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

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

As South Korea grapples with an epidemic of loneliness, the capital city has launched an ambitious new programme to address itOn 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 tur…