Let reclusive loners out of their rooms

Kim Seong-a
The author is an associate research fellow of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.

“My family, my friends and the world have abandoned me, but I hope the government hasn’t,” a youngster said. “I have no hope and nowhere to turn.”

More than 5 percent of young people between the ages of 20 and 30, or about 540,000 people in Korea, are isolated from their communities with no support systems in place. Such people were 3 percent of that same age group in 2019. The aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which weakened the ties that bind people to one another and to society, will likely continue for some time.

The government recently announced the outcome of its first in-depth nationwide survey of isolated and secluded youth. I could hear young people’s desperate voices as I analyzed the survey data. The young people polled were hurt by society’s violence and frustrated by its competition. More than 80 percent of the youngsters wanted to get out of their situation, but more than half of them did not know where to get help. If that sentiment is left unchecked, the only option for these young adults will be to retreat further into isolation.

There is an important lesson to learn from the situation in Japan, where the number of hikikomori, referring to people who have severely withdrawn from society, is not shrinking, and their average age is rising. Although the Japanese government made responses, but they were not enough. Korea must learn from their mistakes.

Korean society will eventually pay dearly for each young person who retreats. This is why we need to listen more closely to the desperate voices of the young recluses who are hiding in their rooms and blaming themselves for their diminished opportunities and distant relationships.

This is why the government’s support plan, announced alongside the survey data, is important. It is fortunate that the government has recognized that the problems of recluses must be resolved cooperatively by society and that it must take the lead.

Of course, not everyone is looking at the plan with warmth. “Why should we help them, as they cannot come out from their rooms due to their weak minds?” some people ask. This misconception stems from the view that isolated and reclusive young people will only ever be supported by welfare programs. But they will be fully capable of leading independent lives once they overcome their vulnerabilities with some help.

There are many examples of individuals who have withdrawn from society for three to five years but re-entered with the help of private support organizations. They are now performing their roles in the community and at companies. They also provided advice on the recent survey and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s pilot support program.

The survey results indicate that isolated and reclusive young adults are everywhere in this country. The government announced a plan to open dedicated support organizations in four regions next year, but their proposed scale and manpower are insufficient. It is undesirable to blindly push reclusive loners out of isolation when the government is not properly prepared.

The government said it will run the pilot project for two years to decide the appropriate scale of support. But we also need the 17 metropolitan governments and 226 local governments to reach out to isolated and reclusive young adults in their areas as well.

We expect the government to play the role of an advocate for the reclusive youth who participate in the pilot project so that they can live independent lives. Instead of pushing unprepared people, the government should help them become self-reliant, as the surveyed participants requested.

For that reason, it is necessary to institutionalize a stable support system. If the pilot program remains just that, these young people fall back into isolation when the government’ s help disappears. A support system with a legal basis and an adequate budget should be implemented stably across the country.

You cannot be satisfied with the first try — and these young people are very afraid of another failure. Instead of forcing them to end their isolation, we need to help them move forward step by step. To this end, we should not shame these former reclusive youngsters, but should instead accept them as a part of our community. I hope the new government initiative will give new hope to reclusive loners who have been unable to approach anyone for help.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.