Postal workers will look in on isolated households to help build a stronger public welfare and safety network. (Courtesy of the gettyimagesKOREA, Courtesy of Korea Post)

Shifting social dynamics, from high housing costs to changing views on filial piety, have led to an increase in the number of elderly people living on their own in Korea. These individuals are vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness, especially if they have limited connections or family support. In some cases, their isolation leads to “lonely deaths.”  

Korea Post recently began using its network of 18,000 postal workers in 3,363 post offices nationwide to improve access to community-based support services for isolated elderly people. In a nutshell, postal workers make regular visits to seniors living alone to check on their well-being. 

In May, the Smart Welfare Safety Community Promotion Team of the Ministry of Security and Public Administration and Korea Post, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Science and ICT, announced the launch of “Say Hello Postal Service Pilot Program.” 

Postal workers will look in on isolated households to help build a stronger public welfare and safety network. (Courtesy of the gettyimagesKOREA, Courtesy of Korea Post)

Under the program, postal employees at the pilot sites deliver daily necessities such as shopping bags, tissues and ramyeon to needy households selected by local governments every one to four weeks. Postal employees personally check on the safety of the households and text the local government about their conditions. Local governments then use this information to provide close social services to households in crisis.

Urban districts such as Gangnam-gu District in Seoul and Dongnae-gu District in Busan, and areas with a high concentration of elderly people such as Jangsu-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province, and Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, have been selected as pilot sites. The local governments will receive funds from the central government, and the postal headquarters will bear the cost of purchasing the goods.

The “Milk delivery that asks for regards of elderly person” program checks in on elderly people's health and well-being. (Courtesy of “Milk delivery that asks for regards of elderly person”)

These government initiatives build on existing civil society efforts to use milk deliveries to identify isolated elderly households in need of assistance. This unique milk delivery service began in 2003, when Seoul’s Oksu Jungang Presbyterian Church began delivering milk to 100 low-income, single-person elderly households. In 2015, an association was established by Pastor Ho Yonghan and expanded through corporate and individual sponsorship. A total of 20 companies, including Maeil Dairies, Baedal Minjok and 27,000 individuals participate in the sponsorship.

(Left) Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivers milk to an elderly person. (Right) The founder of “Milk delivery that asks for regards of elderly person,” Pastor Ho Yonghan (Courtesy of “Milk delivery that asks for regards of elderly person”) 

Through this program, called “Milk delivery that asks for regards of elderly person,” cartons of “easily digested milk,” or lactose-free milk, are delivered to over 5,147 households nationwide. When two or more bottles of milk are piled up outside the home, the delivery person contacts a nearby government office and asks them to check on the elderly person’s well-being.

The prevalence of isolated elderly households in Korea has various social implications and will require a multifaceted approach involving government policies, community support services and societal efforts to promote social inclusion. Fortunately, increased cooperation among government agencies, nonprofit organizations, healthcare providers and community stakeholders – coupled with smartphone apps that connect lonely people with volunteers and other technology – are going a long way toward addressing the problem of loneliness among the elderly.