"No One Left Isolated"... Gwangmyeong City Launches Nation's First Youth 'Basic Relationship' Platform 'LIME'

by Lee jonggu

Published 19 Jun.2026 08:29(KST)

Gwangmyeong City to Launch LIME, the Nation's First Public 'Basic Relationship' Platform for Youth on June 20

Introducing the 'Basic Relationship' Concept to Support Emotional and Social Connections Among Young People

Platform Offers Free Access to Hobby, Learning, and Exchange Activities

Mayor Park Seungwon: "Building a Social Network Where No One Is Left Isolated"

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Park Seungwon) will officially launch 'LIME,' the nation's first 'Basic Relationship' platform supported by the public to help young people build social networks, on June 20.

Gwangmyeong City (Mayor Seungwon Park) will officially launch "LIME," the nation's first public platform for supporting young people's social network formation, on the 20th. The photo shows the main screen of Gwangmyeong City's youth basic relationship public platform "LIME." Photo by Gwangmyeong City

'LIME' stands for 'Life Is Meaningful Encounters.' It is an interactive platform designed to help young people meet new people within their community, share interests and concerns, and build sustainable relationships.

Recently, loneliness and isolation among young people have emerged as pressing social issues, and Gwangmyeong City has recognized that opportunities for building relationships are increasingly influenced by economic circumstances. In response, the city has introduced the concept of 'Basic Relationship,' which views healthy social connections as a fundamental component determining quality of life and is the first in the country to provide public support for emotional and social connections.

LIME is available to all young people aged 18 to 39 who live or are active in Gwangmyeong City. Participants can apply to join various community-based gatherings through the platform, and all programs are offered free of charge. The city also plans to provide verified venues to ensure a safe environment for meetings.

LIME stands out from traditional preference-based matching services. It intentionally excludes so-called "spec" information, such as age, occupation, education, and income, and instead focuses on forming relationships centered around the concerns and interests that young people currently experience. Furthermore, by facilitating meetings near participants’ homes and workplaces, the platform encourages the formation of sustainable relationships rather than one-off encounters.

All programs utilize Gwangmyeong City's own 'Community Experience Design (CXD)' approach. This method goes beyond simply participating in activities together by organically connecting experiences, relationships, and stories, helping participants naturally form a community.

During the first session, which will run from July to September, more than 30 different gatherings will be held. Notable examples include 'Making My Emotional Object,' where participants express difficult-to-articulate emotions using clay; 'Gipilmo,' a group activity for hand-copying impressive sentences; 'Ofrun,' a walk-and-run program along the Anyangcheon without cell phones or job introductions; and 'Today's Chef,' where participants share their tastes through homemade food.

Additional programs have also been prepared to reflect young people’s interests and lifestyles, such as 'Physical Liberation Guild' for group exercise and 'Footprints' for experiencing a variety of hobbies. Each gathering is planned and managed directly by 'Piece Makers,' who are young leaders who have completed seven weeks of professional training.

Mayor Park Seungwon stated, "If basic income and basic services have laid the foundation for life, it is now time for the public sector to help build the foundation for relationships that connect people. We will establish a robust social network in Gwangmyeong so that anyone who lives here can connect with others, learn together, and grow whenever they need it."