고독사 위험 1인가구 찾는 집배원…건강·위생 ‘체크’에 ‘말벗’도

On December 12th, 집배원 박주한 (30) embarked on a visit to an apartment in Jangheung-eup, Jangheung-gun, Jeollabuk-do, carrying a box of two-yu. Upon arrival, the elderly man, 박정덕 (80), greeted her with a wagging tail from his dog, while 박주한 called out, "Mom, are you home?" The dog's tail confirmed his presence, and 박정덕 followed her inside, acknowledging the pain in his shoulder that had led him to the hospital.

Recognizing the ache, 박주한 knew she had taken care of her health. He asked, "No pain anywhere now?" 박정덕 explained, "This shoulder makes me unable to pick up a bowl or do anything." He then expressed his desire to return to the US for surgery, as he didn't want to leave his dog alone. 박주한 scanned the apartment for cleanliness and hygiene while chatting with 박정덕, offering him the two-yu box and wishing him to turn on the air conditioner during hot weather.

After bidding farewell, 박주한 checked on the remaining four out of five high-risk single-person households in Jangheung-gun. Both Jangheung-gun and Jangheung-ui-ryong-ryong (Jangheung-ui-ryong-ryong) have been conducting the "Ahnbu Salmi Postal Service" program, supported by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, since last year, delivering essential supplies twice a month to check on the well-being of high-risk households and identify any crisis situations to provide support.

The 집배원 completes a checklist covering health, living conditions, and cleanliness, and reports any notable issues to the local government, which connects the individual to necessary welfare services. The checklist includes health status, living environment (cleanliness), and cleanliness of the individual. 박주한 noted, "The pain in my shoulder makes it difficult to move my arm or carry out daily activities.

Continuous health monitoring is needed." She explained her strategy of verbally probing for information as she believes visual observation alone does not provide a complete picture. In a previous incident during the service, 박주한 saved the life of a 70-year-old man who had fallen and hit his head on the wall. Recognizing the man's history of heart surgery, 박주한 immediately contacted the hospital, where a medical team arrived to assist the elderly man.

The 안부살핌 service is followed by welfare service integration. Last year, Jangheung-gun connected 2 individuals to long-term care services, managed 7 high-risk individuals, installed LED lights for 11 elderly individuals, conducted free electrical safety checks and repairs for 14 low-income households. Across the country, 31 local governments supported 5,770 individuals through 3,634 welfare integrations.

This year, 56 local governments, including six in 전남광주시, are conducting the 안부살핌 service. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety's welfare resource integration team explained that while the financial support per person is modest, the direct interaction over a year helps build a sense of connection and provides comfort to those receiving assistance, leading to higher satisfaction rates.