Pink mailbox in Jeju touches people’s hearts

A post box for counseling is located at the entrance of Saeseom Park in Seogwipo, Jeju Island. Reporter Park Mi-ra

At the entrance of Saeseom Park in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, there is a deep pink postbox that contrasts with the green forest of Saejeom. It is a “Counseling Postbox” that provides free and anonymous counseling to citizens. On the mailbox is a sign that says, "Please write your unspeakable worries on a postcard. Postcards are also provided on the side of the mailbox so that people can write their stories on the spot.

According to Seogwipo on July 11, the post boxes for counseling were first implemented for women during the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, but are now open to all citizens. As more women complained of depression and stress due to increased childcare burdens and longer stays at home due to the prolonged coronavirus pandemic, Seogwipo installed postboxes in three locations as a pilot project in 2021 and began receiving women's concerns from August to October.

The Woman and Family Division in Seogwipo that led the project at the time revealed that they got the idea from the novel “The Miracles of the Namiya General Store.” "We started with the idea that a mailbox that accepts worries without words would provide warm comfort just by existing somewhere in a desolate city," said Kang Hyun-soo, the director of the welfare and sanitation bureau in the city at the time.

After three months of wondering who would put their stories in the mailbox, 15 complaints accumulated, and Seogwipo provided answers. The mailbox was so popular that the city expanded the program to include all citizens, not just women, the following year, in 2022.

Currently, there are three postboxes located in Seogwipo: Saeseom Park, Sol Oreum, and the entrance to Chilsimni Park. As it is a confidential counseling service, it is strictly anonymous. You don't need to write your name, address, phone number, date of birth, or any other personal information on the postcard. You can receive answers from experts in any way you want, including email, text, phone, or postcard.

Postcards in the mailbox are collected by volunteers from organizations affiliated with the Seogwipo Women's Organization Council. Depending on the story, the postcards will be delivered to specialized counseling organizations such as the Seogwipo Family Center, the Integrated Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Counseling Center, the Youth Counseling and Welfare Center, and the Comprehensive Childcare Support Center.

From the second half of 2021 to last year, 116 postcard consultations were received. In the first half of this year alone, 31 consultations were received.

The types of worries are mainly spousal and family issues, career and academic concerns for young people, psychological anxiety, and childcare burdens. There are also often stories of other locals who visited the city for sightseeing and wrote down their problems.

The program is also noteworthy for its ability to take care of citizens' mental health with just ideas without a separate budget.

"As it is a project promoted by volunteers and in collaboration with existing counseling organizations, there is no budget other than the initial mailbox and postcard production costs," said an official from Seogwipo. "We hope that everyone will feel free to use the pink mailbox to share their worries as it is a free, anonymous, and non-face-to-face counseling service.“

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.