Future Korean Society with Aging Population

Positives and negatives of Confucianism for elderly coexist in Korea society. Confucianism is great to gather family by sharing respects between family generations. Also, it helps to understand each generation and to support each other. However, in recent Korea society, there are some negatives also due to changes of cultures from influx of western culture and changes from economic growth and social context.

It is sure that Korea significantly needs any solution or implication for future old generations. Below the article says Korea will be the most aged society and the aging population will rapidly grow.

07-10-2009 18:08       Korea to Become Most Aged Society in OECD in 2050

By Lee Hyo-sik Staff Reporter South Korea will become the most aged society among advanced economies in 2050, with nearly four out of every 10 Koreans being aged 65 or over due to low birthrates and the rapidly aging population. The nation's population is expected to begin declining from 2018 and by 2050, there will be 6.41 million fewer people in the country than now. According to the National Statistical Office (NSO) Friday, people over 65 years of age will account for 38.2 percent of Korea's population in 2050, making it the most aged society among the 30 member economies of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). To prepare this growth old population in society, I think Korean people can take some positives from Confucianism to support elderly and try to remove the negatives by giving more social and government supports rather than relying on family supports.  From our reading, Olson states that to support Chinese elderly in American society, understanding cultures is important to give adequate helps for them.  "Transcultural skills allow the integration of unique socio-psychological factors in nursing care and social welfare plans, interventions, and evaluations. Curricula in nursing programs and social services should include courses that encourage and promote a transcultural or multicultural approach." (Olson 2001, page 30)  To apply this into Korean elderly who suffer from generational cultural gap, I think making nursing care and social welfare system with family concept would be helpful to reduce loneliness of elderly. For example, caregivers can play a role to be a daughter or a son of old people who live alone, and keep in touch each other as a real family.  In addition, government also has to prepare to support elderly financially.    01-27-2012 21:12     Pension reform needed to prepare for aging society By Kwon Eun-young A veteran pension expert said that South Korea needs to reform its pension governance system in order to prepare for a rapidly aging population to ensure stability for life after retirement. He points out that since corporate pension plans are relatively new in Korea, there is still greater focus on plan adoption than ongoing requirements but it is now time to change to meet such needs. “Korea is facing the challenge of one of the most rapidly aging populations in the world as a result of continuing improvements in life expectancy combined with low birth rates,” Simon Ferry, a pension actuary from Aon Hewitt said in a recent interview with Business Focus. This means that the current working generation may not be able to rely on receiving enough financial support from the government or their children to maintain their current quality of life in retirement. “The changes bring Korea closer to how retirement benefits are provided in many other countries by allowing the option to introduce defined contribution plans, where benefits are based on contributions made by the employer and investment returns earned on those contributions. Corporate pensions can provide an important role in helping support people in their retirement.” Defined contribution plans, which entitle an employee to decide how to invest based on their own appetite for risk and return, differs from severance pay arrangements or defined benefit plans, where the benefit paid is based on the final pensionable salary.

Above article is about reforming pension for future old population. As I mentioned previous blog post, baby boomers populations come to senior age in few years and most of them will be retired in few years too. Korea society, therefore, need to break the stereotype that elderly support is on their own family and should prepare with proper government policy - such as the pension plan in the article- to give financial support for old people who need.

Reference

Laura Katz Olson (2001), Age Through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for Elderly in a Multicultural Society. MA, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC.

      Lee, Hyo-Sik,  2009. Korea Become Most Aged Society in OECD in 2050. Korea Times, 

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2010/05/123_48264.html  [Accessed 25 April 2012]

      Kwon, Eun-Kyoung., 2012. Pension Reform Needed to prepare for aging society, Korea Times, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/bizfocus/2012/04/331_103615.html  [Accessed 25 April 2012]

Today's Elderly in Korea: Negative Consequences of Confucianism 2: Financial Burdens

Continue from the previous post about 'Negative consequences from Generational gap', in this post, I will discuss about the negative consequences from financial burdens to support elderly in Confucianism and Korea society.

