Sang-gil Park, Gwangju Nam-gu Council Member, "Need to Foster a Welldying Culture"

Park Sang-gil, a member of the Gwangju Nam-gu Council, proposed the necessity of creating a 'Well-dying culture' that guarantees the right to self-determination regarding death and allows for a dignified death.

On the 19th, Councilor Park delivered a 5-minute free speech at the 293rd 1st plenary session, proposing policies to establish a 'Well-dying culture' that enables a dignified death.

He stated, "Many people hope to pass away at home in the arms of their families, but the reality is quite the opposite," adding, "75% of the deceased face death in hospitals, isolated from their families, wearing oxygen masks and connected to tubes."

He continued, "Although a social consensus has been formed to guarantee the right to self-determination regarding death, leading to the enforcement of the 'Life-sustaining Treatment Decision Act,' it has failed to bring about well-dying," emphasizing, "Shockingly, 56% of patients in intensive care units of general hospitals are elderly aged 70 or older, and the term 'death industry' has emerged at some point."

Councilor Park lamented, "Elderly people living alone move to nursing facilities when independent living becomes difficult, and in an era where old age is regarded as a disease, the final place of death inevitably becomes the hospital."

To realize the right to self-determination regarding death, he proposed establishing and promoting a basic plan for creating a well-dying culture, providing administrative support to expand hospice and palliative care wards, and resuming the registration of 'Advance Directives for Life-sustaining Treatment' at public health centers, which was suspended due to COVID-19, thereby fostering a well-dying culture and preparing supporting systems.

In conclusion, Councilor Park said, "The well-dying culture is a way to secure the quality of patients' deaths, help patients' families accept death well, and socially establish a proper value system regarding life and death," ending his 5-minute free speech.