[People Dying Alone] ① Leaving Missed Calls for Siblings... Elderly Ending Life Alone

Lonely Deaths Increase by 9% Annually... Family Finds Them After Living Alone
Most Are Poor Elderly with Multiple Illnesses, Social Welfare Safety Nets Needed

"Five missed calls." On the 22nd, a reporter visited an old row house in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province. It was not the smell of garbage, nor just the mustiness of an old building, but a foul odor that filled the place where a man in his 70s, Mr. A, had died alone a week earlier. Inside the house, Mr. A’s cellphone was charging. When the phone was turned on, there were five missed calls from his siblings. Although he had family, his life ended in solitude. After the body was taken care of, Kim Saebyeol, CEO of the special cleaning company Biohazard, who came to clean the house, said, "People who die alone are not truly alone in the world," and "Most of the people who request cleaning of homes where solitary deaths occurred are the deceased’s family."

An old row house in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, visited on the 22nd. On the wall of the solitary death scene, the deceased's neatly arranged clothes were displayed.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

It seemed that Mr. A died suddenly due to worsening of a chronic illness. There were dishes left unwashed in the sink. A large white calendar hanging under the window showed "March 2023." At the head of the bedding where he lay as a corpse, there was a large bag of hardtack, and at his feet, hypertension medication. There were clear bloodstains from hemoptysis on the pillow.

He had cut out the previous month’s calendar to use as a notepad. On the back of the cut calendar pages were notes listing daily wages earned at construction sites, purchased groceries, and phone numbers of acquaintances. During cleaning, crumpled lottery tickets and pension lottery tickets were found scattered throughout the house.

CEO Kim said, "Most solitary deaths occur among impoverished elderly people," and "The bereaved families are generally not well-off, so they often struggle with the cost of special cleaning or even quarrel among themselves."

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 3,378 people died from solitary deaths in 2021 alone. Solitary deaths have been increasing at an average annual rate of 8.8% over the past five years. Ironically, the first people to discover solitary deaths are often family members. The initial discoverers are mostly siblings, landlords, and neighbors in that order. The number of single-person households in Korea increased from 5.84 million in 2018 to 7.16 million in 2021, and the government expects solitary deaths to continue rising.

Sudden Solitary Death Without Even Doing the Dishes... Unused Cups, Thermal Underwear, Hiking Boots, and Fishing Reels Found

An old row house in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, visited on the 22nd. At the scene of the solitary death, there was homemade infused liquor made last year. It might have been a precious item to the deceased who died alone, but it ultimately ended up in the trash bin.
Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

As CEO Kim pushed aside the wardrobe and drawers during cleaning, thick dust covered the floor and mold had grown on the walls. Mr. A seemed to be tidy; although the house was old, his belongings were well organized. The special cleaning staff separated items to be discarded from those to be kept. Money and rings were collected in a small separate box. Next to the television, there was a drawer containing Deodeok-infused liquor. The bottle cap was labeled "April 11, 2022." The infused liquor was thrown into the trash bag. Kim said, "It might have been precious to the deceased, but the keepsakes given to the bereaved family are mainly money or photographs."

Although he lived alone, belongings kept coming out. One pair of pants was so worn that the elastic waistband would disappear if rubbed. There were unused dishes and cups, hiking boots never worn, thermal underwear never worn, and even a fishing reel still in its packaging.

Kim said, "When cleaning a house where a solitary death occurred, you can see the deceased’s life. In the homes of people addicted to gambling, there are heaps of playing cards and cigarette butts, and in the homes of those who drank heavily, empty liquor bottles are scattered around," adding, "A common feature is that despite being single-person households, the amount of belongings is enormous. Because of poverty, they couldn’t bear to throw things away."

An old row house in Anyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, visited on the 22nd. Kim Saebyeol, CEO of the biohazard cleaning company, is cleaning the house.
Photo by Gong Byungseon mydillon@

After removing the flooring, CEO Kim wore a gas mask. This was for the final disinfection process. Without disinfection, no matter how thoroughly the cleaning is done, the smell of the corpse cannot be eliminated. After six hours of cleaning and final disinfection, Kim called the bereaved family to come and collect the keepsakes.

Kim said, "People who die alone rarely interact with neighbors, so they are often left unattended for a long time after death," and "I hope the government will strengthen protection and management of single-person households at high risk of solitary death."