The shelf · South Korea
Does Honjok hold up?
Honjok: The Art of Living Alone, by Francie Healey and Crystal Tai (2020)
A guide to living alone framed through South Korea's honjok ('alone tribe') trend.
The short answer
Out of date. Korea's birth rate has fallen far below its figure, and Seoul has already passed its projection for 2026.
The claims, checked
South Korea's birth rate is about 95 births per 100 women.
Outdated The fertility rate was 0.75 in 2024 and 0.80 in 2025 (preliminary).
Seoul's one-person households will reach 36.3% by 2026, a majority (French edition).
Does not hold 36.3% is not a majority, and the projection has already been passed: Seoul's share was 39.9% in 2024.
Evidence: Seoul Metropolitan Government
Honjok grew from young people's frustration with a slow economy and few jobs.
Contested Youth job strain is real, but people aged 70 and over are the largest group living alone, so ageing drives more of the rise.
Evidence: Newsis, on Statistics Korea 2024