Welfare centers ease loneliness

[Anchor]

Relaxing in massage chairs, watching movies, and satisfying hunger with soul food ramen. This place may seem like a relaxation space at first glance, but it is said to be a "Heart Convenience Store" open to anyone feeling lonely.

Reporter Kim Ha-eun has the story.

[Report]

From young people to the elderly, people can comfortably lay on the sofa and watch movies.

They also have simple meals like ramen.

This is the "Heart Convenience Store" established in four social welfare centers in Seoul since March of this year.

Unlike regular convenience stores that sell goods, anyone feeling lonely can use it for free.

At first, it may feel awkward, but as people share small stories, their empty hearts are filled.

[Lee Seong-mo/Seongdong-gu, Seoul: "Most of the people here are those who have lost their partners or are usually alone. Just having a conversation helps ease the loneliness."]

Through a self-diagnosis of loneliness, they can also receive counseling from professionals on site.

They can participate in small gatherings that involve cooking and exercising together.

[Lee In-ho/Seongdong-gu, Seoul: "'What should I do alone?' When I'm just at home, it feels suffocating... Coming here makes me feel really at ease, and I think I should come again."]

The number of users, which was about 4,000 at the beginning of operations, has more than quadrupled last month.

Two out of three users are elderly people aged 65 and over.

[Song In-joo/Senior Researcher, Former Seoul Welfare Foundation: "These people are getting closer to the community and others, and having such an open space is valuable for obtaining information."]

The Heart Convenience Store, which connects social activities for single-person households, is set to expand to all 25 districts of Seoul by 2027.

This is KBS News, Kim Ha-eun.