뉴욕 타임즈에서 읽는 오늘의 한국

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A Lonely End for South Koreans Who Cannot Afford to Live, or Die

By CHOE SANG-HUN, 11/1/15, NYT

 

장례식을 치뤄줄 사람 없이 홀로 세상을 떠나는 사람들의 수가 한국에서 늘고 있다는 기사네요.

 

on the question of whether they had relatives or friends to depend on in times of need, South Koreans ranked at the bottom of countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to its annual “How’s Life?” report, released in October. The social support was the lowest among South Koreans who were 50 or older."

 

"The 2015 Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index, released in October, measured the retirement income systems of 25 major economies and ranked South Korea 24th, with only India ranked lower. Last year, only 45 percent of South Koreans between 55 and 79 received pensions; their monthly payout averaged $431, or 82 percent of the minimum cost of living for a single person, according to government data.

About 30 percent of older South Korean families have a monthly income below the absolute poverty level. But they can get welfare only when they can prove that their family is unwilling or unable to support them. Many reject that option because they find it too embarrassing to reach out to relatives they have not contacted for many years."