The 'Wise Banchan Lifestyle' program targets 10 middle-aged and older adults at risk of social isolation — cooking together to rediscover daily vitality and build community ties
The Wonhyoro 1-dong Community Service Center in Seoul's Yongsan-gu ran a cooking program called "Wise Banchan Lifestyle" for middle-aged and older adults living alone who are at risk of social isolation.
The program was designed to give local residents living alone in cramped quarters — such as goshiwon, small single-room lodgings with limited kitchen access — a chance to learn cooking firsthand and rediscover a sense of vitality in their daily lives.
The session was held Friday at the cooking classroom on the fifth floor of Yongsan Dream Children's Comprehensive Town. Ten single-person households selected in advance participated, preparing dishes under the guidance of a professional instructor. Members of the neighborhood care team also joined to assist participants throughout the activity.
The session gave participants a sense of accomplishment through hands-on cooking while naturally bringing them together with neighbors. It also held particular meaning for residents living in goshiwon and other housing with inadequate cooking facilities, as it offered them the rare experience of preparing food in a public facility.
"Living alone, I always just grabbed something quick or relied on banchan others gave me," one participant said. "Actually making the food myself gave me the confidence that I can do it too. It was great to spend such an enjoyable time cooking alongside my neighbors."
Wonhyoro 1-dong hopes the program will serve as an opportunity for residents at risk of social isolation to find renewed energy in their daily lives and forge connections with those around them.
The Yongsan-gu Facilities Management Corporation provided the cooking classroom space, making the initiative a model of cooperation in which public facilities are leveraged to support local residents.
Yongsan-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-dae said he hopes the program will help isolated neighbors rediscover vitality in their everyday lives and open channels of communication with those around them. "Going forward, we will continue to build a tight-knit welfare safety net tailored to the characteristics of our community and keep a close eye on households at risk of isolation," he said.
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