New 'isolation prevention division' added to local social security council, expanding total divisions to eight; 13 members drawn from private welfare organizations including community welfare centers, self-sufficiency centers and family centers
Seoul's Yongsan-gu has established an "isolation prevention division" within its local social security council and held the division's inaugural meeting this month.
The district will draw on a private-sector cooperation network to prevent solitary deaths and strengthen proactive outreach to isolated households.
The newly created division brings together a range of private welfare organizations in the community to identify at-risk households early and build a tightly woven support system. Its addition expands the council from seven divisions to eight.
Participating organizations include a general community welfare center, a senior welfare center, a center for people with disabilities, a self-sufficiency center, a facility serving residents of low-cost lodging houses, a mental health welfare center and a family center — 13 members in total.
The division will focus on five priorities: activating a network for identifying isolated households, establishing a system for sharing early warning signs, strengthening the public-private support framework, coordinating case referrals and joint responses, and advancing specialized projects. A key distinction from existing divisions is that the new body is not limited to specific age groups such as seniors or youth — its work centers on identifying low-income households at risk of isolation.
The division will place particular emphasis on building an early-intervention system through collaboration among diverse private organizations in the community, enabling outreach before a crisis occurs.
Regular inter-agency meetings and information exchanges will also be used to minimize overlap and gaps in coverage, reinforcing the cooperative foundation needed to deliver integrated support to isolated households.
At the first meeting, members elected a division chair and secretary. Yeon Nu-si, a manager at the Yongsan Self-Sufficiency Center, was chosen as chair, and Im Myeong-seon, a team leader at the Yongsan Family Center, was elected secretary. Their terms run through June 30, 2027, aligned with those of members of other divisions and working-level councils.
Discussion of this year's project plan included a briefing by a district office official on a proposal submitted to the Seoul Welfare Foundation's competitive grant program. Detailed planning is set to continue at the next meeting.
Earlier, the district applied for and was selected in February through the Seoul Welfare Foundation's open call for "isolation prevention councils." Yongsan-gu plans to continue expanding tailored policies to prevent solitary deaths in line with the district's specific characteristics.
"Preventing solitary deaths has limits when left to government efforts alone, which makes close cooperation with private organizations in the community all the more important," district mayor Park Hee-young said. "We will build a sustainable community care system centered on the isolation prevention division, and create a safe Yongsan where no one is left behind."
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