SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare said on September 14 that it will step up efforts to support isolated and secluded young adults, also described as socially withdrawn youth, after identifying more than 1,300 cases through pilot centers.
Isolated and secluded young adults, often described as socially withdrawn youth, are young people who cut themselves off from education, work and social interaction for extended periods of time. Many spend most of their time at home, sometimes confined to a single room, avoiding contact even with close family members. This phenomenon has emerged as a social problem in South Korea, where economic pressures, academic competition and strained personal relationships can drive young people into isolation. Experts warn that prolonged withdrawal not only disrupts normal development and employment prospects but also increases risks of depression and suicide, placing a heavy burden on families and society at large.
Youth Future Centers, first opened last year in Incheon, Ulsan, North Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces, have uncovered 1,300 young people cut off from society as of June this year. The centers provide counseling, daily life recovery programs, group living options and family services aimed at helping them regain stability and independence. The ministry plans to double the number of centers to eight next year by adding four more.
Officials also said one-on-one online counseling will be introduced to strengthen suicide prevention. The new service will allow counselors to proactively reach out to young people who register for help. "We are preparing a service where applications from at-risk youth will be accepted, and counselors will reach out at specific times to ask about their psychological state and provide support," a ministry official said.
The scale of the problem has been highlighted by government surveys. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, about 5.2 percent of South Korea’s young people — roughly 540,000 individuals — were estimated to be socially withdrawn in 2024. That figure was more than double the 2.4 percent recorded in 2022. The survey cited job-related difficulties (24.1 percent), interpersonal relationship problems (23.5 percent), family issues (12.4 percent), health concerns (12.4 percent) and academic struggles (10.4 percent) as the main reasons.
A joint study carried out last year by the Health Ministry and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs found that nearly 75 percent of socially withdrawn youth had thought about suicide at least once. Officials say the new counseling program is intended to address these risks more directly. Families of affected young people will also be offered education programs, psychological counseling and self-help groups.
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