Seoul is investing over €260 million to combat a growing epidemic of loneliness, as half of its households consist of single inhabitants. The trend is fueled by a declining marriage rate among young adults.

Half of all households in South Korea's capital Seoul have just one inhabitant. That trend is likely to continue, with more than 40 percent of men and women aged 25 to 49 saying they do not want to get married. Local authorities now consider solitude a serious public health issue. Seoul's municipal government is investing more than €260 million over five years to tackle what it calls an epidemic of loneliness. FRANCE 24's Chloé Borgnon, Junwon Bae and Justin McCurry report.