Confucianism stresses that younger generation should support their parents and grandparents as a duty of children. However, it could be significant financial burden for children. It becomes a generally accepted idea in Korea society that supporting elderly is a job of other family members. However, as we saw the previous blog posts that not many people in these days living with their parents and different generational cultures make people no more living or supporting their parents as a duty, actually current elderly in Korea suffers from financial hardships.

Elderly concerned most about finances, health

Aging Koreans cited economic difficulty and health as their biggest concerns, but the weight of their worries varied according to their education levels, a report showed Monday. In a survey of 60-year-olds by Statistics Korea, 43.2 percent of the respondents with elementary education picked economic difficulty as their top concern. Health closely followed at 40.5 percent, while unemployment and loneliness each stood at 4.7 percent and 4.3 percent. In contrast, 40.5 percent of the respondents with college education said health was their biggest worry. Economic difficulty was cited as a less serious problem at 25.3 percent, according to the report. A total of 8.1 percent of the respondents also picked weakening respect for the elderly, reflecting their concerns over a fading Confucianism culture in modern-day Korea. The article above tells us the financial difficulties even are harder for lower educated group of people.  From our readings, Olson also mentions that the stereotype that people think caring elderly is on their own family in Confucianism society makes harder to provide adequate social-supports for the old population.  "One of the most accepted stereotypes regarding the Chinese elderly is that they do not have any problems with regard to long-term care. It is believed that because of their adherence to traditional values, the Chinese family will provide for their elderly parents, and without any outside help." (Olson 2001, page 30) In addition, current Korea old population is sharply growing because Korean baby boomers generation, who were born right after the Korean War (1955-1963) becomes 60s and 70s in few years. Because of their sudden and excessive growth of older population, current young population cannot give enough support for their elderly.    03-08-2011 18:38       Korean baby boomers not ready for retirement By Kang Seung-woo The Korean baby boomer generation is not fully ready for its post-retirement life, although they are optimistic about it, a report by the Korean arm of a U.S.-based life insurer showed Tuesday. The MetLife Korea Foundation, the Seoul National University Institute on Aging and Gallup Korea jointly released a study of 4,668 boomers, titled “Korean Baby Boomers in Transition.” These people were born between 1955 and 1963, the period after the Korean War ended in 1953 that saw a sharp increase in birthrates. The report said that only 27 percent of them have calculated their retirement income needs. Considering the fact that the oldest Korean baby boomer reached 55 in 2010 and retirement can begin as early as this, the low retirement income calculation rate could emerge as a serious national problem. It also said that only about half of baby boomers are currently saving for retirement. The average amount of savings for retirement is 172,000 won ($154) per month and a large majority of baby boomers possess insurance policies for retirement (8 out of 10). Nearly 85 percent contributed to the national pension and other public pensions systems, while 69 percent possess bank depository products to prepare for retirement.

To sum up, current old population suffers from double jeopardies- cultural generational gap and financial difficulties. They experienced and accustomed to the concept of Confucianism at their younger age and most of them struggled to support their own parents by working hard. However, at their old age, they can no longer rely on their children's support for them due to the cultural changes. Also, they have to worry about their later life after retirement. 

Reference

  Laura Katz Olson (2001), Age Through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for Elderly in a Multicultural Society. MA, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC.
      Yonhap,  2012. Elderly Concerns most about Finances, Health http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2012/01/117_103317.html  [Accessed 25 April 2012]
      Kang, Seong-woo., 2011. Korean Baby Boomers Not Ready for Retirement, Korea Times, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2011/03/123_82728.html  [Accessed 25 April 2012]
   

Today's Elderly in Korea: Negative Consequences of Confucianism 1: Cultural generation gap

          As industrial revolution has changed human history and people's living, elderly's life in Korea is not any more like traditional Korean society in these day. Confucianism was the main cultural theme for a long time in Korean history, but after democracy was firmly built in Korean government and foreign influx affected into Korean culture, Korean family forms has been more changed to nuclear family form. Following article is from Korean Times regarding recent elderly's suicide rate in Korea. 

