Cannot see eye to eye
GENERATIONAL conflict is severe in South Korea, especially between the elderly and the younger generation, with almost 90% of young and middle-aged adults saying they cannot “communicate well” with elderly Koreans, a newly released report showed.
The report, authored by Jeong Sang-hwan from the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, was submitted to the third ASEM Conference on Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons, which was held from Sept 5-6 in central Seoul this year.
The study surveyed 1,000 Koreans aged 65 and older, as well as 500 Koreans aged 18-64.
The researcher said rapid ageing of the population and industrialisation have caused severe conflicts among Koreans today.
Almost 90% of the 500 young and middle-aged Koreans surveyed said they have problems when they try to communicate with elderly Koreans.
Almost 80% of them said they feel that South Korea has a serious problem with generational conflict.
At the same time, 51% of the seniors surveyed said they encounter communication problems when interacting with the younger generation.
Nearly 45% of them said the country’s inter-generational conflict is a serious issue.
Notably, 61% of the seniors surveyed said they feel that their opinions are being valued and considered when society makes important decisions, while only 36% of young and middle-aged Koreans felt the same way.
The report also showed that 99.3% of the seniors surveyed spend their free time watching TV or listening to the radio, and a very small proportion of them engaged in social activities, such as volunteering.
At the same time, 60% of the seniors surveyed said they could not find jobs post-retirement because of age restrictions, and some 45% said they have experienced ageism at workplaces.
Among the seniors who were caring for their grandchildren, only 24% said they volunteered to do it. More than 75% said they were only doing it because they couldn’t say no to their children, especially if both parents worked full-time.
The study also found that 35% of the seniors surveyed had no post-retirement savings, and 26% had thought of taking their own lives at least once.
Almost 25% said they were afraid of dying alone without anyone noticing.
“Most Korean senior citizens are economically vulnerable and suffering from health issues such as an increase in medical expenses and a need for care,” Jeong wrote in his report.
“In addition, they are more likely to lose their jobs against their will, and it is difficult to find re-employment. They are also exposed to various types of human rights violations in many aspects of life, including prejudice, discrimination, and abuse.” – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network