In 2025, South Korea entered a super-aged society. The number '53.9%' was what the reporting team focused on. Among registered disabled persons in South Korea, 53.9% are aged 65 and older. This shows that aging and disabilities are not unrelated. The reporting team analyzed health statistics of the elderly population and met with disabled individuals, caretaking families, and medical staff to amplify their voices. The lives of elderly disabled people signaled a call for a bold shift in our society's medical and welfare paradigms. [Editor's Note]
"Kungjak, kungjak" "Puuu~uung"
On Feb. 19, near Hwayong Station in Uijeongbu, at the Dasarang Senior Welfare Center located in a commercial building. About 40 seniors are clapping their hands and belting out songs one by one.
As the karaoke background music flowed from the powerful speakers and two saxophone players added their distinctive mournful tones, a rather impressive stage was set.
"Next, we welcome elder Choi Dal-won. The accompaniment for the elder's favorite song, 'Chilgapsan,' is starting. Elders, please come forward. Let's give them a round of applause~."
At the competent yet polite call of the social worker hosting the event, Choi Dal-won, 78, wearing a thick parka, stood up from the back row. Seeming to hesitate for a brief moment, Choi soon walked toward the stage with a speed that suggested anticipation.
Bean field~ The woman weeding~ Her undershirt gets soaked~
Choi sang with all their might, as if to release something.
Choi lost sight and hearing on the left side due to the aftereffects of a cerebral stroke and suffers from high blood pressure and an enlarged prostate. However, what pained Choi more than physical illness was intense depression.
Choi attempted to give up on life four times. Just a year ago, it was unimaginable to see Choi holding a microphone and singing a favorite song in front of people. The Uijeongbu City Suicide Prevention Center classified Choi, who was staying shut away at home, as high-risk for suicide.
Resident report → Home visit → Daycare center
"Another suicide attempt...."
In early 2024, an employee from the Health Insurance Corporation's Uijeongbu branch visited Choi's home. This was in response to a neighbor's report asking the authorities to check on Choi's repeated suicide attempts and unkempt living conditions.
The space where Choi lived was so dirty that one would hesitate to step inside. Mold was profusely growing over food waste carelessly discarded. The stale smell of nicotine from cigarettes also pervaded the air.
"The elder's expression was very dark. Choi's cheeks were hollow because they weren't eating well, and the elder staggered from lack of energy."
This comment was made by Lee Hye-joo, Director of Hope Silver Care, a home welfare expert who visited Choi's home with the corporation employee.
Moreover, Choi refused all interaction with outsiders. Noh Dong-hoon, Director of Pyunhan Jari Clinic, who practiced as a home visit doctor around Uijeongbu, vividly remembers his first meeting with Choi.
"It just happened to be a rainy day for the elder's first home visit. No response was given when called several times outside, and the door was not opened. Once the consultation started, the elder kept repeating, 'I'm going to die.'"
There was no way for an elder who isolated themselves from the world to have information about welfare policies. Director Noh and Director Lee assisted Choi in applying for long-term care grade.
The government provides elderly individuals with mobility difficulties with services such as bathing, oral care, laundry, meals, grooming, and accompaniment on outings based on their long-term care grade (grades 1-5, or cognitive support grade) (15-20% of the service cost must be borne by the individual).
Choi was judged to have mild cognitive impairment and received a cognitive support grade. With this grade, at-home care services are not available. Instead, Choi can receive support for participating expenses at a daycare center (welfare center) three times a week.
Welder at Ulsan shipyard
Choi was born in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla. Typical of someone from Namdo, Choi had the habit of saying 'geosigi.' However, Choi's lifelong main stage was Ulsan, South Gyeongsang. Choi packed and headed to Ulsan before even turning 20.
Before starting a business in Uijeongbu, Choi worked for 50 years as a welder at a subcontractor of a shipyard in Ulsan. Choi was a hidden contributor to South Korea's economic growth.
