As families change, Korea’s elderly turn to suicide
The woman’s death is part of one of South Korea’s grimmest statistics: the number of people 65 and older committing suicide, which has nearly quadrupled in recent years, making the country’s rate of such deaths among the highest in the developed world. The epidemic is the counterpoint to the nation’s runaway economic success, which has worn away at the Confucian social contract that formed the bedrock of Korean culture for centuries.
That contract was built on the premise that parents would do almost anything to care for their children — in recent times, depleting their life savings to pay for a good education — and then would end their lives in their children’s care. No Social Security system was needed. Nursing homes were rare.
But as South Korea’s hard-charging younger generations joined an exodus from farms to cities in recent decades, or simply found themselves working harder in the hypercompetitive environment that helped drive the nation’s economic miracle, their parents were often left behind. Many elderly people now live out their final years poor, in rural areas with the melancholy feel of ghost towns…
Making matters harder for the elderly, the government has been caught by surprise by the quick erosion of the traditional family structure.
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They would make ideal Obamaricans.
OldEnglish on February 24, 2013 at 5:26 PM
If only American elderly would do us all the favor and follow suit! The shame they SHOULD have for the country they are leaving behind to their children should be enough to make it happen. But as evidenced by their lives, they are way too selfish to even consider that any of this is their fault…
astonerii on February 24, 2013 at 5:29 PM
Dear Liar to go on a fact finding trip to South Korea, taking Cass Sunstein with him.
rbj on February 24, 2013 at 5:29 PM
So you really believe all elderly Americans should commit suicide?
a capella on February 24, 2013 at 5:44 PM
No, it would be better if they became good stewards they are supposed to be and start voting for purely conservative constitutional government. But since we know that will never happen, having them kill themselves off and not keep stealing the next generation’s wealth would be ok and fine by me.
astonerii on February 24, 2013 at 5:56 PM
pretty grim and cynical outlook there, pal…
ted c on February 24, 2013 at 6:02 PM
So, that’s apparently a “Yes”. Have you given voice to this proposition as a public political position on a party platform for the next elections? Do you represent a large number of people who feel this way?
a capella on February 24, 2013 at 6:09 PM
You’re using up way too much oxygen, you eat too much food, you drink too much water, your car makes the road more congested & the air more polluted. Do your duty.
itsnotaboutme on February 24, 2013 at 6:09 PM
Compared to the, we will spend trillions more than we created and we also plan to spend every penny we earned before we go leaving nothing to the next generation?
Not only that, but legally taking much of our energy production land out of service, creating a welfare state, a nanny state, destroying the education system, the media, and locking in massive levels of regulation to prevent the future generations from succeeding.
Should I have sympathy for these people?
astonerii on February 24, 2013 at 6:09 PM
No, I don’t want the creep to kill himself. I’m illustrating absurdity by being absurd.
itsnotaboutme on February 24, 2013 at 6:10 PM
How do you feel about death panels?
a capella on February 24, 2013 at 6:11 PM
I do argue we should end social security and medicare. But as for the suicides, that is up to the individual.
astonerii on February 24, 2013 at 6:11 PM
I do not support them. I am talking about individuals, not government. But if it comes to pass that they incorporate death panels on the elderly, quite frankly, I would take my time to vote it down… I do not recall seeing the elderly looking out for my best interest or my children’s.
astonerii on February 24, 2013 at 6:13 PM
Aren’t you cute. Taking my free actions which take no freedom from others and make them equivalent to those who voted to have government take freedoms from others.
astonerii on February 24, 2013 at 6:17 PM
Late life abortions…
ProfShadow on February 24, 2013 at 6:39 PM
Ed
DarkCurrent on February 24, 2013 at 7:02 PM
That’s a pretty broad brush you have there. Some of us HAVE been looking out for the best interests of future Americans.
And no one owes you anything! Do it yourself.
2L8 on February 24, 2013 at 7:08 PM
We stole 16 trillion of your dollars and are going to force you to pay it and the interest on it, as well as trillions more we still plan to add to the debt while we are alive and trillions more money out of your pockets to keep us living in luxury, all the wile we will vote for regulations and other hand tying actions. DO IT YOURSELF!
Working on it. The first step is to find the problem. The ELDERLY BOOMER GENERATION. Then find a solution to the problem.
astonerii on February 24, 2013 at 7:21 PM
So much for the infallible idea of “you MUST have chyyyldren because they’ll take care of you when you’re old”.
MelonCollie on February 25, 2013 at 12:20 PM