Homeless in Seoul: why some South Koreans struggle to leave the streets
- Despite the city’s success in reducing homelessness by 20 per cent since 2014, the average period of homelessness in Seoul remains high at 11.2 years
- Alcohol addiction and mental illness remain obstacles to getting many off the streets, and some are not eligible to receive basic welfare benefits
The sound of hymns comes from a tent in the middle of the plaza. Local churches visit the area every few weeks to lead elders and homeless people to worship and to give away food.
The station and others nearby have become havens for the homeless, many of whom have migrated from rural areas.
“Many homeless people have crowded this central area because it offers food, shelter and aid for us,” says Lee Young-su, 53, who has stayed at Seoul Station for more than 10 years. “Hundreds of homeless people crowd the subway stations after 4.50pm when we are allowed to set up camp inside.”
I need to drink to drown the sorrow I have from being abandoned by my family.
Seoul’s homeless rate has dropped significantly in recent years, from 4,505 homeless people in 2014 to 3,478 in 2018, according to the Seoul Welfare Foundation and the Seoul Association of Institutes for the Homeless. This included 731 people living on the streets and 2,747 in government-sponsored facilities. The increase of the city's welfare budget and the crowding of welfare services from governmental and social organisations in Seoul Station and other central locations in the city are known to have contributed to the decline in homeless numbers.
Since Park Won-soon became mayor, the city’s welfare fund has increased from 4 trillion won (US$3.46 billion) in 2011 to 11 trillion won in 2019.