In super-aged Korea, social isolation leaves seniors searching for connection

Dream City, a center near Seoul Station, has become a gathering place for older adults seeking company as social isolation and loneliness affect seniors across Korea. Pastor Woo Yeon-shik said the center draws more than 300 older people daily and offers an open space where connections can form through shared activities. As rising rent prompts a move to Wonmi-dong in Bucheon, Woo hopes to reach older residents who are less able to travel. Researchers say regular interaction can support older people’s health and help communities notice when someone needs assistance.

A 2024 Ministry of Health and Welfare report said lonely deaths reached a record high in 2023, with people in their 50s and 60s accounting for 61.8 percent of cases.

People aged 65 and older accounted for 4,310 unclaimed deaths in 2025, or 60.1 percent of the total; the number was about 133 percent higher than in 2021.

In a survey released this year by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, 43.5 percent of older respondents said they felt lonely.

Dream City’s monthly rent rose from 5.8 million won to between 12 million and 13 million won.

Dream City offers free haircuts, legal assistance, resume-writing help and medical services, as well as hot water and electricity.

Published Oct 31, 2026 12:00 pm KST

Older visitors use computers and play board games in the basement of Dream City near Seoul Station. Captured from Dream City's Facebook

Tucked away near the rear entrance of Seoul Station is a building bustling with older adults coming and going. Inside, dozens of white-haired visitors fill the space, some drinking cheap coffee while others watch television.

Farther inside, two barbers cut the hair of older visitors. A narrow staircase leads down to a basement, where a small PC cafe with a row of computers and tables for "baduk" (go) and "janggi" (Korean chess) is located. Nearly every seat is occupied by an older person.

“The door is always open and we don’t ask them to do anything, including pray,” said Woo Yeon-shik, a pastor who runs the center, Dream City, which also doubles as a church.

Operating near Seoul Station since 2011, Dream City draws more than 300 older people each day from across the capital. For Woo, the space increasingly serves a purpose that goes beyond its original mission of helping homeless people: giving older people somewhere to go and someone to be around.

That role has become more urgent as Korea, one of the world’s fastest-aging societies, grapples with high suicide rates and social isolation among its older population.

“Korea’s reported suicide rate is around 29.1 per 100,000 people. For those aged 65 and older, it is 40.6. For men over 80, it is three times the overall average,” Woo said. “Across society, the problems facing older people are widespread and serious.”

Older people line up for a free lunch outside Tapgol Park in Jongno District, central Seoul, Oct. 1. Yonhap

Loneliness among older people

Korea has long struggled with the well-being of its older population, recording one of the highest suicide rates among older people among OECD nations for years.

Other indicators point to a broader problem of social isolation, including deaths that go unnoticed and a growing number of people whose remains are not claimed by family members.

Cases of “godoksa,” or lonely deaths, in which socially isolated people die and their bodies remain undiscovered for some time, continue to rise. According to a Ministry of Health and Welfare report released in 2024, the number reached a record high in 2023, with people in their 50s and 60s accounting for 61.8 percent of cases.

The number of unclaimed deaths has also risen sharply. The category includes people with no known family members as well as those whose relatives refuse or fail to claim their remains.

In 2025, people aged 65 and older accounted for 60.1 percent of such cases, or 4,310 people. The number was about 133 percent higher than in 2021, according to health ministry data submitted to Rep. Chang Jong-tae of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Signs of isolation can also be seen at Tapgol Park in central Seoul, long known as a gathering place for older Koreans.

On a recent afternoon, visitors were scattered across benches throughout the park, but relatively few were speaking to one another. Only a handful could be seen chatting. Most sat alone, gazing into the distance.

“There’s no such thing as friends here. It’s just you and me,” said a man in his 90s. “We should get along, but the only thing people do together is line up for food.”

Another man said he regularly came to the park simply to sit for a while without speaking to anyone, an answer echoed by several others.

Survey findings reflect that sense of loneliness. In a survey released this year by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, 43.5 percent of older respondents said they felt lonely. A separate study by the health ministry found that loneliness was more pronounced among older people living alone.

Woo Yeon-shik / Captured from Woo's Instagram

For Woo, social isolation among older people has become a more pressing concern than the homelessness Dream City was originally established to address.

The center drew media attention earlier this year after announcing that soaring rent would force it to leave Seoul Station and relocate outside the capital. But Woo explained that the focus on the closure as the loss of one of Seoul’s few homeless shelters did not fully reflect what Dream City had evolved into.

“The homeless population has shrunk. Across society, the problems facing older people are far more widespread and severe,” he said, noting that supporting older people had been a major part of Dream City’s work even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

His approach to bridging the distance between older people is to bring them together in a shared space and let a community form naturally.

