[2025 Unaccompanied Death Report⑩] Six Out of Ten Unaccompanied Deceased Pass Away in Medical Institutions

More Than 1,000 Unaccompanied Deaths Occur on the Streets

Six out of ten people who die without any known relatives in South Korea end their lives not at home, but in medical institutions such as hospitals or nursing hospitals. Contrary to the common image of a lonely death in one's own home, many of these unclaimed deaths actually occur within the medical system.

According to an analysis by The Asia Business Daily on December 27, of the places of death for unclaimed decedents across 229 local governments nationwide from 2021 to May this year, 14,164 out of 22,745 cases with confirmed locations-amounting to 62.3%-occurred in medical institutions.

By metropolitan area, North Gyeongsang Province (73.85%) and North Jeolla Province (72.91%) had the highest rates of deaths in medical institutions. This was followed by Daegu (68.85%), Busan (68.55%), and Incheon (67.71%), indicating that, regardless of region, medical institutions have become the final place for many unclaimed individuals.

Experts point to the entry into a super-aged society and the rapid increase in nursing hospitals as the main causes of this phenomenon. Heo Junsu, Professor of Social Welfare at Soongsil University, explained, "As the elderly population grows, more seniors suffering from acute or chronic illnesses are ultimately transferred to nursing hospitals." He added, "This trend is influenced by legal changes that have made it easier to establish nursing hospitals, as well as a statistical characteristic: even if a person dies in a welfare facility, the death must be officially reported from a medical institution for administrative reasons."

Recently, the number of nursing institutions nationwide has been on the rise. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of nursing institutions increased from 98,479 in 2021 to 103,308 last year.

There were also a significant number of deaths outside medical institutions. Among all unclaimed decedents, 7,440 people (32.7%) died in their homes. These cases typically represent classic "isolated deaths," where individuals live alone, disconnected from neighbors or local authorities, and are discovered only after some time has passed.

Looking at the rate of deaths at home by region, Gwangju was the only area in the country where the rate exceeded 40%, at 40.66%. This was followed by Ulsan (38.82%), Seoul (35.99%), and South Gyeongsang Province (35.59%). These figures suggest that the problem of isolated single-person households is more severe in urban areas.

More than 1,000 unclaimed individuals died without even a home, passing away on the streets or in vehicles. The highest proportion of such deaths occurred outdoors-in places like streets, riversides, and parking lots-in Sejong (14.89%), followed by South Jeolla Province (9.54%), Gwangju (9.34%), and Jeju (9.16%).

It is noteworthy that the rate of deaths on the streets was lower in the Seoul metropolitan area and major cities. Gyeonggi Province (3.2%), Seoul (3.46%), and Busan (3.73%) all recorded lower-than-average rates. This is likely because social safety nets and homeless shelters are more systematically organized in large urban areas, and the higher population density increases the likelihood that deceased individuals will be discovered quickly.

There were also cases of deaths in vulnerable housing such as gosiwon (small rooming houses), inns, or commercial facilities, but these accounted for less than 1% and were negligible.