[W Forum] Conditions of the Elderly in the Aging Era

Min Bo-kyung, Associate Research Fellow at the National Assembly Future Institute

The elderly are becoming younger. Traditionally, the milestone for old age has been the 60th birthday, known as Hwangap. The Hwangap celebration, which was a way for children to express respect for their parents and wish them longevity, is now being replaced by modest family gatherings. In South Korean society, which has entered an aging era, what defines an elderly person? Recently, the government announced several discussion agendas as part of a socio-structural response to demographic changes, one of which is raising the age criterion for the elderly. This is not the first time such discussions have taken place in our society. In 2016, the Korea Senior Citizens Association proposed raising the elderly age standard from the current 65 to 70, but opposition was strong, and the issue faded from public attention without significant progress. As we approach a super-aged society where the elderly population will exceed 20% by 2025, we are once again confronted with this issue.

In fact, the 65-year standard has a long history and is internationally recognized, not only in South Korea. Since the 1890s, when Germany’s Bismarck introduced the social insurance system and set the pension eligibility age at 65, international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have widely adopted this as a benchmark for aging indicators. In South Korea, the Elderly Welfare Act enacted in 1981 specified the 65-year standard. Considering that the life expectancy at that time was 66.7 years, we can infer the social perception of 65 years back then. Now, in 2020, with life expectancy at 83.2 years, many people in their 60s feel uncomfortable being classified as elderly. According to a 2017 survey on the elderly’s perception, most respondents believed the appropriate age to be considered elderly should be 70 or older.

Even if the era’s conditions?such as increased average lifespan, population decline, and fiscal burdens?create a necessary environment for discussing raising the elderly age standard, once serious discussions begin, many social conflicts may arise. Beyond the backlash caused by reducing senior citizen preferential treatment, this is a complex issue involving various intertwined matters that affect the foundation of social systems, including retirement age extension, pensions, employment, support for old-age living, and healthcare coverage.

The issue of raising the elderly age standard should not be examined superficially. For example, free subway rides for those aged 65 and over cannot be viewed solely from the perspective of fiscal deficits. Even without citing numerous studies showing that free subway rides improve seniors’ mobility, which positively impacts their physical health as well as psychological and social aspects, it is clear that such mobility means more than just traveling to a destination in the daily lives of the elderly. It can especially serve as an opportunity to improve the quality of life for low-income seniors. Currently, South Korea’s elderly poverty rate is much higher than the OECD average, and the elderly suicide rate ranks first among OECD member countries. If the elderly age standard is raised immediately, the number of seniors pushed into welfare blind spots could increase.

We have entered the aging era without adequate preparation for aging. Redefining the conditions of old age to respond to the deepening aging trend will inevitably have a significant impact on society as a whole, including population and the economy. Even if urgent, this must be carefully and comprehensively reviewed to devise appropriate measures. The elderly age for various economic and social policies should not be judged by a uniform standard of simply 65 or 70 years and older, but rather through sector-specific reviews to establish suitable and refined policies.