Korea has 540,000 socially withdrawn people — many are young men, highly educated people

Counselor Lee Ho-sun discussed social withdrawal in Korea on Tuesday on tvN STORY’s Lee Ho-sun Counseling Center. She said an estimated 540,000 people were socially withdrawn as of 2022. Lee said many affected people are young men in their 20s and highly educated people, and linked the issue to repeated struggles with academics, employment and relationships.

Lee Ho-sun said an estimated 540,000 people were socially withdrawn as of 2022.

She described socially withdrawn people as those who voluntarily choose isolation, avoid social participation and are reluctant to maintain relationships with others.

Lee said repeated failures in academics, employment and interpersonal relationships can lead people to doubt themselves and feel frustrated.

She said social withdrawal can also affect middle-aged people after losing a spouse or family member because of a sense of loss.

Published Sep 16, 2026 5:16 pm KST

Repeated setbacks can fuel self-doubt and isolation, says expert

Counselor Lee Ho-sun discusses the growing social withdrawal of young Koreans on tvN STORY's "Lee Ho-sun Counseling Center." Captured from broadcast

Counselor Lee Ho-sun has explained the serious extent of social withdrawal in Korea and why young men in their 20s and highly educated people make up a significant proportion of those affected.

On the Tuesday episode of tvN STORY's "Lee Ho-sun Counseling Center," Lee discussed the issue of social withdrawal.

"An estimated 540,000 people were socially withdrawn as of 2022," Lee said, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.

She described socially withdrawn people as those who "voluntarily choose isolation, avoid social participation and are reluctant to maintain relationships with others."

Lee also surprised viewers by noting that young men in their 20s and highly educated people account for a large proportion of those experiencing social withdrawal.

Job seekers look around booths at the 2026 Tourism Job Fair held at the aT Center in Seocho District, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

"The first reasons are difficulties with academics, employment and interpersonal relationships," Lee said. "It's not that they stop going out after failing to get a job once. Repeated failures lead them to doubt themselves and experience frustration."

She added that social withdrawal can also occur among middle-aged people.

"Some people become socially withdrawn after losing a spouse or family member because of the sense of loss," she said.

This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

周二，李浩善咨询师在tvN STORY的《李浩善咨询中心》节目中探讨了韩国的社交退缩问题。她表示，截至2022年，韩国约有54万人存在社交退缩现象。李浩善指出，受影响者多为20多岁的年轻男性，且受过高等教育，并将此问题与他们在学业、就业和人际关系方面反复遇到的困难联系起来。

李浩善表示，截至 2022 年，估计有 54 万人处于社交退缩状态。

她将社交退缩者描述为那些自愿选择孤立、避免社交参与、不愿与他人维持关系的人。

李说，在学业、就业和人际关系方面屡次失败会导致人们自我怀疑和感到沮丧。

她表示，中年人在失去配偶或家庭成员后，也会因为失落感而出现社交退缩现象。

发布于2026年9月16日下午5:16（韩国标准时间）

专家表示，反复的挫折会加剧自我怀疑和孤立感。

心理咨询师李浩善在tvN STORY的《李浩善心理咨询中心》节目中探讨了韩国年轻人日益严重的社交退缩问题。（节目片段）

咨询师李浩善解释了韩国社会退缩现象的严重程度，以及为什么20多岁的年轻男性和受过高等教育的人群在受影响人群中所占比例很大。

在周二播出的 tvN STORY 节目《李浩善心理咨询中心》中，李浩善讨论了社交退缩问题。

李说：“据估计，截至 2022 年，有 54 万人处于社交孤立状态”，这凸显了情况的严重性。

她将社交退缩的人描述为“自愿选择孤立、避免社交参与、不愿与他人保持关系的人”。

李还指出，20 多岁的年轻男性和受过高等教育的人群在经历社交退缩的人群中所占比例很大，这让观众感到惊讶。

周二，求职者在首尔瑞草区aT中心举行的2026年旅游业招聘会上浏览各个展位。（韩联社）

李说：“首要原因是学业、就业和人际关系方面的困难。并不是说他们一次找工作失败后就放弃了。而是屡次失败让他们开始怀疑自己，感到沮丧。”

她补充说，中年人也可能出现社交退缩现象。

她说：“有些人在失去配偶或家人后，会因为失去亲人的悲痛而变得孤僻，不愿与人交往。”

本文原载于 Xportsnews，经人工智能生成系统改编，并由《韩国时报》编辑。