An estimated 54,000 people. That is the number of reclusive youth aged 19 to 39 living in Seoul who are believed to spend most of their time confined to their homes or rooms, cut off from society. The number of isolated youth — those who have remained in a state of emotional or physical isolation for at least six months — is expected to reach approximately 194,000. These figures represent 2% and 7.1% of Seoul's young adult population, respectively.
As growing numbers of young people choose isolation and seclusion due to an unstable future and an increasingly individualized social climate, the Seoul Metropolitan Government launched a fact-finding survey in 2022 and in 2023 rolled out the nation's first comprehensive plan for isolated and reclusive youth. In 2024, the city opened the Seoul Youth Gigae Center, a dedicated support agency to help isolated and reclusive youth recover and heal. As a result, social isolation scores among supported youth fell by an average of 13%, depression decreased by 17.3%, and self-efficacy rose by 13%.
Yet many young people still cannot take a single step outside their homes. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday announced its second comprehensive plan, the "Isolated Youth ON Project." The goal is to invest a total of 109 billion won ($80 million) over five years through 2030 to reconnect 913,000 isolated and reclusive youth (cumulative) with their families and society. The key shift in this plan is moving the focus from post-hoc support to prevention. According to the city, 12.6% of isolated and reclusive youth said their isolation began in their teenage years.
Through an isolation prevention center and 25 family centers, the city will support early screening for children and adolescents showing signs of isolation and seclusion, as well as counseling for their parents. The number of parents receiving education has been increased more than tenfold this year to 25,000, up from approximately 2,300 the previous year. The "Happiness Companion School" will newly establish and operate a "Family Companion Camp" to help restore parent-child relationships, and a "Living Lab" will be introduced to help rebuild family bonds.
Programs that have drawn strong response will be expanded with youth-specific versions. First, five "Youth Mind Convenience Stores" — a youth-tailored version of the "Seoul Mind Convenience Store," the flagship program and support hub of the "Seoul Without Loneliness" initiative that attracted approximately 60,000 visitors over nine months — will open near university districts, cram school areas, and subway stations. The "Loneliness Helpline 120" (dial 120, then press 5), which offers counseling via a single phone call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, will strengthen specialized counseling tailored to teenagers and young adults. The AI-based mental health counseling chatbot "Maeum-e" service will also be expanded.
A new "Sharing Hearts with Dogs" program will also launch, offering pet care, walks with shelter animals, and pet etiquette education to relieve tension and build self-efficacy. A dedicated medical center for high-risk youth, the "Youth Mind Clinic," is set to open at Eunpyeong Hospital in July. The city has also prepared a phased "exit strategy" to support social reintegration. It is designed so that youth start with low-pressure activities such as online volunteering and walking missions before gradually transitioning to in-person programs. In October, the "Online Gigae School" will open, supporting economic independence through medium- to long-term programs including simulated workplace operations, real-world work experience, and youth intern camps.
Eliminating support gaps across age groups is also part of the plan. The city will expand the Seoul Youth Gigae Center — currently comprising one metropolitan center and 15 regional centers — to 25 locations, one per autonomous district, by 2027. After age 39, individuals can receive continued support at dedicated clinics for those aged 40 to 64, to be established within "Seoul Itda Place," an integrated space for middle-aged adults.
The policy is being recognized for building a closely knit recovery system through collaboration among all segments of society, including the Seoul Metropolitan Government, autonomous districts, foundations and centers, the education office, schools, and private companies.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said, "Supporting isolated and reclusive youth is not simply welfare — it is an investment in protecting our society's future." He added, "I will take responsibility to the end so that not a single young person is left alone in loneliness."
