고령화 사회와 노인인권, 한국의 현 주소는..제3회 아셈 노인인권 컨퍼런스
There's growing interest in ways to better protecting the elderly, as the nation becomes an aging society.
So it's not surprising to see Seoul hosting the third Asia-Europe Meeting conference on the subject.
Yoon Jung-min spoke to participants on what could be done to better ensure the rights of silver citizens.
Like many countries around the world, South Korea's population is aging as birth rates fall and life expectancy increases.
Those above 65-years of age now account for 14-point-3 percent of South Korea's total population.
And that figure is projected to reach 41 percent by 2060.
A country is classed as a 'post-aged society' when the proportion of over-65s goes above 20 percent.
And as society ages, the human rights of seniors is becoming more of a social issue, with many elderly people marginalized from society.
To tackle this, 300 stakeholders from 30 countries gathered in Seoul for the third ASEM Conference on “Global Ageing and Human Rights of Older Persons".
"Therefore, this is a reality which imposes us the crucial challenge to rethinking and redefine the way we see, conceptualize and address ageing."
The poverty rate among the elderly in Korea amounted to 46-point-7 percent in 2016, the highest in the OECD, and elderly people often feel isolated socially.
"Especially, the relative poverty rate of the old persons is about 46 percent, the highest among OECD nations. It causes other problems like elder abuse, elder suicide."
The forum emphasized the need to provide more senior jobs or proper subsidies to help elderly people who are economically vulnerable.
It also called for more psychological care for those who live alone so that they stay attached to the community.
"The participants at the conference say they will keep working together to stand up for the rights of senior citizens and eliminate discrimination against the elderly.
Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News."
