Solitary deaths in rental housing operated by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) reached 75 cases through August this year, averaging 9.4 cases per month.

According to data submitted by LH to the office of Representative Eom Tae-young of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, reported solitary deaths in LH rental housing totaled 48 in 2024, 63 in 2025, and 75 through August 2026.

In particular, solitary deaths in permanent rental housing, where many vulnerable residents live, have shown a steady annual increase, rising from 8 cases in 2024 to 11 in 2025, and reaching 24 through August 2026.

Under the Act on the Prevention and Management of Solitary Deaths, the government and competent local authorities are designated as primary entities responsible for the early detection, counseling, and treatment of those at risk of solitary death, while public institutions are also required to cooperate in building prevention systems.

Because many solitary deaths are discovered only after reports from neighbors, observers point out that LH needs to take a proactive approach by detecting early warning signs in daily utility data—such as water, hot water, and gas usage—to categorize high-risk households in advance.

Although LH currently operates "solitary death prevention technology" that monitors tenants' mobile phone activity and energy consumption, data obtained by Representative Eom's office revealed that the system has only been implemented in 13,000 newly built housing units completed since 2024.

Clear practical limitations also exist regarding the expansion of such facilities to older, existing rental housing, including budget constraints and the need for legislative revisions.

Representative Eom stated, "There is a clear need to expand consent-based early warning systems that track anomalies in living data," adding, "It is time for the National Assembly to discuss amending the Special Act on Public Housing to legally obligate public housing operators to establish and operate safety verification systems."

LH told SBS that it "continues to actively cooperate with solitary death prevention initiatives led by the government and local authorities," adding that "internally, the agency is taking preventive measures by establishing AI-based check-in calls, home care visits, and mental health support programs."