In 2025, Korea entered a super-aged society. What the reporting team focused on was the number '53.9%.' Among registered disabled persons in Korea, 53.9% are aged 65 or older. This indicates that aging and disability are not unrelated. The reporting team analyzed health statistics of the elderly population, and met disabled individuals, caregiving families, and medical personnel to amplify their voices. The life of elderly disabled individuals signaled a call for a bold shift in the medical and welfare paradigm of our society. [Editor's note]
"Koong-jjak, koong-jjak" "Puuu~~woong"
On Feb. 19th, at Dasarang Senior Welfare Center located in a commercial building near Uijeongbu Hwaryong Station, about 40 seniors were clapping their hands and each taking their turn to sing.
As karaoke accompaniment flowed from high-output speakers and two saxophonists added their distinctive plaintive tones, quite an impressive stage was set.
"Next, we welcome senior Choi Dal-won to the stage. We will play the accompaniment for his favorite song 'Chilgapsan.' Senior, please come forward. Let's give him a round of applause~."
At the skilled yet courteous call of the host social worker, Choi Dal-won, age 78, who was bundled up in a thick parka, stood up from the back row. He hesitated very briefly, then quickly moved to the stage as if he had been eagerly waiting.
Oh, wife working in the soybean field~ your canvas blouse is soaked~
Mr. Choi sang with all his might as if trying to release something with relief.
Mr. Choi suffers from the aftereffects of a cerebral infarction, losing sight and hearing on his left side, and struggles with hypertension and prostate enlargement. However, what pained him more than the physical illness was the extreme depression.
He attempted to give up on life four times. Just a year ago, it was unimaginable for Mr. Choi to stand in front of people, holding a microphone and singing his favorite song. Uijeongbu's center for suicide prevention had classified him as high-risk for suicide, as he was confined to his home.
Resident report → Home visit doctor → Daycare center
"Another suicide attempt…."
At the beginning of 2024, an employee from the Uijeongbu branch of the National Health Insurance Service visited Mr. Choi's residence directly. A neighbor had reported his repeated suicide attempts and unsanitary living conditions, prompting the action.
The space Mr. Choi lived in was so filthy that one would hesitate to step in. Mold was profusely growing over carelessly disposed food waste. The pungent stale smell of nicotine, a component of cigarettes, also filled the air.
"The senior's expression was very dark. His cheeks were sunken because he couldn't eat well, and he staggered as he walked due to a lack of strength."
These are the words of Lee Hye-joo, director of Hope Silver Care, a specialist in home welfare who visited Mr. Choi's home along with the service employee.
Furthermore, Mr. Choi entirely refused interaction with outsiders. Noh Dong-hoon, a director at Pyunhan Jari Clinic, who serves as a visiting doctor in the Uijeongbu area, vividly remembers his first meeting with Mr. Choi.
"Coincidentally, it was raining on the day of the senior's first home visit. Despite calling his name several times from outside, he didn't respond nor did he open the door. When the visit started with difficulty, the senior repeatedly said he 'wanted to die.'"
It was unlikely for an elderly person who isolated himself from the world to have any information about welfare policies. Director Noh and Director Lee helped Mr. Choi apply for a long-term care rating.
For elderly individuals with mobility difficulties, the government provides services like bathing, oral care, laundry, meals, grooming, and accompaniment on outings based on their long-term care rating (grades 1 to 5, cognitive support grade). (15-20% of the services must be paid for by the individual.)
Mr. Choi received a cognitive support grade due to mild cognitive impairment. If one receives the cognitive support grade, they cannot receive home-based care services. Instead, they are supported for participation expenses in a daycare center (welfare center) three times a week.
Welder roaming the Ulsan shipyard
Mr. Choi was born in Yeonggwang, Jeollanam-do. True to being a person from the southern provinces, he has a habit of saying 'that thing.' However, his main stage of life was in Ulsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. Before even turning 20, he packed his bags and headed for Ulsan.