“When we think back to our school days, we didn’t become friends because the teacher told us to. We became friends simply by spending time together in the same classroom,” he said.

“People here strike up conversations while playing baduk or janggi or asking for help using a computer.”

Dream City has sought to give people reasons to leave their rooms and spend time around others without imposing formal programs or expectations. Along with a place to sit around the clock, it offers hot water and electricity as well as free haircuts, legal assistance, help in writing resumes and medical services.

“Being alone puts them under psychological strain, which eventually takes a toll on their physical health as well,” the pastor said.

Now, he plans to take that approach to Wonmi-dong in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, where he hopes to reach older residents who are more economically isolated and less able to travel.

When The Korea Times visited his second-floor office on Oct. 22, much of the building had already been emptied, with volunteers loading belongings onto a truck ahead of the move. The church was preparing to hold its final service Wednesday before vacating the building the following day.

Financial pressure is one reason for the relocation. Woo said the building’s monthly rent, once 5.8 million won ($4,060), had risen to between 12 and 13 million won. But he said the move also reflects a change in whom he hopes to reach.

“People who come here are relatively well off. There are others who can’t afford to get out. We want to reach them, even if only within the local community,” he said.

Such neighborhood-level connections can be particularly important for older people living alone, experts say.

“Studies show that living alone with no one to talk to can adversely affect older people’s health and cognitive function. Interacting with others can help mitigate those effects,” said Kim Sue-lynn, a researcher at the Korea Rural Economic Institute specializing in older people’s health and welfare.

The benefits extend beyond companionship as regular interaction can also create an informal safety net.

“There are preventive benefits as well. Regular conversations can help people notice early signs of illness or recognize when someone needs help. In rural areas, senior community centers serve that role by providing places for people to interact and support one another emotionally. Government support services also help fulfill that role,” Kim said.

位于首尔站附近的“梦想之城”中心已成为老年人寻求陪伴的聚集地，因为社会孤立和孤独感正困扰着韩国各地的老年人。牧师禹延植表示，该中心每天吸引超过300位老年人，并提供一个开放的空间，让他们可以通过共同参与的活动建立联系。由于租金上涨，中心被迫搬迁至富川市的元美洞，禹牧师希望能够服务到那些行动不便的老年居民。研究人员表示，定期的互动有助于老年人的健康，并帮助社区及时发现需要帮助的老年人。

2024 年卫生福利部的一份报告称，孤独死亡人数在 2023 年达到历史最高水平，其中 50 多岁和 60 多岁的人占病例总数的 61.8%。

2025 年，65 岁及以上的老年人无人认领的死亡人数为 4,310 人，占总数的 60.1%；这一数字比 2021 年高出约 133%。

韩国数据统计部今年发布的一项调查显示，43.5%的老年受访者表示感到孤独。

梦之城的月租金从 580 万韩元上涨到 1200 万至 1300 万韩元之间。

梦想之城提供免费理发、法律援助、简历撰写帮助和医疗服务，以及热水和电力。

发布于2026年10月31日韩国时间下午12:00

在首尔站附近的梦幻城（Dream City）地下室，一些年长的游客正在使用电脑和玩桌游。图片来自梦幻城的Facebook页面。

在首尔站后门附近，有一栋熙熙攘攘的建筑，里面挤满了进出的老年人。里面，几十位白发苍苍的老人，有的在喝廉价咖啡，有的在看电视。

再往里走，两位理发师正在为年纪较大的顾客理发。一条狭窄的楼梯通往地下室，那里有一个小型网吧，摆放着一排电脑和棋桌，供人下围棋和象棋。几乎每个座位都坐满了老年人。

“我们的大门永远敞开，我们不会要求他们做任何事，包括祈祷，”负责运营“梦想之城”（同时也是一座教堂）的牧师禹延植说道。

自2011年起在首尔站附近运营的“梦想之城”每天吸引着来自首尔各地的300多位老年人。对于Woo来说，这个空间的功能日益超越了最初帮助无家可归者的使命：它为老年人提供了一个可以去的地方，也让他们有人陪伴。

随着韩国——世界上老龄化速度最快的国家之一——面临老年人口自杀率高和社会孤立等问题，这一角色变得更加紧迫。

“韩国的自杀率约为每10万人29.1人。65岁及以上人群的自杀率为40.6人。80岁以上男性的自杀率是总体平均水平的三倍，”禹说。“在社会各个层面，老年人面临的问题普遍而严重。”

