Elders visit the Wongaksa Senior Free Meal Center at Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and stand in line for a meal. /Courtesy of News1

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety noted on the 24th that as of the 23rd, the population aged 65 and older accounted for 20% (10,244,550 people) of the total resident registration population (51,221,286 people).

Accordingly, South Korea has entered a super-aged society. The United Nations (UN) classifies a society as a "super-aged society" when the proportion of the population aged 65 and older exceeds 20% of the total population.

In terms of gender, the proportion of the population aged 65 and older is 17.83% for men and 22.15% for women. By region, the Seoul metropolitan area accounts for 17.70% of the total resident registration population (26,046,460 people), while non-metropolitan areas account for 22.38% of the total resident registration population (25,174,826 people).

By city and province, Jeonnam has the highest proportion of the population aged 65 and older at 27.18%. This is followed by Gyeongbuk, Gangwon, Jeonbuk, Busan, and Chungnam. The lowest proportion is in Sejong at 11.57%.

Deputy Minister Kim Min-jae said, "As the proportion of the population aged 65 and older surpasses 20%, there is an urgent need for more fundamental and systematic measures, such as establishing a dedicated population department."