Before starting his own business in Uijeongbu, Mr. Choi worked for 50 years as a welder at a subcontractor of a shipyard in Ulsan. He was an unsung hero of Korea's economic growth.
Mr. Choi was confident when it came to cutting, melting, and attaching metals. He learned the trade early, had good skills, and obtained several related certificates. Plus, he was stronger than others. He had a good physique, standing 178 cm tall and weighing over 85 kg.
If there was a 'blossoming time' in his life, it must have been when he married late and had a daughter he cherished beyond measure.
"But then, I noticed a dark white window in her eye. They said 'that thing' was a brain tumor. To save that child, I spent all my wealth. Fifty years of welding, all gone."
The death of his nine-year-old daughter. There was nothing in the world that could replace the sorrow of losing his daughter for Mr. Choi, who was especially warm-hearted. He drank to the point of needing to attend an alcohol addiction treatment center.
"I think my family had five sons and five daughters. Now there's no one, no one. My parents and siblings, all gone. I don't even have children. I have one younger sister, but she's sick and can't move."
As time mercilessly passed, even his parents, along with his brothers, their wives, and sisters, all left the world before him. The indescribable sorrow compounded the weight of loneliness.
53.9%, view the 'I am an elderly person with a disability' series as interactive content
Routine saving a person
"I wish I had died soon. Now suicide is not even an option... I attempted suicide four times, but I didn't die. When my 'head' was hit, it was covered in blood, and this neighborhood was in an uproar."
Mid-February, I met Mr. Choi at his home in Uijeongbu. Even meeting the reporter, he kept saying 'I should die.' It was a 'habit.' However, he did not particularly guard against or reject unfamiliar people. When the reporter later called him, he answered the phone.
His living space was also relatively clean. I asked, 'Who cleans for you?' He replied, 'I do.' Compared to the times when he neglected both his home and himself, it was no less than a miracle.
The change from a year ago is that Mr. Choi now has a 'routine,' regular daily activities.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning, he rides the van sent by the welfare center to head out to the center as if going to work. Once a month, he receives medical and nursing care from a visiting doctor and nurse at home.
"Having someone regularly come for you is really important, I think. Especially for older seniors, they often don't have specific appointments."
These are the words of Kang Sung-hee, a visiting nurse. She pays a lot of attention to caring for Mr. Choi's mind. She believes it's as important as measuring blood pressure and taking care of medications.
"Sir, it's a bit rude, but I find you very cute. Your smile is worth a million bucks."
At the nurse's words, Mr. Choi gave a broad smile and said:
"I was so skinny that my weight dropped to 60 kg, but recently I gained 2 kg, so I'm now 62 kg. People say I've gained some weight on my face."
“It's just like kindergarten, except for one thing”
"Seniors should not be isolated at home. They must come out for sure. The fact that Mr. Choi Dal-won wasn't eligible for home care services but received a cognitive support grade and came to the welfare center likely had a better effect on his health."
These are the words of Han Seung-mok, the head of Dasarang Senior Welfare Center.
The weekly schedule at Dasarang Senior Welfare Center goes roughly like this:
Monday Sports activities, Full moon bingo, Coloring by numbers / Tuesday Instrument singing class, Puzzle making, Kite decorating / Wednesday Making lamps, Full moon puzzle, Music class / Thursday Storytelling, Finding directions, Sticker attaching / Friday Flower mandala, Singing class
Kim Sun-ok, a social worker at the center, said, "The programs at the senior welfare center are almost identical to kindergarten programs," adding, "We also provide meals and snacks, and offer pick-up and drop-off services similarly." He joined the center three years ago, having previously been a kindergarten teacher.
"However, unlike children who learn and grow, seniors start forgetting much more, so special attention is needed in this regard."
Korea ranks first for suicide rates among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries. The senior suicide rate, in particular, is overwhelmingly high. This shameful statistic is not unrelated to the rapid disintegration of our societal community.
Can visiting doctors, nurses, social workers, and caregivers become new focal points for restoring the community?