People who live in isolation for months, years, or even more than 10 years, and build walls between themselves and the world. They certainly exist, but the world treats them as invisible people. They are young people called 'reclusive loners'. The media's interest has mostly been limited to voyeurism, as if it were an overseas topic. It is difficult to find serious coverage of how many people live in seclusion and why they have no choice but to live in isolation. There are only various estimates ranging from 100,000 to 1 million, and there are no statistics or countermeasures. [Current Affairs Planning Window] examines the reality of the reclusive loners phenomenon, which is an aftereffect of the competitive society where the strong prey on the weak, through case studies, diagnoses the causes and solutions from various angles, and seeks desirable countermeasures based on the case of Japan. ■ Who are reclusive loners? The time when the existence of reclusive loners became known coincides with the period when the employment crisis became serious after the IMF crisis and when neoliberalism gained ground. They show various psychological symptoms such as avoidance of people, lethargy, and depression. We will examine the reality of seclusion through the testimonies of young people who have left seclusion. We will show cases of people who have found a new life by helping the homeless, cases of people who have lived in seclusion for more than 10 years, forgetting the four seasons while living day and night alternately, and cases of people who have eaten hastily and lived among the garbage. ■ We need to find an emergency exit to escape seclusion. Seclusion is not a cause, but a result and a phenomenon. It has various causes such as family problems, work problems, school problems, and personal characteristics. If you force them out into the world, the situation will only get worse. Group homes, a community of young people who have left seclusion and shared similar experiences, are emerging as an important alternative. However, there are only a very small number of organizations and groups that help with such activities, and most of them are experiencing financial difficulties. Some have closed their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. ■ What choice did Japan make when it started thinking about it 20 years ago? Japanese society has suffered from the hikikomori phenomenon, which emerged during the recession in the 1990s. As it became known that a small number of hikikomori were involved in deviant crimes, hikikomori were stigmatized as socially dangerous people. In 2019, the Japanese archipelago was turned upside down when an elderly former vice-minister murdered his middle-aged son who showed hikikomori symptoms. Combining the results of large-scale surveys by the Japanese government in 2015 and 2018, it is estimated that there are over 1 million hikikomori. The government, local governments, family groups of 3,000 people, and non-governmental civic groups are making an all-out effort to find solutions to the hikikomori phenomenon. The reporting team obtained and examined the latest 2021 hikikomori white paper written by a Japanese organization, and the long-term trend of hikikomori and aging was evident. ■ What is our government doing? While the government's response was slow, local governments stepped in. In 2019, Gwangju Metropolitan City first enacted an ordinance on support for reclusive loners. Accordingly, a large-scale survey was conducted, and the reality of reclusive youth was revealed for the first time. [Current Affairs Planning Window] introduces the related content in detail. Based on the survey results, Gwangju City prepared a mid- to long-term support plan. The government also announced that it would soon announce the results of an in-depth interview survey on reclusive youth. If we fail to speed up our response to reclusive loners, we will have no choice but to follow Japan's path. Experts warn that the situation in Korea could get worse than in Japan. 2022.3.29 KBS1TV Broadcast Reporter: Na Shin-ha / Camera Reporter: Jo Young-cheon / Main Writer: Lim Nan-young / Reporter: Lee Jong-hyun / Video Editing: Song Hwa-in #ReclusiveLoner #Hikikomori #Korea_Japan #Current Affairs Planning Window #KBS Current Affairs 'Current Affairs Planning Window' homepage https://bit.ly/39AXCbF YouTube http://bitly.kr/F41RXCerZip Facebook / changkbs WAVVE Search 'Current Affairs Planning Window'