Protecting the 'Individual' Without Isolation: A New Choice in 'Non-Marriage Communities' Gaining Attention in South Korea

As the rapid increase in single-person households becomes a social issue, the question of 'how to live alone without being isolated' is not someone else's problem for Japan either. In fact, in neighboring South Korea, single-person households are also surging, and practical efforts to explore new ways of living have begun.
As a concrete hint for this, the book 'We Do Not Age Alone,' which chronicles the journey of a non-marriage community, is currently attracting attention there. The book depicts the process by which a group of unmarried women evolved into a 'single-person household network community.'
The most significant feature of their lifestyle lies in the motto: 'Live individually, solve collectively.' When one hears 'non-marriage community,' it is easy to imagine 'living together in one house,' but what they chose was a form where everyone except one person lives in 'separate rooms' in the same apartment building. They firmly protect each other's private space and time while maintaining a sense of distance that keeps them loosely connected.
The pillars that sustain this community are 'study' and 'care (mutual aid).' For example, when one of the members falls ill, the other members do not just nurse them; they all learn about the illness and share knowledge. Based on that, they prepare a system to share meals and supplies and prepare for emergencies. Even in daily life, they have built a relationship filled with a sense of security, where they can ask each other to take care of pets or plants while they are away.
The author states that she wants to make this relationship 'one built on gratitude rather than apology, a relationship where we can be a light (strength) for each other rather than a burden.'
This philosophy of 'protecting individual space while helping each other in times of need' is deeply connected to the practices of 'collective housing' in Japan and the 'nearby living style' where friends live in the same neighborhood. Precisely because there is a strong consciousness in Japan that one 'must not cause trouble for others,' their mindset of 'connecting through gratitude rather than apology' may offer great hope for thinking about diverse ways of connecting in the future.
Original Article Title: Non-Marriage Community Lives Separately, Cares Collectively
Original Article URL:https://www.chosun.com/english/travel-food-en/2026/07/11/VIRBDNPU6JFPTOZZ3QI5R5NCKU/