06-11-2010 19:07       Elderly account for 33 percent of suicides

By Lee Hyo-sik Staff reporter One out of every three Koreans committing suicide is a senior citizen, with a growing number of the elderly here taking their own lives due mainly to financial difficulties and illness. The Korean Association of Senior Welfare Centers said Friday that senior citizens aged over 61 accounted for 32.8 percent of those who committed suicide here in 2009, up sharply from 19.4 percent in 1999 and 10.3 percent in 1989. The center said an increasing number of the elderly are killing themselves as more of them live on their own in line with rising life expectancy and the splintering nuclear family structure. Additionally, many suffer from economic strain as they did not save enough money for retirement and combined with a range of terminal illnesses, they are prompted to take own lives. "We will launch a campaign at Tapgol Park, a favorite hangout among seniors, to increase the awareness about the seriousness of suicide among the elderly, as well as to offer them support so they can consider alternatives to ending their lives. We will hold an anti-suicide campaign and stage performances and other events to stress the importance of life," the center said.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/06/113_67496.html



         Why do any elderly commit suicide and what are the difficulties that they face with?
According to see characteristics of Confucianism in previous posts, elderly's life in Korea should be happier than any other cultures in world. However, there are negative consequences from the Confucianism in recent Korean society. First, I will discuss about negative consequence for elderly from cultural generation gap, which causes conflicts within family. And at next post, I will talk about second negative- financial burden.

Big Cultural Generation Gap in Current Society 

        As Korea has gone through sudden growth of economic development like other East Asian countries after the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam war in 20th century, the generation gap between old and young people are bigger than other society. Also the cultural influence largely have affected into Korean culture such as 'Americanization.' Individualism from western society causes smaller family form in Korea, a lot of young generation tend to prefer living themselves rather than living with their old parents. This tendency causes emotional hardship for elderly who got used to the traditional culture value such that respecting elderly and taking care of their parents and ancestors are the duty of young people - from the reciprocity of the Confucianism. 


       In our class reading, Olson also mentions about the negative consequence of filial piety from different experiences between the generation with an example of Chinese Americans in the United States. "the American-born Chinese have become more acculturated to the beliefs, traditions, and customs of U.S. society, many of which are at odds with Chinese culture. As a consequence, it is becoming more common to hear foreign-born Chinese parents express disappointment and complain that "my son is just like an American (Olson 2001, page 26)." 

Changed Culture, Changed Family Form 

        Due to the changes in culture, taking care of elderly is no more in hand of individual family members. Following article is showing that a lot of elderly in today's Korean society live themselves without their children.  

05-05-2010 18:49       1 in 5 senior citizens live alone in Seoul

By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff reporter The number of senior citizens living alone here has been on the rise over the past years, with one out of every five Koreans aged over 65 living on their own in Seoul in 2009. After an overview of its 25 districts, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said there were 927,560 Seoulites aged over 65 last year, up 26.8 percent from 731,350 in 2005. Of the 927,560 surveyed, 203,100 elderly were found to be living alone in 2009, up 63 percent from 124,900 in 2005. The figure accounts for 22 percent of Seoul's total elderly population. A higher proportion of senior citizens in Seoul live alone, compared to other parts of the country. Statistics Korea estimates that about 18.8 percent of the elderly lived on their own in 2009 across the nation, up from 17.8 percent in 2005. The statistics office attributed the growing senior citizen population living alone to Korea's prolonged life expectancy. Also, more elderly seek an independent life from their grown-up children.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/04/117_65423.html

       This report shows that current Korean culture is changing very different from the traditional value of Confucianism. According to this data, many senior citizens could possibly face many difficulties from cultural generation difference such as disappointment for their children and loneliness due to living alone apart from their family. Especially, because the old generations are accustomed to the Confucianism culture, they expect their children take care of them by living with whole family. 