Choi was confident in cutting, melting, and joining metal. Having learned the job early with excellent skills, Choi acquired several related certifications and had more strength than others. Choi had a solid build, standing 178 cm tall and weighing over 85 kg.
If there was ever a 'blossom' period in Choi's life, it was perhaps when Choi, a latecomer to marriage, had a daughter that meant the world.
"But then, a dark spot appeared in the child's eye. It turned out to be a brain tumor. We exhausted all our assets to save the child. All the money made from 50 years of welding is gone."
The death of the nine-year-old daughter. For Choi, who had an affectionate nature, nothing in the world could replace the sorrow of losing a daughter. Choi drank so much that attending an alcohol addiction treatment center was necessary.
"There were probably five sons and five daughters in my family. Now there's no one, no one left. Parents and siblings are all gone, and I have no children. I have one sister alive, but she's also too sick to move."
With the relentless passing of time, not only parents but also brothers, sisters-in-law, and sisters all passed away before Choi. The indescribable sorrow was compounded by the weight of loneliness.
53.9%, view the I'm an elderly disabled interactive content series
A routine that saves lives
"If only I died quickly. Even suicide isn't an option now... I've tried suicide four times, but I didn't die. When I hit this 'head,' there was a bloody mess, and the whole neighborhood was in an uproar."
In mid-February, a reporter met Choi at Choi's home in Uijeongbu. Even in meeting the reporter, Choi kept saying 'I should be dead.' It was a 'habit.' However, Choi did not particularly guard against or reject strangers. Later, when the reporter called Choi, Choi answered the phone.
The space where Choi lives is also relatively clean. When asked, 'Who does the cleaning?' Choi replied, 'I do it myself.' Compared to the time when the house and even oneself were neglected, it was nothing short of a miracle.
Compared to a year ago, a change in Choi's life is the establishment of a 'routine,' a set of repeated daily activities.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, Choi takes the van sent by the welfare center and heads to the center as if going to work. Once a month, Choi receives home consultations from visiting doctors and nurses.
"Having someone regularly come for me, I think this is really important. Especially for the elderly, who often don't have any fixed plans."
These words are from Kang Sung-hee, a visiting nurse. Kang pays special attention to soothing Choi's heart, as it is considered just as important as checking blood pressure and providing medication.
"Father, sorry for being impolite, but I find you incredibly endearing. Your smile is worth a million bucks."
At the nurse's words, Choi beamed broadly and said:
"I had gotten so thin that I dropped to 60 kg, but lately, I've gained 2 kg and now weigh 62 kg. People say I've put some weight on my face."
"It's just like kindergarten, except for one thing"
"Elders shouldn't be isolated at home. They absolutely need to get out. The fact that elder Choi Dal-won wasn't eligible for home care services but instead received a cognitive support grade and started coming to the welfare center would have had a better effect on their health."
This statement is from Han Seung-mok, the representative of Dasarang Senior Welfare Center.
The weekly schedule of Dasarang Senior Welfare Center is roughly as follows.
Monday: sports activities, half moon bingo, color by numbers / Tuesday: instrument singing class, puzzles, decorating kites / Wednesday: making lanterns, half-moon puzzles, music class / Thursday: storytelling, finding directions, sticking stickers / Friday: flower mandala, singing class
Social worker Kim Seon-ok, who works here, said, "The programs at the senior welfare center are almost the same as kindergarten programs," adding, "Providing meals, snacks, and pick-up/drop-off services are similar too." Kim, who was a daycare teacher, joined this center three years ago.
"However, unlike children who learn and grow, elders tend to forget more things, so we have to pay special attention to this aspect."
South Korea ranks number one among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries in suicide rates. The elderly suicide rate is particularly high, overwhelmingly in the first place. This disgraceful statistic is not unrelated to the rapid disintegration of our societal community.
Could visiting doctors and nurses, social workers, and caregivers become a new focal point in restoring regional communities?