"Exhausted by Job Shortage and Hardship" Rising Youth Solitary Deaths, Is This Okay? [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

Young People Driven to the Edge... 'Youth Solitary Deaths' Increasing Every Year
Depression Worsened by COVID-19

Due to COVID-19, employment and economic difficulties have worsened, leading to an increase in young people suffering from mental distress. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Editor's NoteHow is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we deliver the joys and sorrows, worries and laughter unique to 'youth.'

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # In July 2019, a woman in her 30s, Ms. A, who lived alone in Busan, was found dead about 40 days after her passing. The landlord, who came to collect overdue rent, opened the living room window with the building manager and discovered Ms. A's body, which was reported to the authorities. At the time, the body was severely decomposed. Ms. A had been living alone, separated from her family for several years, and was known to have suffered financial difficulties, as overdue utility bills were found in her home. It was also reported that she had been receiving medication for nervous stabilization, adding to the tragedy.

Recently, with the spread of COVID-19 worsening employment and economic difficulties, the number of young people suffering from mental distress has increased. They express feelings of helplessness and depression as even short-term jobs have become hard to find due to COVID-19.

In particular, among young people living alone, some have fallen into deep despair and chosen 'lonely death,' raising growing concerns. Lonely death refers to dying alone and in isolation. Experts point out that external factors such as COVID-19 have deprived young people even of employment opportunities.

Job seeker Ms. Lee (26) recently visited a hospital due to persistent depression. She said, "When I graduated from college, I thought everything would go well. But because of COVID-19, jobs decreased, competition intensified, and I was often rejected even at the document screening stage. On top of that, my parents kept nagging me about when I would get a job, which was unbearable." She added, "I couldn't sleep because of all the stress. When I went to the hospital, they told me I had depression."

She continued, "When I'm alone at home, I get more depressed, so recently I found a part-time job. I try to move before depressive thoughts come to shake off the sadness."

Like Ms. Lee, many are experiencing mental stress due to the employment crisis. According to the 'Gender-Sensitive Analysis and Future Prospects of Youth Life Course' study conducted by the Korean Women's Development Institute on 6,570 young people aged 19-34 in October-November last year, 56.6% of women and 52.0% of men responded that "it has become difficult to find a job."

Especially, some young people have felt suicidal impulses. In the same survey, when asked if they had felt suicidal impulses even once in the past year, 32.8% of women answered "yes." This means one in three young women experienced suicidal thoughts in the past year. Among men, 19.4% answered "yes."

A young man is looking at a job posting board. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Among them, some young people suffering from employment difficulties and financial hardship due to COVID-19 have fallen into despair and made extreme choices, becoming a social problem.

In November last year, a flight attendant B (27 at the time) was found dead. B reportedly had expressed economic difficulties during the prolonged COVID-19 and leave of absence. A suicide note found at the scene reportedly included phrases such as "I was under too much stress. Please donate my organs. I will leave for a peaceful resting place."

In particular, some of these individuals have fallen into deep despair, living isolated lives disconnected from society and dying alone. Gil Haeyong, CEO of the belongings cleaning company Sweepers, explained in an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 2nd, "Currently, youth lonely deaths have increased significantly. Requests for youth lonely deaths are almost half of those for middle-aged lonely deaths." In the past, the proportion of middle-aged lonely deaths was higher, but recently the frequency of youth lonely deaths has increased to a similar level.

Currently, South Korea does not have separate statistics on lonely deaths, so the status of lonely deaths is inferred based on statistics of unclaimed deaths. According to analysis by Representative Choi Hye-young of the Democratic Party, the number of unclaimed deaths among people in their 10s to 30s was △63 cases in 2017 △76 in 2018 △81 in 2019 △100 in 2020, showing an increase every year. However, since many lonely deaths are not processed as unclaimed deaths, the actual number of youth lonely deaths is presumed to be higher.

Experts point out that COVID-19 has deprived young people of various opportunities such as employment, causing them to suffer from helplessness.

Professor Kwak Geum-ju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology said, "Employment difficulties have been a problem in the past, but due to COVID-19, young people have fewer opportunities even to take exams. Uncertainty about the future has increased compared to before." She added, "These factors can make young people feel lethargic. They should try to relieve helplessness through hobbies that suit them."

※ If you need professional help for difficult-to-talk-about concerns such as depression, you can receive 24-hour counseling at the Suicide Prevention Hotline 1577-0199, Suicide Prevention Counseling Phone 1393, Hope Phone 129, Life Phone 1588-9191, Youth Phone 1388, and others.