       With this emotional difficulties, today's Korean elderly suffer from economical hardship. I will discuss that at next posts. And then at final post, I will look into the possible long-term cares for elderly in today's Korean society based on traditional cultures and recent social phenomena.   

Reference

      Laura Katz Olson (2001), Age Through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for Elderly in a Multicultural Society. MA, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC.
      Lee, Hyo-sik, 2010. Elderly Account for 33 percent of Suicides., http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/06/113_67496.html  [Accessed 31 March 2012]
      Kwon, Mee-yoo., 2010. 1 in 5 Senior Citizens Live Alone in Seoul, Korea Times, http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/04/117_65423.html  [Accessed 31 March 2012]
     

Strong Hierarchy between Older and Younger Age in Traditional Society

Hierarchy- one of significant influences on older life in Korea

         As I discuss previous posts, filial piety from the Confucianism and the concept of reciprocity significantly affect into people's later life. Confucianism make people remember what their older generation gave for them when they are younger such as upbringing. The reciprocity cause the duty of descendants that they have to respect older people not just their grandmother or grandfather but all elderly. Regarding this characteristic of Confucianism, one of most significant characteristic that forms older people's life in Korean and most East Asian society is 'hierarchy.' I am going to discuss in this post that how the hierarchy is created in the Confucianism, and it will be the great explanation for why elderly are respected in Confucianism cultural society.  

Why strong hierarchy in Korea and most East Asian countries?  

      In traditional society, it is often seen that grandsons or granddaughters call their grandparents while their mother cook and get ready for dinner. When whole family member gather - usually three generations, grandparents, parents and grandson-, all family don't touch food and wait for until grandparents have food first. When grandparents serve soup and food, parents and children start to eat. It is a manner during family meal.
     And, this is very unusual in American culture !
     The hierarchy between ages or generations in family is strict in Korea traditions because of the filial piety- the Confucianism.

         In our class reading, Olson also mentions about significance of hierarchy in East Asian tradition and the Confucianism. In the book, Age Through Ethnic Lenses, writer states that "Hierarchy is important, and family members have prescribed roles and responsibilities according to gender, age, and birth order. For example, one prescription is that children must obey and care for their parents without question or resentment." (Olson 2001, page 24)

'Hierarchy' from the concept of Reciprocity and Confucianism 

          The hierarchical relationship between older and younger generations is also formulated from the concept of reciprocity like other characteristic of Confucianism. Korean traditions as other East Asian countries of Confucianism culture is based on that current life of offspring is strongly connected with their older generations and ancestors, due to the one common philosophical concept- Confucianism. When people were born, they owed their lives to their former generations who fed and raised them when they were not able to do themselves. People have the unavoidable obligations to serve elderly well, as the reciprocity of Confucianism to ancestors. Therefore, the hierarchical relationship between older and younger generations is founded from the concept of family lineage and reciprocity. 

         We can find an example from ancestor worship. traditional societies of Korea significantly considered ancestor worship to prove or maintain the fine family continuity and the ritual creates the strong hierarchy between family generations. In "Ancestor Worship and Korean Society," Roger L. Janelli maintains that "Domestic ritual obligation in Korea fall parallel to the succession to household headship and the inheritance of household property.... In addition to the obligations toward his parents, an eldest son assumes any ritual responsibilities his father has had toward agnatic forebears within the three generation." (Janeli 1982, page 99) 

     This characteristic is not just limited in Korea but it was happened other confucianism traditional society such as Japan. The following example from Japan proves this. In "Shinohata," Ronald P. Dore also states "Continuity of the family had a triple importance. Securing a successor had a straightfoward bread-and butter importance for one's old age. It also had a ritual importance. Reverence for the ancestors was an important focus of religious sentiment and practice. It was a part of the duty of filial piety towards one's ancestors not only to perform the proper ritual oneself, but also to ensure that they would be performed in perpetuity." (Dore 1978, page 138) 

      Both examples from Korea and Japan explain that the importance of family continuity under the preexisted rules of succession and the hierarchical system. And, this hierarchy affects into elderly's lifestyle with their children and grandchildren in family. We can find a lot of positive influence into later life from this characteristic of Confucianism because it helps family harmony by those manners that people have to follow in family. However, if we see entire society, there could be absurd or unreasonable rules because sometime people's opinions are respected just depends on by older ages not by competences of person. So, at next post, I will discuss how the Confucianism has been changed in today's society and how it can negatively affect into older people's life. 

