One in five people are over 65...Korea's entry into 'super-aged society'

10244,550 people aged 65 or older in Korea (as of the 23rd)
The proportion of the elderly population increases rapidly as the world's No. 1 'ultra-low birth rate' overlaps with that of
"Korea's fastest-growing country...The largest elderly country in 20 years"
The ratio of people aged 65 or older, 17.7% in the metropolitan area and 22.38% in the non-metropolitan area

[Anchor]
South Korea has entered a "super-aged society" with one in five people aged 65 or older.It has been seven years since

became an 'aged society', and some predict that it will soon become the world's largest elderly country at this rate, so countermeasures are urgently needed.

Reporter Kim Hyun-ah reports.

[Reporter]
Among the nation's resident registration population, the number of people aged 65 or older stood at 10,244,550 as of the 23rd.

The share of the total resident registration population also increased to 20%,

Just seven years after entering the 'aging society' in 2017, we have entered the 'super-aged society'.

The proportion of the elderly population has increased sharply due to the world's No. 1 and ultra-low birth rates.

If this trend continues, it is expected to become the fastest-growing country in the world and the world's oldest country within 20 years.

[Joo Hyung-hwan / Vice Chairman of the Low Fertility and Aging Society Committee (6th Joint Forum on Population Strategy): The elderly population will increase by about 1%p every year from next year, and the proportion of the elderly population will exceed 30% of the total population in 2035, and 37.3% in 2045, making the proportion of the elderly population the highest in the world....]

The elderly had more women than men, and the proportion in the non-metropolitan area was higher than in the metropolitan area.

By region, Jeollanam-do had the highest proportion of the elderly population at 27.18%, and Sejong had the lowest ratio,
In nine out of 17 cities and provinces nationwide, including Busan and Daegu, which are
large cities, the proportion of people aged 65 or older exceeded 20%.

[Yeo Joong-hyeop / Director of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security's Autonomous Decentralization: The super-aging rate is accelerating, and there are more areas where the super-aging is severe by region. It is urgent to come up with more fundamental and systematic measures through the establishment of a department dedicated to population.]

The government is taking measures such as extending the retirement age and improving the immigration visa system in preparation for a super-aged society.

However, compared to the low birth rate and the pace of aging, it has been pointed out that the response is tortoise walking.

Even the recent political unrest has stopped all discussions, including pension, medical care, and care measures, adding to concerns about the super-aged society.

I'm Kim Hyunah of YTN.


Video editing: Lee Young-hoon
Design: Jeon Whee Lin