'The holidays feel too long for me': Loneliness hotline 129 offers help over Chuseok

The 129 Health and Welfare Counseling Center will remain open 24 hours a day throughout the Chuseok holiday period.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said the center will operate an emergency holiday staffing system centered on its crisis counseling team, which runs around the clock, 365 days a year, on a three-shift rotation.

The center offers consultations on a broad range of health and welfare matters, including income support, welfare services and healthy lifestyle guidance. In addition to phone calls, people can reach counselors through video calls, KakaoTalk and a government chatbot service. The center also operates 109, the dedicated suicide prevention hotline.

Meanwhile, the ministry has produced a new upbeat promotional video to raise public awareness of the 129 service.

Carrying the slogans "When you're lost, call 129" and "When things get hard, call 129," the video urges anyone facing difficulties not to hesitate to call. The video has been available on YouTube since Sept. 18 and can also be viewed on the ministry's official YouTube channel.

First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Hyeon Su-yeop said that the more festive a holiday is supposed to be, the more acutely some people may feel loneliness and hardship. "Please take a moment to check whether anyone around you needs help," he said. "Calling 129 will connect you with guidance on welfare programs and support, and you can also report a neighbor in need through the 'Welfare Crisis Alert' app."