[2021 Muyeongo Report] Muyeongo Deaths That Should Become a 'Post-Corona' Policy Agenda

Concluding the Series Plan

No Standards or Statistics for Unclaimed Bodies
COVID-19 Deepens Relationship Breakdowns
Economic Hardships Compound Issues
Hope for Social Public Discourse to Begin

The 'Unclaimed Death Index,' representing the number of unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people, was visualized on a nationwide map.

[Asia Economy Special Reporting Team = Team Leader Ko Hyung-kwang, Reporters Yoo Byung-don, Jung Dong-hoon, Lee Jung-yoon] "Due to COVID-19, the number of unclaimed patients has increased. Although they don't show it, since they can't even go outside, it seems they are fighting loneliness and longing."

This was heard from a worker at a nursing hospital while covering Asia Economy's series project "2021 Unclaimed Death Report." In medical facilities such as nursing hospitals, where more than 60% of unclaimed individuals end their lives, an increase in unclaimed patients due to COVID-19 was already being detected.

The longing of unclaimed individuals was their voices and faces. When reporting on the shantytown areas of Jung-gu in Seoul and Seogu and Jung-gu in Busan, where the "Unclaimed Death Index"?indicating unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people?was highest, elderly unclaimed individuals who had settled among vacant houses peeked their faces out at the sound of the reporters' footsteps and voices. Those who longed to see faces and hear voices were right beside us.

After conducting a full survey of unclaimed deaths over the past five years through information disclosure requests to 229 basic local governments nationwide, the number of unclaimed deaths rose nearly 2.5 times from 1,244 five years ago to 3,024. This figure is expected to increase further. Currently, the total annual deaths in South Korea are around 300,000, but this number is projected to rise to 750,000 due to aging. Accordingly, "deaths that no one protects" may also increase. Proper policies require accurate statistics as a foundation. However, there were neither standards nor statistics regarding unclaimed deaths. Although information disclosure was requested from 229 basic local governments nationwide, the responsible departments varied among social welfare divisions, hygiene policy divisions, and livelihood security divisions.

Social welfare experts point out that COVID-19 could further accelerate the increase in unclaimed deaths. During the International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial crisis, economic shocks led to unemployment, business closures, and bankruptcies, which in turn caused family disintegration?the basic unit of living and economic community?resulting in more deaths without anyone to claim the bodies. Similarly, COVID-19 is showing the same two factors?relationship breakdown and economic hardship?that can produce unclaimed deaths. Therefore, experts suggest that the issue of unclaimed deaths should become a major policy agenda in the "post-COVID" era.

In particular, deaths amid broken relationships increase anxiety. This is followed by the question, "Am I truly free from the problem of unclaimed death?" Many officials met during the coverage of unclaimed deaths expressed concerns about their own deaths. The issue of unclaimed deaths is no longer the exclusive domain of "failures." Thus, guaranteeing unclaimed funerals in the public domain and helping to conclude them with dignity is welfare for the deceased but ultimately for the living as well.

The seven-part series "2021 Unclaimed Death Report," which traced unclaimed deaths, has concluded. The reporting team plans to continue coverage to drive actual policy changes regarding unclaimed deaths, including legislative activities in the National Assembly and reviewing the unclaimed funeral system.