Reference

   Dore, Ronald P. 1978 Shinohata. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press
    Laura Katz Olson (2001), Age Through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for Elderly in a Multicultural Society. MA, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC.
   Janelli, Roger L. 1982. Ancestor Worship and Korean Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Confucianism culture: Older Women in Korean society

By continuing for the previous post about elderly females in Korean family, this post is about the older women's position in society of Confucianism culture.

It is true that elderly women's position in most cultures has not been same as 

male old people. Most old women are regarded as minorities in society.

Confucianism affects into women's life- especially older women- not only in

households but also in working environment. The Confucianism of Korean society actually made older women suffer double hardness by giving them hard jobs and discrimination in work field such as lower wages than men, even though with the same or more amount of working. The prevalent Confucianism made women be forced to harshly work without being much paid. According to the Seoung-Kyung Kim in his book "Class Struggle or Family Struggle?", during the industrialization of Korean society, government actually made the notion of 'dutiful daughter' in factory. (Kim, 1997) Kim also explains the meaning of 'dutiful' in his book that "to be dutiful, a daughter should cheerfully accept her low social status and devote herself to the family that is about to expel her." (Kim 1997, 8) The designed low social status, which is from traditional Confucianism culture, made women be treated harshly in working field. For example, a Korean woman's interview (Su-hyon) in Kim's book shows the working class women's typical thoughts about working in factory. Su-hyon had worked in a shoe factory for seven years, married for a year and a half and had a baby daughter. In her interview, she said "I worked for a long time. My husband wants me to stay home too, so why should I go back to a miserable factory job at a sewing machine?" (Kim 1997, 81) 

Even though there have been many changes in the hierarchy between men and women, the older people - especially older males- still have the strong concepts of the inequality toward older women. Even in current society, most families - including my family- do the ancestor worship male descendants first and then female descendants perform the ceremony. Not only this, all female cook the food for ceremony while male family members are talking or watching televisions. This tradition is getting weak by going down the generations but sex discrimination based on the Confucianism is still prevalent at current older populations in family and in society. 

* Reference

      Kim, Seoung-kyung 1997 Class Struggle or Family Struggle?. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Elderly Women as minority in family structure of Confucianism culture

The status of women in society has been regarded as minority in many different cultures. For example, in the gerontology, many scholars point out the inequality of women as a role of caregiver for elderly whether it is paid or unpaid. (Olson 2001, 231) However, in Korean society with Confucianism concept, the older women status in family looks worse than other older women in different cultures. 


At previous two posts, I focus on the positive aspect of Confucianism for the aging population. However, some of the characteristic of Confucianism are negative (or unfair) to female elderly, especially in Korean society. 




Even though Confucianism stresses that respecting elderly is important duty for younger generation, it is mostly focused on male elderly especially in traditional society. Now there are much less sex-discrimination in current society, compare to the traditional society, but there has been existed the strong hierarchy between male and female in the Confucianism culture society.


Older women in family have to serve their husband and husband's family members including their own children. All the household works and caregiving jobs are for women. From traditional Korean society, peripheral status of female in husband’s family makes women more rely on their children. In the male dominant society, called Patrilineage society, women always remain outside of the family group.  Korean family group continues by male descendants who are carrying surname to next generations. Married female, otherwise, is not considered as a full-member of the patrilineal group. The marriage for Korean women means joining other family group rather than individual romance. Women who married out to husband’s group have different surname of the group, and they are excluded from important family activity. For example, women were usually not allowed to joining Korean funeral procession. In “Ancestor Worship and Korean Society,” Roger L. Janelli maintains that “A woman …  has come from outside the lineage in the process of marriage, and is therefore a person of divided loyalties.” (Janelli 1982: 65)


