Drop in for a Simple Meal and Connect with Your Heart... Busan Opens First "Maeum Jeombbang"

First Branch Opens at Banyeo Community Welfare Center

Quick and Easy Meals Available for All Visitors

Tailored Support Based on Individual Risk of Isolation or Withdrawal

A welcoming space is opening in Busan for residents who eat alone and have fewer opportunities to meet people, allowing them to drop in and stay briefly without any burden. This space, called "Maeum Jeombbang," enables visitors to enjoy a simple meal, check in on their mental well-being, and even receive necessary counseling services.

On October 6, Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Jeon Jae-soo) announced that it will hold the opening ceremony for "Maeum Jeombbang Branch No. 1" at 4 p.m. on the second floor of the Banyeo Community Welfare Center in Banyeo 2-dong, Haeundae District, and will begin operations on the same day.

Maeum Jeombbang is a locally rooted integrated support center designed to identify citizens experiencing psychological or emotional difficulties, such as loneliness, at an early stage, and to promote social interaction and recovery of daily life.

The name combines "Maeum," meaning a place to share hearts, with the old word "Jeombang," meaning a small shop. The name was chosen through a citizen survey and will be used for future Maeum Jeombbang locations as the brand expands.

The space offers quick and easy meals such as instant noodles so that anyone can dine without hesitation. ZM-ILLENNIAL sponsors the ready-to-eat meals, while the Busan office of World Vision has contributed sponsorship funds. Busan City selected and managed the participating organizations and remodeled part of the Banyeo Community Welfare Center to create Maeum Jeombbang.

On site, jobs for elderly participants and members of the Community Social Security Council are offered to greet visitors. Maeum Jeombbang is more than simply a place to eat: guests can conduct self-assessments to understand their risk of isolation or withdrawal and receive counseling if needed.

Depending on risk levels, both remote and tailored one-on-one professional counseling are available. In-depth support will also be provided by linking Maeum Jeombbang with networks that include the Busan Youth Future Center, district and county offices, and other public-private welfare facilities.

The center will maintain ongoing collaborative systems with schools, medical institutions, and other relevant facilities, aiming to quickly identify citizens at risk of social isolation or seclusion and connect them with the necessary services.

According to a Busan City survey on isolated and withdrawn households conducted in the previous year, citizens expressed a strong need for "easily accessible spaces" and "basic meal provision." Reflecting these needs, Maeum Jeombbang was included as part of Busan City policy responses.

About 50 officials from Busan Metropolitan City, Haeundae District Council, and other relevant representatives will attend the grand opening held on this day. After a progress report and sponsorship fund and goods donation ceremony, there will be a "making bibim-guksu (Korean spicy mixed noodles)" performance followed by a commemorative photo session. The bibim-guksu prepared at the opening ceremony will be provided free of charge afterwards to local residents who use the welfare center.

Jeon Jae-soo, Mayor of Busan, emphasized, "There is a golden window for every policy, and no hesitation is acceptable in supporting citizens suffering from psychological or emotional difficulties to return to their daily lives and rejoin society."

Mayor Jeon added, "Starting with the first branch, we will continue to scale up Maeum Jeombbang so that no one is left isolated and Busan becomes a happier city for everyone."

Busan City Hall.

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