Jeonnam Province Accelerates Establishment of Basic Plan to Promote Welfare for Single-Person Households

Developing Customized Welfare Strategies for Each Stage of the Life Cycle

On-site scene of the kick-off meeting for the research project on the basic plan for single-person households. Provided by Jeonnam Province

Jeonnam Province held a kick-off meeting on April 18 at the provincial government building for the research project to establish the "2026-2030 Jeonnam Province Basic Plan for the Welfare Promotion of Single-Person Households." The plan aims to systematically respond to the rapidly increasing welfare demands of single-person households and to lay the foundation for customized, life-cycle-based policies.

The meeting was attended by relevant departments, academic experts in the fields of welfare for middle-aged and elderly individuals, and the Economic Research Team of the Bank of Korea Gwangju-Jeonnam Branch, who shared the project initiation plan. In-depth discussions were also held, including Q&A sessions on collaborative tasks and policy directions for each department.

This research focuses on analyzing domestic and international policy environments for single-person households, conducting surveys on the actual conditions and life satisfaction of single-person households in Jeonnam by type, and identifying customized welfare tasks for each stage of the life cycle. The ultimate goal is to establish effective policies that reflect the unique characteristics and needs of youth, women, middle-aged, and elderly individuals.

An official from Jeonnam Province stated, "We will establish a comprehensive welfare safety net so that residents living alone are not isolated from society and can live with dignity. In particular, we plan to expand and connect community resources and welfare services based on policies that encompass care, safety, and relationship restoration, reflecting the characteristics of single-person households in Jeonnam, where the proportion of elderly is high."

This year, Jeonnam Province is implementing 34 detailed tasks through its single-person household action plan, including emotional support for youth, prevention of solitary deaths among the middle-aged, and improvement of safe housing for single women. The province is allocating a total budget of 474.5 billion won, which is 1.3 times larger than the previous year (an increase of approximately 265.7 billion won), to strengthen support for single-person households.