Also, during the industrialization, many women who had been in household came out to urban area to work at factory for earning incomes to bring themselves up to the higher level of society. For working class women as women in traditional society, however, their position in family was not changed. They had a dual works in factory and household. Confucianism culture requires women to work hard in household such as serving family members and upbringing children. In “Class Struggle or Family Struggle?”, Seoung-kyung Kim argues about “it was what their upbringing led them to expect of a proper adult woman, and it was a role that contained enough status responsibility to be personally satisfying. Motherhood is culturally expected and internalized as a core value by most South Korean woman, regardless of social class.” (Kim 1997: 168) 


As Korean females get older, unlike the male elderly, they do not have the same respects as males from younger generations. Korean women can not participate into many traditional ceremony as men. The hierarchy between men and women are exist even when they get older. It is the double jeopardy for Korean old women in their family.

*  Reference 

     Janelli, Roger L. 1982. Ancestor Worship and Korean Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press

     Kim, Seoung-kyung 1997 Class Struggle or Family Struggle?. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
     Laura Katz Olson (2001), Age Through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for Elderly in a Multicultural Society. MA, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC. 

Ancestor Worship in Confucianism - Reciprocity between Older and Younger People

          All of my family members from father or mother side, we have regularly met for ancestor worship at least twice a year. We called that 'Che-sa.' At this family gathering, the older people in family such as grandfather and grandmother instruct their children (my dad and uncles or my mom and aunts) to serve their ancestor. During this ceremony, we remember our ancestors but also respect older people's wisdom in family members. I have been told that old people have a lot of lessons from their longer life-experience and we have to respect that not for them but for me to learn the life lessons. 


        Respecting older people in Korean society is well present in the tradition of Korean ancestor worship. The reason why Korean people think of respecting older people is the concept of 'reciprocity' in the Confucianism. 


        In traditional society of Korea, Koreans believe that current life of offspring is strongly connected with dead ancestors. Descendant needs to feed their ancestor through ancestor worship.  They believe that not only rituals are unavoidable obligations from reciprocity of Confucianism to ancestors, but the worships also bring benefits for current family members by giving ritual property to ancestors. Regarding ancestor worship, Janelli interprets that “forebears are the roots of a tree and descendants are its leaves and branches. Each automatically nourishes the other. Even the food offered at ancestor rites is later eaten by participants. … Ancestor worship idealized ancestors and their mutual dependency with their closest living kin.”  (Janelli 1982, 166) 

         In the socio-religous concept, this 'Reciprocity' concept is very unique compare to other religions. Some religions do not take care much of the older populations because of the image of weak and fragile. For example, Mormons attitude toward elderly is not positive as the Korean tradition. Olson states in his book that "the focus of the church has been to produce strong families that ties children and adolescents to the church and its practices, which may divert time and energy from the issues of the elderly." (Olson 2001, 123) 

        I think this special concept of Confucianism - Reciprocity- can be very helpful to solve the so-called 'agist society' by looking back their family history and find the harmony between intergenerational works. It also meets the notion of Confucianism. According to the journal 'Revisiting Confucianism as a Conceptual Framework for Asian Family Study by Park and Chesla, "Confucius’s analysis of his time was that ritual and conventional forms of social behavior had failed to keep the peace. He believed that the purposes of ritual and conventional social habits were to orient people so that social institutions and everyday relationships could flourish in harmony." (Park, Chesla, 2007)

* Reference

 Janelli, Roger L. 1982. Ancestor Worship and Korean Society. Stanford: Stanford University Press 

Laura Katz Olson (2001), Age Through Ethnic Lenses: Caring for Elderly in a Multicultural Society. MA, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC. 



Minjung Park and Catherine Chesla (2007), Revisiting Confucianism as a Conceptual Framework for Asian Family Study, Journal of Family Nursing 2007 13:293