South Korea will pay reclusive young people $500 a month just to get them to leave the house

Chloe Taylor

Updated 13 April 2023 at 2:09 pm·3-min read

South Korea is set to hand out almost $500 a month in free cash to coax young, predominantly disadvantaged people out of their reclusive states.

The country’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has launched a new funding program to help youths suffering from hikikomori, a condition named after a Japanese term coined to describe extreme social withdrawal.

Around 350,000 South Koreans between ages 19 and 39—or 3% of that demographic—are considered to be lonely or secluded, according to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.

Under the government’s plan, people between ages 9 and 24 who are experiencing hikikomori are set to be offered a monthly living allowance of 650,000 won ($490). The program is intended to help disadvantaged youth, who are thought to be disproportionately impacted by the condition.

The allowance, which builds on government plans first outlined in November, is intended to encourage them to leave the house to attend school, college, or work and ultimately “recover their daily lives and reintegrate into society.”

Young people will be able to use funding available through the scheme to pay for general living expenses, school supplies, cultural experiences, and even cosmetic procedures such as the correction of scars.

In a document published by the government on Wednesday, self-confessed “hermits” described their living situations and how they had ended up suffering from hikikomori.

One shared details on how domestic violence in their household had made them so depressed that they “began to live in seclusion” at the age of 15.

“Even if you muster up the courage to go outside, it was difficult to make eye contact with people,” they explained.

Another described how they had difficulties adjusting to college, and were eventually expelled for truancy, which exacerbated their reclusion.

Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University in Seoul, told Bloomberg the policy was “fundamentally a welfare measure”—but suggested it was also an attempt to address South Korea’s population crisis.

“While it’s good to try various approaches to boost working age population, it cannot be seen as a long-term solution to fix the population problem here,” he said.

South Korea is the only country in the world with a birth rate below one, with South Korean women giving birth to an average 0.78 children in their lifetimes.

The country’s dwindling fertility rate, which has raised concerns about the socioeconomic impact of the rapidly aging population, has seen interventions such as the tripling of child welfare allowances and dating courses at local universities.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

The Telegraph
Why soaring numbers of migrants are risking death to flee Xi’s dictatorship for US
When the police came knocking on Wu Lixin’s door one day, he knew it was finally time to flee China.
KameraOne
Mid-air brawl: Passengers duke it out over seat dispute on flight to San Francisco
Tensions soared mid-air as two passengers engaged in a physical altercation over a disputed seat on an EVA Air flight from Taipei to San Francisco on May 7. The dramatic scene unfolded as cabin crew worked to diffuse the situation amidst screams from passenger witnesses.
Storyful
Passenger Bus Crashes Into Saint Petersburg River
A bus crashed off a bridge and into the Moyka River in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Friday, May 10, with local police saying around 20 people were on board.Local media reported that at least five people died, with four “seriously injured”. These figures had not been officially confirmed.The city’s governor, Alexander Beglov, said emergency services from various departments were on the scene.Local police said the circumstances that led to the bus being driven into the river were still being determined.This security footage shows the bus driving along the side of a building, swerving to hit a car, and then crashing into the river. Credit: Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs via Storyful
BuzzFeed
Experts Say These 6 Common Work Habits May Actually Be Signs Of ADHD In Adults
Don't ignore these common signs.
LA Times
'Let her go! Let her go!' Fontana officer shoots armed man who put his partner in a headlock
Body-camera footage released by the Fontana Police Department shows an officer being put in a headlock during a traffic stop in Yucaipa by a man whom authorities have identified as Alan Metka.
SETHLUI.COM
We tried Singapore’s best-rated Wanton Mee
The post We tried Singapore’s best-rated Wanton Mee appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
The Telegraph
The UN has betrayed Israel again
This has been another week of shame for the United Nations, which has again voted to reward terrorism and victim-blame Israel. The general assembly has voted overwhelmingly to back the Palestinian bid for full UN membership, a move that Israel’s envoy, Gilad Erdan, has warned will give “the rights of a state to an entity that is already partly controlled” by Hamas.
INSIDER
Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries may be proving the Biden Administration wrong, experts say
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in April that attacking Russian oil refineries risked impacting global energy markets.
The Telegraph
Sorry Spurs fans, Arsenal winning title would be good for the Premier League – here is why
We know precisely how the last few days of this Premier League season will unfold. Arsenal will win their final two games, first at Old Trafford this weekend, then at home to Everton next Sunday. And they will do so with aplomb, securing six points with performances of gusto and intelligence. In other circumstances it would be a triumphant stroll to the club’s first title in 20 years, Mikel Arteta’s side issuing a glorious reminder of the days when Arsene Wenger was at his peak as a tactician an
CNN
An American soldier went missing in the Korean War. How his late mother’s faith he’d come home has finally been realized
A soldier who went missing during the Korean War has been identified after 70 years. It was the hope of his mother that he would come home again.
BuzzFeed
"Despite Being A Tourist Trap, It's The Most Beautiful Place I've Seen": Travelers Are Sharing Mega-Popular Destinations That Are Anything But Overrated
"The first time I visited, I thought, 'This can't be real. It looks like a stock image...'"
People
TikTok Star Maddy Baloy's Fiancé Held Her Hand as She Took Last Breath After Year with Terminal Cancer (Exclusive)
“We made the decision between us that we’re married for life,” Risher tells PEOPLE
HuffPost
After Being Forbidden From Making Alterations, Here’s How Kendall Jenner Wound Up Being The 'First Human' Ever To Wear Her 25-Year-Old Met Gala Gown
“It’s been sleeping for the last 25 years. It’s literally a ‘sleeping beauty.’”
People
Pregnant Hailey Bieber Shows off Baby Bump in New Behind-the-Scenes Pic from Pregnancy Announcement Video
Hailey and Justin Bieber announced on May 9 that they are expecting their first child together
INSIDER
The US Army's new plan to counter Russia and China has a glaring problem, experts say
The US Army is reorganizing to respond to rising threats, but standing up new units is easier said than done.
Barrons.com
The ‘Fed Put’ Is Back, and That’s Great News for the Stock Market
What’s the Fed put? It’s when the Federal Reserve signals that it will reduce rates if the economy or financial markets fall apart. The concept originated in the 1980s and 1990s, when markets became conditioned to expect the Fed to step in during times of financial market stress—causing the stock market to rally.
BuzzFeed
34 Couples Who Were Together 5 Years Ago That Definitely Aren't Anymore
Let's remember our pre-covid couples.
The Independent
Surveillance footage shows Boston cop and girlfriend Karen Read in bar hours before she allegedly murdered him
Karen Read is on trial charged with killing her boyfriend by allegedly intentionally mowing him down and leaving him to die during a snowstorm in January 2022
SETHLUI.COM
Hoe Nam Bak Kut Teh: Rich Claypot BKT with tender pork knuckle from famous prawn noodle franchise
The post Hoe Nam Bak Kut Teh: Rich Claypot BKT with tender pork knuckle from famous prawn noodle franchise appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
People
Zendaya’s Stylist Calls Out Designers Who Refused to Dress Her Back in the Day: ‘I Still Have All the Receipts'
Law Roach named "the big five" who previously said his client was "too green" to wear their designs

Latest stories