Ah Seoul!

 On the third floor of a community centre in Dongdaemun in Seoul’s east, a massage chair hums gently at the entrance to an airy room – a cool refuge from the sweltering summer heat.

Inside, the space buzzes with quiet activity: soft bleeps from a touchscreen board game, muted chatter from the cooking area, the rustle of turning pages.

Eom Mi-hui, 53, settles into an infrared foot spa with a look of contentment on her face. “This feels really nice,” Eom says. “My body isn’t feeling great, so I think the foot spa helps.” She then moves next to the massage chair.

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This venue is one of Seoul’s “mind convenience stores”, places where residents struggling with loneliness can sit in comfort, enjoy a simple meal, watch a film, or simply spend time in company. People don’t have to talk. The idea is that even passive interactions can help combat the city’s loneliness epidemic. Counsellors are available for those ready for deeper support.

Instant noodles, foot spas and counsellors: Seoul tackles loneliness with ‘mind convenience stores’ | Loneliness | The Guardian

Stories like this feed my soul