households, operated education, leisure, counseling programs, and self-help groups last year with a total participation of about 52,000 people. This year, to strengthen outdoor activities for single-person households, new programs such as forest experiences and landmark tours will be introduced.

The 'Single-Person Household Counseling Mentoring Program,' where professional mentors provide counseling and advice on single-person household life, will strengthen customized assistance through linkage with related organizations such as psychological support centers. The 'Customized Economic Education for Single-Person Households' to support economic independence will introduce advanced courses and new one-on-one financial planning consulting connections.

In addition, the 'Security Safety' support services for citizens vulnerable to crime, including single-person households, will be strengthened. The 'Safe Village Security Guards,' who protect the safety of return paths in areas densely populated by single-person households, have shown a high citizen-perceived effect, with a 22.3 percentage point increase in satisfaction with local security. Accordingly, their activity area will expand from the existing 16 autonomous districts to all 25 districts this year. Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Women and Family Policy Office, explained, "We have meticulously prepared customized support policies to resolve the concerns and difficulties of single-person households, such as health, loneliness, and safety."

2024 Seoul Metropolitan Government Support Plan for Single-Person Households [Data provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]