Gyeonggi province annoucnes reduced figures on isolated or reclusive youth

[Anchor]The increase in socially isolated or reclusive youth is alarming.A survey estimated that there are up to 330,000 isolated and reclusive youth in Gyeonggi Province alone.However, Gyeonggi Province has downplayed this figure, leading to controversy.This is a report by Gu Kyung-ha.[Report]In Gyeonggi Province, it was found that 9 out of 100 youth live in isolation without interacting with others.The percentage of isolated youth is 5.9%, while reclusive youth is 3.3%, which translates to a maximum of 337,000 when applied to the youth population of 3.67 million in the province.This is the largest percentage in the country, and the proportion of isolated and reclusive youth is higher than the national average.In particular, the isolated youth in Gyeonggi Province are mostly in their late 30s and predominantly male, while the reclusive youth are mainly in their early 30s and predominantly female.[Park Gyu-beom/Researcher, Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation: "We infer that relatively older youth are coming to Gyeonggi Province, and a higher proportion of them are falling into isolation and reclusiveness."]However, while conducting the first status survey on isolated and reclusive youth, Gyeonggi Province announced the figures in a way that downplayed them, contrary to the research findings.The research team analyzed the scale of isolation and reclusiveness separately, but Gyeonggi Province arbitrarily included the reclusive figures in the isolated youth category, presenting it as a total figure.As a result, the announced figure was up to 117,000 smaller than the research findings.Similarly, the city of Seoul has also announced the total scale by combining the analysis of isolated and reclusive youth.[Gyeonggi Province Public Official/Voice Altered: "(If we separate isolation and reclusiveness) it would be too many. Seoul reported 4.5% in 2022, and we (Gyeonggi Province) are at 9.2%, which seems inconsistent. If we leave it as is, it would be too many...."]Concerns are rising that the distorted basic statistics on isolated and reclusive youth, a new vulnerable group, may lead to those in need being excluded from support.This is KBS News, Gu Kyung-ha.