'24-Hour Counseling When You Feel Alone'... Incheon Launches Loneliness Counseling Call Service

Starting on August 5, a counseling call service will be available for Incheon citizens who are experiencing loneliness, providing free counseling and necessary assistance.

On August 4, Incheon City held an opening ceremony for the '24-Hour Loneliness Counseling Call' at the Kt Incheon branch in Namdong-gu. This service, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, is a proactive prevention policy by the city to take public responsibility for addressing loneliness.

24-Hour Loneliness Counseling Call. Provided by Incheon City

Citizens can call Incheon City's '120 Michuhol Call' center and press 9, or dial the representative number (1899-2579), to speak with a counselor specializing in loneliness. The counselor will listen to their stories and assess their level of loneliness and individual needs. Through this process, the service aims to identify crisis situations early and support users in restoring healthy social relationships within the community.

Citizens can also receive counseling through chat, and information related to loneliness can be accessed via an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.

If economic hardship is identified, users will be connected to emergency living support through their local administrative community centers. For those suspected of depression or anxiety, professional counseling will be provided by the community mental health welfare center. Recovery programs run by local organizations, such as comprehensive social welfare centers and youth future centers, are also available to support everyday life recovery.

Nam Younghee, Deputy Mayor for Global City Affairs of Incheon City, stated, "Loneliness is now a social issue that goes beyond individual emotional problems and requires responsibility from both the community and the public sector. We hope that the loneliness counseling call becomes a warm connecting bridge to care for the hearts of citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.