[Senior Trend] Southeast Asia Also Faces Aging Society by 2030... What Are Their Countermeasures?

Stories of Seniors in Southeast Asia

On the 16th, the ‘Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Forum on the Reality and Alternatives of Elderly Human Rights’ was held in Seoul. Although the scale was not large, the proportion of foreign participants was high, and the enthusiasm was intense. Myeongdong Street, the venue of the event, was bustling with tourists from Asian countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. On the 17th, Seoul City began accepting applications for the first time for the ‘Pilot Project for Foreign Domestic Workers’ households.’ It is said that the workers are from the Philippines, fluent in English and able to communicate in Korean. Da Nang in Vietnam is always said to be called ‘Gyeonggi-do Danang City’ because of the large number of Koreans there. This year, the author is also running a program for scholarship students from five ASEAN countries?Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia?in Gangwon-do. International students are important in the region. In this way, South Korea is closely connected with Southeast Asian countries, often without realizing it. But how much do we really know about Southeast Asia?

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2022, Southeast Asia includes East Timor, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines. The population is about 671.97 million, and the average GDP per capita is about 4,000 dollars. It is the most visited region by Korean nationals and also the largest partner region for Official Development Assistance (ODA). Although Southeast Asian countries might seem young, they are actually facing aging populations. According to ASEAN, by 2030, about 15% of the Southeast Asian population, approximately 72 million people, will be classified as elderly, entering a full-fledged aging phase. Concerns about aging are not only for Korea or Japan but are global. The United Nations (UN) Population Division states that the population aged 65 and over will double in the next 30 years. Since this is not an issue that individual countries can solve alone, this ASEM forum was meaningful. It allowed us to learn about each country’s situation and cases and explore ways for solidarity.

The forum, subtitled ‘Elderly Human Rights and Civil Society in Southeast Asia,’ had several meaningful sessions, but two presenters stood out. First, the balanced perspective of the Indonesian expert resonated. When proposing elderly policies, there are groups that are vulnerable and need help, but there are also groups that are not, so policies should not be one-sided. It is essential to be aware of what evidence is being used. The Thai expert, who is 78 years old and still working, said that elderly people should not be discriminated against by age in the labor market and should be given the ‘right to work and fair compensation.’ He also emphasized that elderly people should strive through ‘upskilling’ (learning skills to perform the same job better or take on more complex roles) and ‘reskilling’ (learning new skills to perform different jobs and roles). Additionally, in Thailand, there are funds and loans dedicated to the elderly, and organizations are working hard for health rights, housing rights, and the right to work.

I was curious about the relatively wealthy Malaysian case. Disappointingly, the government does not provide a safety net, so retirement depends entirely on personal savings. Although more than 60% of the population are Muslims, it was interesting that care communities are established in areas with many elderly people through Buddhist organizations, which make up less than 20%. In the same context, the European Union (EU) ambassador asked what kind of support elderly people who have worked overseas as caregivers or domestic workers and sent foreign currency home for decades can receive upon returning to their home country. The answer was disheartening. There is no institutional support provided by the state for old age. According to the 2015 Global Age Watch Index, Japan was the only Asian country ranked in the top 10 for preparing to age healthily and actively. South Korea and Southeast Asian countries were ranked low. There is much to be done, including addressing the shortage of care workers, improving awareness, and reforming systems.

Korea is adept at change. Although our aging speed is alarmingly fast, I hope that through learning, sharing cases, and practical exchanges, we can find countermeasures somehow. I hope Korea can be a place in Asia that offers good directions and alternatives for a ‘safe, dignified, and productive life.’ There is no definitive answer yet. However, I look forward to more diverse and numerous efforts to work together beyond national boundaries for a future beneficial to all.

Lee Boram, CEO of Third Age