Living Alone in Korea? Someone Should Know You're Okay.
South Korea recorded 3,924 고독사 deaths in 2024 — and 62.9% of them were people in their 50s and 60s, not the elderly (Ministry of Health and Welfare). If you live alone and would not qualify for a state programme, this is a check-in you can set up yourself, today.
Free forever • No credit card • iOS & Android
The Problem
Sound familiar? You're not alone.
Living alone with no one scheduled to notice if something goes wrong
Too young, or not assessed as at-risk enough, to qualify for a state check-in programme
Family who would want to know immediately but have no way to find out
How I'm Alive Solves This
A simple solution that actually works.
One tap a day confirms you're okay
Miss it, and the people you chose are told within hours, with your location
No pendant, no home sensors, no GPS tracking — location only in a real emergency, auto-deleted in 72 hours
Why This Works for You
- For people who live on their own in Korea — including the 50s and 60s age group the official data says is most affected
- No assessment, no eligibility criteria, no age gate: you set it up yourself
- Nothing to install in your home and nothing to wear — it runs on the phone you already have
- A complement to 안부확인 programmes and family arrangements, not a replacement for them
How It Works
Three simple steps.
Set Your Time
Choose when to check in each day
Tap I'm Okay
One tap confirms you're safe
Auto-Alert
Miss a check-in? Contact is notified
Features
One-Tap Check-In
Large, easy button - done in seconds
Customizable Schedule
Set your perfect check-in time
Smart Alerts (Protect Me)
Escalating notifications to your contacts if you miss a check-in
Check-In Notes
Add context like 'Going hiking today'
History Tracking
See all your past check-ins
Free to Start
Daily self check-in and reminders are always free; add Protect Me for contact alerting
Frequently Asked Questions
What is godoksa?
고독사 (godoksa) is lonely death, and unusually it has a statutory definition in Korea — under the Act on the Prevention and Management of Lonely Deaths, a person living in social isolation who dies by suicide, illness or other causes. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is required to survey it; the 2024 survey recorded 3,924 deaths.
Isn't this an elderly problem?
The government's own data says no. In 2024, 32.4% of lonely deaths were people in their 60s and 30.5% were in their 50s — 62.9% between them. There were more in their 40s (509) than in their 70s (497), and 81.7% were men. It is largely a middle-aged phenomenon, which is why we build for people who live independently rather than for "seniors".
Korea already has 안부확인 services. Why this?
State programmes — 노인맞춤돌봄서비스 and related 안부확인 services — are real and useful, and we are not a substitute for them. The difference is access: they are assessed and targeted, and often age-gated. A self-serve app is not. If you are 54, live alone and would not qualify for anything, this is available now.
Is the app available in Korean?
Not yet — the interface is currently in English only. The check-in itself is one button, but we would rather tell you before you rely on it than after. A Korean version is something we are looking at.
Does it call 119?
No. It alerts the trusted contacts you chose, with your location. It never calls emergency services and is not connected to a monitoring call centre. For an ambulance, call 119.
Does it track where I am?
No continuous tracking. Location is shared only when an alert is actually triggered, and it is deleted automatically after 72 hours.
What does it cost?
The daily check-in is free (Try It, $0), forever. Automatic alerts to your contacts start on Protect Me ($29.99/year). There is a one-time Stay Connected lifetime upgrade at $4.99, and Protect Me On The Move is $39.99/year.
Does fall detection work in Korea?
Fall detection works anywhere, but currently on iPhone only (app v2.3.1), on Protect Me or above, and it stays off until you switch it on. If your phone senses a hard fall it checks on you first — if you don't answer, your contacts are alerted. No Android version yet, and it does not need an Apple Watch.
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Free forever • No credit card required • iOS & Android