10月1日，在首尔市中心钟路区塔谷公园外，老年人排队领取免费午餐。（韩联社）

老年人的孤独感

韩国长期以来一直面临着老年人口福祉问题，多年来，韩国老年人自杀率在经合组织国家中名列前茅。

其他指标也表明存在更广泛的社会孤立问题，包括无人察觉的死亡以及越来越多的人遗体无人认领。

“孤尸死”（godoksa）案例持续上升，这类案例指的是社会孤立者死亡后尸体长时间无人发现。根据卫生福利部2024年发布的一份报告，2023年孤尸死案例数量达到历史新高，其中50至60岁人群占61.8%。

无人认领的死亡人数也急剧上升。这一类别包括没有已知家属的人，以及亲属拒绝或未能认领遗体的人。

根据韩国卫生部提交给韩国民主党议员张钟泰的数据，2025年，65岁及以上人群占此类病例的60.1%，即4310人。这一数字比2021年高出约133%。

在首尔市中心的塔谷公园，也能看到隔离的迹象。塔谷公园长期以来一直是韩国老年人的聚集地。

在一个午后，公园各处的长椅上零星散落着游客，但彼此交谈的人寥寥无几。只有少数人在闲聊，大多数人独自坐着，凝视着远方。

“这里根本没有朋友这种东西。只有你和我，”一位九十多岁的老人说。“我们应该相处融洽，但人们唯一一起做的事情就是排队领食物。”

另一名男子表示，他经常来公园只是坐一会儿，不和任何人说话，其他几位男子也表达了同样的看法。

调查结果反映了这种孤独感。韩国数据统计部今年发布的一项调查显示，43.5%的老年受访者表示感到孤独。卫生部的另一项研究也发现，独居老年人的孤独感更为明显。

禹延植 / 图片来自禹的Instagram

对于伍来说，老年人的社会孤立问题已经比“梦想之城”最初建立时旨在解决的无家可归问题更加紧迫。

今年早些时候，该中心宣布由于租金飙升，将被迫离开首尔站并迁往首尔市外，此举引发了媒体的广泛关注。但禹先生解释说，人们关注的焦点是首尔为数不多的几家无家可归者收容所之一的关闭，但这并不能完全反映“梦想之城”已经发展成为什么样子。

“无家可归的人口减少了。但在整个社会中，老年人面临的问题却更加普遍和严重，”他说道，并指出，即使在新冠疫情爆发之前，支持老年人一直是“梦想之城”工作的重要组成部分。

他弥合老年人之间距离的方法是让他们聚集在一个共享的空间里，让社区自然而然地形成。

他说：“回想我们的学生时代，我们成为朋友并不是因为老师要求我们这样做，而是因为我们在同一个教室里一起学习生活而成为朋友的。”

“这里的人们会在下围棋或长棋时攀谈起来，或者在使用电脑时寻求帮助。”

梦想之城旨在为人们提供走出房间、与他人交流的理由，而不设任何正式的活动安排或期望。除了提供全天候的休憩场所外，这里还提供热水、电力、免费理发、法律援助、简历撰写指导和医疗服务。

牧师说：“独处会给他们带来心理压力，最终也会损害他们的身体健康。”

现在，他计划将这种方法应用到京畿道富川市元美洞，希望能够接触到经济上较为孤立、出行能力较弱的老年居民。

10月22日，《韩国时报》记者探访他位于二楼的办公室时，大楼的大部分物品已被清空，志愿者们正在将物品装上卡车，准备搬迁。教会正准备在周三举行最后一次礼拜，并在第二天搬离这座建筑。

财务压力是搬迁的原因之一。Woo表示，这栋楼的月租金已经从之前的580万韩元（约合4060美元）涨到了1200万至1300万韩元之间。但他同时表示，此次搬迁也反映了他希望接触的目标群体发生了变化。

他说：“来这里的人经济条件相对较好。还有一些人负担不起外​​出的费用。我们希望能够接触到他们，即使只是在当地社区内。”

专家表示，这种邻里间的联系对于独居老人来说尤其重要。

“研究表明，独居且无人交谈会对老年人的健康和认知功能产生不利影响。与他人互动有助于减轻这些影响，”韩国农村经济研究院专门研究老年人健康和福利的研究员金秀琳（Kim Sue-lynn）说。

除了陪伴之外，定期互动还能带来其他好处，因为它可以建立起一张非正式的安全网。

“此外，定期交流也有助于预防疾病。定期交流可以帮助人们及早发现疾病迹象，或识别他人何时需要帮助。在农村地区，老年社区中心发挥着这样的作用，为人们提供互动和情感支持的场所。政府支持服务也有助于发挥这种作用，”金说道。