Seoul opens 'Seoul Itda Place' for residents seeking rest and connection

A new space has opened in Seoul where anyone feeling lonely or simply wanting to talk — but with nowhere to go after stepping outside — can drop in to rest and meet people. Visitors can spend time quietly on their own or strike up conversations and join activities to build connections naturally.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday the opening of Seoul Itda Place, a facility designed to support residents from loneliness prevention through to daily-life recovery and social connection for those who are isolated or withdrawn.

Seoul Itda Place is the centerpiece of "Sotong Itda" — one of three strategic pillars of the city's "Loneliness-Free Seoul" initiative, focused on fostering human connection and exchange. The facility is located in Seoul Forest iPark Riverforé in Seongsu-dong 1-ga, Seongdong-gu, and is operated by the Seoul Welfare Foundation.

The facility brings together six distinct spaces under one roof: a 24-hour "Loneliness Hello 120" call center, a one-on-one counseling room for in-person sessions with specialists, a "Youth Mind Convenience Store" rest area for young people, a "Learning Forest" running healing and exchange programs, a "Resonance Forest" hosting performances and cultural events, and a "Forest Maru" exhibition and experience space.

The Loneliness Hello 120 service, which has operated a 24-hour telephone counseling line, is expanding with the opening to offer in-person consultations as well. Residents experiencing loneliness or a sense of isolation can now receive direct counseling and, where needed, be referred for psychological assessments and in-depth sessions. The first branch of the Youth Mind Convenience Store — a mental-wellness retreat for young people — also operates at the facility, offering rest, social exchange, counseling, and hobby- and interest-based programs.

From April last year through last month, the Loneliness Hello 120 line logged a cumulative total of about 80,000 counseling calls. The Seoul Mind Convenience Store, open to all residents for rest, socializing and counseling, recorded about 164,000 cumulative visitors over the same period; the city plans to expand the network from its current 19 locations to 25 across Seoul by the end of this year.

After the opening, the facility plans to run a range of programs aimed at helping youth, middle-aged and older adults, people with experience of isolation or withdrawal and their families, and the general public build relationships and restore everyday routines.

Seoul Itda Place will also serve as a metropolitan hub for developing and disseminating the city's loneliness and isolation prevention policies. The facility will pilot programs drawing on public and private resources in and around Seoul Forest and Seongsu-dong, share operational experience and best-practice models with the city's 25 autonomous districts and related institutions such as welfare centers, and exchange policy insights with domestic and international cities and organizations to promote Seoul's approach to tackling loneliness.

The city also plans to deepen cooperation with private companies and organizations through Seoul Itda Place. The Bonjour Volunteer Corps will provide living support including residential environment improvements, the nonprofit Ongi will offer emotional support through handwritten letters, and programs encouraging outings and social interaction are planned in partnership with Aladin, Woowa Brothers and CJ Olive Young.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended the opening celebration "Seoul Itda Place Healing Camp" on Wednesday morning and marked the occasion together with citizens.

About 100 people attended the event, including individuals with experience of isolation or withdrawal and their families, middle-aged healing activity volunteers, Loneliness Hello 120 counselors, marathon runner Lee Bong-ju — who leads the Bonjour Volunteer Corps — and Hwang Cheol-gyu, chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee.

Oh toured key spaces including the Youth Mind Convenience Store, Forest Maru and the Loneliness Hello 120 area with attendees, and took part in an opening performance symbolizing human "connection."

"I hope Seoul Itda Place will serve as a hub linking the Mind Convenience Store and other spaces across the city, becoming a warm place that citizens who feel lonely can visit comfortably at any time," Oh said.