gettyimagesbank

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has launched a pilot project aimed at supporting the mental and physical rehabilitation of isolated and reclusive youth.

As part of this initiative, the ministry has begun conducting surveys to identify and reach out to these individuals, facilitating their reintegration into society.

The issue of isolated and reclusive youth has been increasingly prevalent in Korea. In response, the ministry launched this initiative to support to those in need and to prevent further cases.

The project, which began in March of this year, is customized to support the entire process, from diagnosing the level of isolation and seclusion of adolescents to counseling, healing, learning and restoring family relationships, and is working with 12 out-of-school youth support centers nationwide.

As of June, a total of 117 teenagers were registered as subjects for case management in the pilot projects after initial consultation and crisis diagnosis.

A 19-year-old student had been living in seclusion for over a year after dropping out of high school and losing his father. Now living with a foreign stepmother with whom he has no communication, he initially found it difficult to go to crowded places.

With the help of the ministry's initiative, he set goals to gradually expand his daily activities, starting with early morning jogs and having breakfast at nearby restaurants.

In another case, a 14-year-old boy had been secluded for over three years, due to repeated experiences of school violence. His mother, struggling with depression, also became reclusive, which severely exacerbated family conflicts.

The support system intervened by providing individual counseling and parental education, aiming to mend the fractured family relationships.

The Youth support centers, in collaboration with government projects, are also undertaking various initiatives to identify and assist isolated and reclusive youth.

In South Gyeongsang Province, an online night counseling room has been established, catering to the preferences of youth who avoid face-to-face interactions and are often active late at night. These sessions offer one-on-one counseling, typically lasting from one to three hours per session.

In Seoul's Songpa District, a range of participation programs are available for both adolescents and their parents, aiming to provide comprehensive support and engagement opportunities.

Furthermore, the gender ministry is conducting a survey on isolated and reclusive youth for the first time from June 11 to July 31. The survey aims to understand the living conditions and needs of isolated youth and to develop targeted policy support measures.

The survey will gather comprehensive data on various aspects of the lives of youths, including the onset of isolation and concealment, lifestyle patterns and the process of recovery from isolation. The findings will be used to design policies that address the specific needs of these vulnerable groups.

"Despite the lack of visibility, it is believed that numerous teenagers and their parents are struggling with issues of isolation," said Shin Young-sook, vice minister of the gender ministry.

"The government plans to continue working toward establishing a social support system that allows those in need to access assistance promptly."