[Exclusive/2021 Muyeongo Report] 4.15 Muyeongo Deaths per 100,000 People

<1>National Map of Unclaimed Deaths

Comprehensive Survey of Unclaimed Death Statistics in 229 Local Governments Over the Past 5 Years
Gyeonggi Has the Highest Number of Deaths at 2,140,
But Jeju Has the Highest Unclaimed Death Index at 6.76

The Top 20 Unclaimed Death Index Includes
4 Places in Busan, 2 in Daegu, 2 in Chungbuk,
Evenly Distributed Nationwide

Asia Economy conducted a comprehensive survey of 229 basic local governments nationwide and analyzed the 'Unclaimed Death Index' map.

Unclaimed deaths, once dismissed as issues only affecting socially vulnerable groups, are no longer problems confined to them alone. In a society where the disintegration of families and local communities accelerates individualization, unclaimed deaths are increasing every year. Unclaimed deaths have already become a serious social problem. Funeral procedures to preserve the dignity of the deceased are left entirely to the discretion of each local government without proper standards. Asia Economy has traced the life trajectories of those who had no choice but to face lonely deaths and, for the first time among national media outlets, compiled and statistically analyzed the trends of unclaimed deaths across 229 local governments nationwide. Through this, we analyze the reality where even clear standards for unclaimed deaths have not been established and aim to propose alternative measures suited to domestic circumstances. Editor’s note

[Asia Economy Special Investigation Team = Team Leader Ko Hyung-kwang, Reporters Yoo Byung-don, Jung Dong-hoon, Lee Jung-yoon] According to Asia Economy’s comprehensive survey, the national average unclaimed death index was 4.15. The unclaimed death index is a figure calculated by taking the average annual number of unclaimed deaths in a given area and the 2020 population to compute the number of unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people. Areas with an unclaimed death index exceeding 10 were classified as high-risk groups, and those exceeding 5 as risk groups. This figure was introduced to provide an objective evaluation compared to assessing the situation based solely on the absolute number of unclaimed deaths in the area.

It is difficult to directly compare or find correlations between the number of unclaimed deaths and the unclaimed death index. Looking only at the number of unclaimed deaths by metropolitan local governments, Gyeonggi-do had the highest number with 2,140, followed by Seoul with 2,022, Busan with 1,042, and Incheon with 967. On the other hand, the unclaimed death index was highest in Jeju at 6.76, followed by Incheon at 6.57, Busan at 6.14, Gangwon at 6.09, and Seoul at 5.19. The same pattern was observed when looking at local governments. The number of unclaimed deaths was highest in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul with 350, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul with 227, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi with 211, Jung-gu, Seoul and Michuhol-gu, Incheon with 194 each. However, the unclaimed death index was highest in Jung-gu, Seoul at 30.99, Seo-gu, Busan at 29.6, Jung-gu, Busan at 21.67, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do at 19.51, and Ongjin-gun, Incheon at 18.57.

Seoul showed a high index of unclaimed deaths in Jung-gu, Yeongdeungpo, Yongsan, and Jongno.

Among the 229 local governments nationwide, 15 of the 20 areas with the highest number of unclaimed deaths were concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Incheon, whereas only five districts in Seoul (Jung-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Yongsan-gu, Jongno-gu, Dongdaemun-gu) and three in Incheon (Ongjin-gun, Jung-gu, Dong-gu) ranked in the top 20 for the unclaimed death index. Other regions showed a relatively even distribution, including four districts in Busan (Seo-gu, Jung-gu, Yeongdo-gu, Sasang-gu), two in Daegu (Seo-gu, Nam-gu), two in Chungbuk (Boeun-gun, Goesan-gun), two in Gyeongbuk (Cheongsong-gun, Cheongdo-gun), one in Gangwon (Sokcho-si), and one in Jeollanam-do (Sinan-si). This contrasts with the previous perception that unclaimed deaths were problems unique to the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area.

When looking at the overall unclaimed death index, the risk of unclaimed deaths in South Korea was found to be very high. Among the 229 local governments, 22 were classified as high-risk groups and 54 as risk groups, meaning about one-third of all local governments were classified as risk or higher. High-risk local governments with more than 10 unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people included the five districts in Seoul mentioned earlier, four in Busan, three in Incheon, two in Daegu, two in Chungbuk, two in Gyeongbuk, one in Gangwon, one in Jeollanam-do, as well as Miryang-si in Gyeongnam and Yeongdong-gun in Chungbuk.

Additionally, places with more than 5 unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people included Michuhol-gu, Incheon (9.59), Changnyeong-gun, Gyeongnam (9.46), Jung-gu, Daegu (9.41), Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi (8.42), Eumseong-gun, Chungbuk (8.16), Yanggu-gun, Gangwon (8.07), Andong-si, Gyeongbuk (8.05), and Geumcheon-gu, Seoul (7.94), showing that many areas nationwide were classified as risk groups.

Furthermore, Buan-gun, Jeonbuk (4.98), Haenam-gun, Jeollanam-do (4.94), Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk (4.93), Jungnang-gu, Seoul (4.92), Samcheok-si, Gangwon (4.91), Asan-si, Chungnam (4.87), Yeosu-si, Jeollanam-do (4.85), Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongbuk (4.79), and Dongjak-gu, Seoul (4.70) also recorded figures close to the risk group, placing them in potential risk categories.

Among the 229 local governments nationwide, only nine had zero unclaimed deaths in the past five years, resulting in an unclaimed death index of 0. These included Gyeryong-si, Chungnam; Namwon-si, Muju-gun, and Jinan-gun in Jeonbuk; Goheung-gun, Gwangyang-si, and Damyang-gun in Jeollanam-do; Goryeong-gun in Gyeongbuk; and Uiryeong-gun in Gyeongnam. However, it is presumed that even these figures may be inaccurate due to a lack of responsible personnel for proper data collection or absence of related data.