The 30-year-old first cleaned up his "messy apartment" with his brother. And then he went out to sea for a fishing expedition, with fellow r

Hikikomori: Why S Korea is paying young recluses to leave home

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2024-07-02 07:30:05

The 30-year-old first cleaned up his "messy apartment" with his brother. And then he went out to sea for a fishing expedition, with fellow recluses he had met through a non-profit organisation.

"It was a weird feeling to be at sea but at the same time very refreshing after the reclusion. It felt unreal, but surely I was there. I was existing," Mr Yoo said.

A growing number of young South Koreans are choosing to isolate themselves, withdrawing fully from a society that exacts a high price for failing to conform to expectations.

These recluses are known as hikikomori, a term first coined in Japan in the 1990s to describe severe social withdrawal amongst adolescents and young adults.

In South Korea, which is battling the world's lowest fertility rate and declining productivity, this has become a serious concern. So much so that authorities are offering young recluses who meet a certain income threshold a monthly stipend to coax them out of their homes.

Those between nine and 24 years of age from lower-income families can receive up to 650,000 won ($490; £390) as a monthly living allowance. They can also apply for subsidies for a raft of services, including health, education, counselling, legal services, cultural activities and even "correction of appearance and scars".