Answer to loneliness? How Seoul's 'mind convenience stores' help combat isolation

On the third floor of a community centre in Dongdaemun in Seoul's east, a massage chair hums gently at the entrance to an airy room - a cool refuge from the sweltering summer heat.

- Raphael Rashid

Inside, the space buzzes quietly with activity: soft bleeps from a touchscreen board game, muted chatter from the cooking area, the rustle of turning pages.

Eom Mi-hui, 53, settles into an infrared foot spa with a look of contentment on her face. "This feels really nice," Eom says. "My body isn't feeling great, so I think the foot spa helps."

This venue is one of Seoul's "mind convenience stores", places where residents struggling with loneliness can sit in comfort, enjoy a simple meal, watch a film, or simply spend time in company. People don't have to talk. The idea is that even passive interactions can help combat the city's loneliness epidemic. Counsellors are available for those ready for deeper support.

In Seoul, home to nearly 10 million people, single-person households have surged from 16% to nearly 40% of all homes in just over two decades. A 2022 Seoul Institute survey found that 62% of those in single-person households report experiencing loneliness, while city estimates suggest that 130,000 young people suffer from social isolation.

Nationwide, more than 3,600 "lonely deaths" - people who die alone and remain undiscovered for extended periods - were recorded in 2023.