Gwanak-gu, led by District Mayor Park Jun-hee, is strengthening community-based policies to address the five core anxieties single-person households face in daily life — housing, safety, illness, poverty and loneliness — and to help residents connect naturally with their local communities.
The district's vision is to build a "happy city for single-person households" where people living alone can feel secure and share their lives with neighbors.
As of late July, 64 percent of Gwanak-gu residents live alone — the highest share among Seoul's autonomous districts. After establishing a single-person household support center in 2020 and creating a dedicated administrative unit in 2022, the district opened what it calls "Gwanak-type small single-person household support centers" in all 21 dong in July last year — the first such network of its kind nationwide — expanding services from a single hub to cover residents' entire living areas.
This year, the district extended group counseling to all 21 dong and reinforced programs to build social networks, while rolling out tailored specialty programs that reflect each dong's demographic makeup and local characteristics.
In Cheongnyong-dong, where young single-person households are concentrated, the district runs financial fraud prevention education. In Sillim-dong, it operates a program called "The Earth Loves It! Re-Kind Moving," which collects discarded moving boxes and lends them free of charge to young residents preparing to move. In Daehak-dong and Nangok-dong, where middle-aged and older single-person households are more common, activities such as exercise and cooking are tailored to that generation's needs. In Haengwun-dong, Sinsa-dong and Seowon-dong, programs focus on helping socially isolated households rebuild relationships.
Support for social networks continues to be tailored by generation and interest. Young single-person households are given opportunities to connect through shared interests such as meals, exercise and cooking. At the Gwanak Single-Person Household Youth Restaurant Ato, which opened in June, residents dine together and take part in counseling sessions covering mental health, welfare and physical health, as well as meditation, board games and small-group gatherings.
Middle-aged single-person households are offered life-skills training, neighborhood sharing activities, and opportunities to join choirs and small clubs. For elderly residents and those at risk of social isolation, the district links welfare check-ins, health management and emotional support services to help each person rebuild daily routines and form new connections suited to their circumstances.
This year, the district also expanded its sports activity support program — aimed at building a social safety net for single-person households of all ages — to five geographic zones. Community welfare centers in each zone run recreational sports programs and small-group activities, supplemented by case management and emotional support services, to promote health, encourage neighborly exchange and foster lasting community ties.
In addition, the district is broadening its local base by making use of community spaces such as "Ssinggeulbeongeul Sarangbang," "Seoul Maeum" convenience stores and "Iut Sarangbang," so that connections formed through programs can grow into everyday interactions.
To develop policies that residents can genuinely feel, the district is also conducting a "2027 Gwanak-gu Single-Person Household Happiness Policy Demand Survey." The survey will assess difficulties and policy needs across daily life — covering housing, employment, safety, care, physical and mental health, and social relationships — with findings to be reflected in specialty programs and social network initiatives across all 21 dong.
Building on these efforts, the district received top honors in four national evaluation categories, including the grand prize at the 2025 National Basic Local Government Leaders Manifesto Best Practices Competition, in recognition of its single-person household policies.
"Gwanak-gu is a city where single-person households of all generations — young people, the middle-aged and the elderly — live side by side, so it is essential that we pay close attention to the different daily hardships and risks of isolation each generation faces," District Mayor Park said. "We will continue to weave together health, safety, care and social networks around the 21 dong living-area hubs, so that Gwanak becomes a place where living alone still means living safely and happily."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
