Mapo-gu Becomes a Strong Supporter for 'Shining Solo' Single-Person Households

Establishment of 'Support Implementation Plan for Single-Person Households' Divided into Safety, Health, Loneliness, Isolation, and Housing Areas
Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, "Policies Will Be Examined from Multiple Angles Due to the Increase in Single-Person Households"

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) extends a warm hand to the rapidly increasing number of single-person households every year.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as of March 2024, single-person households in Mapo-gu account for 48.5% of all households, ranking 9th among Seoul’s autonomous districts. This figure is higher than the Seoul city average of 44.7%.

In response, Mapo-gu has established the ‘2024 Single-Person Household Support Implementation Plan’ divided into safety, health, loneliness, isolation, and housing sectors to prevent social isolation of the growing single-person households and create a safe living environment. The plan includes 34 projects, including 8 new initiatives.

Key projects in the safety sector include the ‘Safe Home 3-piece Set Support’ and the installation of ‘Smart Security Lights.’ The ‘Safe Home 3-piece Set’ project provides home CCTV, portable emergency bells, and window locks to promote a safe residential environment.

Additionally, Mapo-gu replaces and installs old security lights in areas densely populated by single-person households with ‘Smart Security Lights’ to eliminate safety blind spots.

Policies for the health of single-person households have also been prepared. For middle-aged and older adults who may easily overlook health management, Mapo-gu runs the ‘The-Eum’ project, an integrated health and welfare care support linking medical and social care.

Alongside this, the ‘Monthly Table’ project, aimed at addressing nutritional imbalance and improving eating habits among single-person households, will be newly launched this year.

Furthermore, Mapo-gu operates the ‘Single-Person Household Support Center’ to help build social networks and alleviate depression among single-person households. It also implements the ‘Mapo Safe Smart! Mobile Safety Care Service’ and the ‘Care SOS Project’ to be reliable companions for households at risk of social isolation.

In the housing sector, representative initiatives include the ‘Self Care Class’ that makes daily life more convenient and the nation’s first communal living facility for seniors aged 65 and older living alone, the ‘Hyo-do Suk-sik Senior Center.’

Moreover, Mapo-gu plans to enrich the lives of single-person households through various projects such as the ‘Safe Return Scout’ to assist late-night returns home, the one-stop welfare project for seniors aged 75 and older called ‘Resident Participation Hyo-do Meal,’ and the ‘Single Life Master’ program to support single elderly men.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, stated, “As single-person households are rapidly increasing, I believe policies need to be viewed from multiple perspectives. Mapo-gu will prepare and actively promote various policies to ensure the safe and healthy lives of single-person households, which have become a major household type.”