[2025 Unclaimed Deaths Report ⑧] "At Least the State Handles the Funeral"... In Busan, Loneliness Is the Norm

Unclaimed Death Index Ranks 1st and 2nd: A Report from Jung-gu and Dong-gu, Busan
Over 30% of Residents in Jung-gu and Dong-gu, Busan Are Aged 65 or Older

On November 27, at a bus stop in Yeongju-dong, Jung-gu, Busan, we met Jaenam Jung (86). While chatting with a neighbor, Mr. Jung was asked if there was anyone living alone nearby without any family ties. He replied, "If you go down the stairs here, there is a grandmother in her nineties. She calls me saying she feels like she is dying whenever she gets sick, so it's hard to refuse, and I check in on her from time to time." He added, "Still, on weekdays, a care worker comes to help her with meals." He continued, "Her son passed away when he was young, and after coming from Japan, she has no family left in Korea." He then asked, "But the government takes care of the funeral, right?"

The house where an unclaimed neighbor mentioned by Jeong Jaenam (86) lives, located in Yeongju-dong, Jung-gu, Busan, visited on the 27th of last month. Photo by Choi Youngchan

The neighborhoods built along Sanbok Road near Busan Station, which sits atop a steep slope developed up to the hillside, are accessed by steep stairs. Many of the houses and facilities appeared rundown, and some mailboxes were overflowing with unopened notices. Heesu Lee (83) said, "During the Korean War, many refugees settled in the shantytowns along Sanbok Road, so even now, there are many people living alone in poverty. In the countryside, people look out for each other, but in the city, having neighbors doesn't make much difference."

According to the unclaimed index, which The Asia Business Daily calculated as the number of unclaimed deaths per 100,000 people in the area, Jung-gu, Busan ranked highest in the country at 53.40. Next were Dong-gu, Busan (40.99) and Yeongdo-gu, Busan (35.83), followed by Jongno-gu and Jung-gu in Seoul.

A view of densely packed houses on Sanbok Road in Choryang-dong, Dong-gu, Busan, visited on the 27th of last month. Photo by Youngchan Choi

In an alleyway of the residential area in Choryang-dong, Dong-gu, Busan, a resident surnamed Choi (65) pointed to a place where many unclaimed residents live and said, "If you go up those stairs or turn right at the small intersection, there are many people living alone without family. They rarely come outside, and some elderly women are so frail that it seems as if their days are numbered." At the place Choi indicated, a resident surnamed Kim (91) said, "My children have all passed away, and the only family I have left is a sibling, but we rarely keep in touch. I'm just getting by on my own."

Real estate rental bulletin board on a street in Yeongju-dong, Jung-gu, Busan, visited on the 27th of last month. Photo by Youngchan Choi

It was easy to spot bulletin boards in Jung-gu and Dong-gu plastered with advertisements for cheap monthly rooms. Mr. Im Sik (80), who runs a supermarket nearby, said, "A few years ago, there was someone who died alone after drinking heavily, but I haven't heard of any recent deaths. Most people here live alone, but since care workers sent by the government check in daily, even if someone passes away, they are found quickly." He added, "All the sick elderly have gone to the hospital, and the young people have left to earn money, so now there are only empty houses left."