Busan opens first ‘Maeum Jeomppang’ hub for isolated residents
In short
Busan city opened the first “Maeum Jeomppang”, a community support space, at Banyeo Jonghap Social Welfare Center in Haeundae-gu’s Banyeo 2-dong on Oct 6, with a ceremony at 4 p.m. Visitors can have a simple meal such as ramen, check their own isolation or reclusion risk through a self-diagnosis, and be connected to counselling. The city said it will keep expanding the brand to further locations.
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Busan city opened its first “Maeum Jeomppang”, a community support space for residents facing psychological and emotional difficulties, at Banyeo Jonghap Social Welfare Center in Banyeo 2-dong, Haeundae-gu, on Oct 6. Yonhap reported the opening ceremony would be held that afternoon, and Asia Economy said it was scheduled for 4 p.m. on the centre’s second floor. Newsis also reported the opening in its headline. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The site was created by remodelling part of the welfare centre. The city selects and manages the target institution, World Vision’s Busan office provided sponsorship money and ZM-ILLENNIAL sponsored instant food, including ramen, so that visitors can have a meal without burden, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. The outlets said senior employment programme workers and members of the local social security consultative body help run the space. [ 1 , 3 ]
Maeum Jeomppang is intended to find residents suffering loneliness and other psychological or emotional difficulties early and to help them rebuild daily life and social contact. Visitors can measure their own risk of isolation or reclusion through a self-diagnosis, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. Depending on the risk level, the programme offers non-face-to-face counselling and individually tailored professional counselling, with deeper services delivered through a public-private network that includes the Busan Youth Future Centre, district and county offices and welfare centres. Asia Economy added that the city plans standing cooperation with schools, medical institutions and social welfare facilities so that people in isolation can be found earlier. [ 1 , 3 ]
Asia Economy reported that the name combines “maeum”, meaning a space for sharing feelings, with “jeomppang”, an old word for a small shop, and was chosen through a citizen survey; the same brand will be used for future sites. The outlet said the policy followed a survey of isolated and reclusive households conducted last year, in which residents said they needed an easily accessible space and help with basic meals. [ 3 ]
About 50 people attended the ceremony, including officials from the city, the city council and Haeundae-gu, according to Asia Economy. The programme included a progress report, handovers of sponsorship money and goods, a bibim guksu making event and a commemorative photo; the noodles made were to be given free to local residents using the welfare centre. Mayor Jeon Jae-su said every policy has a golden time and that there should be no hesitation in helping residents in psychological or emotional difficulty return to daily life, adding that the city would keep expanding Maeum Jeomppang from this first site so that no one is left isolated. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The opening is Busan’s first physical site under a municipal programme aimed at finding socially isolated or reclusive residents early and linking them to services, following a city survey last year. It is a local welfare initiative with no stated national or cross-border dimension, and the documents do not say how many further sites will open or at what cost.
Key facts
- Busan city held an opening ceremony for the first “Maeum Jeomppang” at Banyeo Jonghap Social Welfare Center in Banyeo 2-dong, Haeundae-gu, on Oct 6 at 4 p.m. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The space was created by remodelling part of the welfare centre, with the city selecting and managing the target institution and World Vision’s Busan office providing sponsorship money. [ 1 , 3 ]
- ZM-ILLENNIAL sponsored instant food, including ramen, so visitors can have a meal without burden. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Visitors can measure their own risk of isolation or reclusion and receive non-face-to-face counselling or individually tailored professional counselling depending on their risk level. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Deeper support is to be provided through a public-private network including the Busan Youth Future Centre, district and county offices and welfare centres. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The name combines “maeum”, meaning heart, with “jeomppang”, an old word for a small shop, and was chosen through a citizen survey; the brand will be applied to later sites. [ 3 ]
- Busan city said last year’s survey of isolated and reclusive households showed residents wanted an easily accessible space and help with basic meals, which it reflected in the policy. [ 3 ]
- Mayor Jeon Jae-su said every policy has a “golden time” and that the city would keep expanding Maeum Jeomppang so that no one is left isolated. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Busan city opened the first Maeum Jeomppang at Banyeo Jonghap Social Welfare Center in Banyeo 2-dong, Haeundae-gu, on Oct 6. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The space was built by remodelling part of the welfare centre, with the city selecting and managing the institution, World Vision’s Busan office providing sponsorship money and ZM-ILLENNIAL sponsoring instant food such as ramen. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Visitors can self-assess their isolation or reclusion risk and receive staged support, including non-face-to-face and individual professional counselling, with referrals through a public-private network. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Operation of the site is assisted by senior employment programme workers and members of the local social security consultative body. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- How many further Maeum Jeomppang sites will open and on what schedule or budget. Asia Economy reports only that the city will keep expanding the brand, without numbers, dates or costs.
- The full content of Newsis’s report on the opening. The Newsis item carries a headline about the Maeum Jeomppang opening, but the article text supplied is about a separate financial-sector hacking investigation, so only its headline-level claim could be used.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports that Busan city will hold the opening ceremony for the first Maeum Jeomppang that afternoon at Banyeo Jonghap Social Welfare Center in Banyeo 2-dong, Haeundae-gu. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports the opening of the first Maeum Jeomppang in its headline. [ 2 ]
- Asia Economy reports the ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. on the second floor of the welfare centre, and gives details of the space, funding and programme. [ 3 ]
- Opening ceremony begins, with about 50 attendees including city, city council and Haeundae-gu officials, a progress report, sponsorship handovers, a bibim guksu making event and a commemorative photo. [ 3 ]