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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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 Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:56 pm Post subject: It's Tough to Be Old in Korea |
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| Also, the group ― 72 percent of the participating senior citizens ― had the least amount of free time to begin with, as they either had jobs or family members, such as spouses or grandchildren, to take care of. The members of the group on average had four hours and 19 minutes of free time a week. |
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140720000187
To add salt to the wound, Korean retirement age is the oldest in the OECD.
And senior citizens suicides are high too (or as a result).
Next time you have a chance, buy something from those old ladies on the side of the road or in a market. They need the money a lot more than e-mart. |
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Sister Ray
Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Location: Fukuoka
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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To see how bleak it is for some old people here, try spending some time around Jongno3ga Station (Lines 5 & 3) Nakwon Dong and Tapgol Park. Hundreds of old men milling around with nothing to do and nowhere to go, rampant alcoholism, sporadic violence and $2 pig head stew.
A terribly depressing, dystopian scene.When I lived in Anguk I had to walk through it 4-6 times a day for a year. It really got me down. |
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Lucas
Joined: 11 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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To see how bleak it is for some old people here, try spending some time around Jongno3ga Station (Lines 5 & 3) Nakwon Dong and Tapgol Park. Hundreds of old men milling around with nothing to do and nowhere to go, rampant alcoholism, sporadic violence and $2 pig head stew.
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What else would you do if you had little/no money and Soju is just over $1 a bottle!
Korea should make a TV show 'pimp my Ajosshi' - every week they pick a random old guy, take him to get his teeth fixed, nice new shiny suit and then put him up in the Shilla for 1 week.
He could then fight that fat Aussie guy (to the death) for a chance to keep his new life style going. It would rival running man! |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: It's Tough to Be Old in Korea |
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| atwood wrote: |
| To add salt to the wound, Korean retirement age is the oldest in the OECD. |
How can you say that? When in Korea you need to be a mere 60 to collect national pension. While, in Canada it's 65, and soon to be 67. Probably when I get into that age, it'll be 70. |
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cabeza
Joined: 29 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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| The national pension for anyone around retirement age now is pretty piss poor. A Korean guy I know was trying to tell me that his father gets about 50,000 per month from it. Don't know if he's over exaggerating, but the older generations havent been paying into for very long and so for them especially there is very little to be had come "retirement" and so many of them continue to work past that age. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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| cabeza wrote: |
| The national pension for anyone around retirement age now is pretty piss poor. A Korean guy I know was trying to tell me that his father gets about 50,000 per month from it. Don't know if he's over exaggerating, but the older generations havent been paying into for very long and so for them especially there is very little to be had come "retirement" and so many of them continue to work past that age. |
Ok unofficially, it is pretty hard for many (if not most) old Koreans to realistically truly retire.
I wonder why so many Korean companies retire their employees at 55, when most people can still work a good 10 years. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:37 pm Post subject: Re: It's Tough to Be Old in Korea |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| atwood wrote: |
| To add salt to the wound, Korean retirement age is the oldest in the OECD. |
How can you say that? When in Korea you need to be a mere 60 to collect national pension. While, in Canada it's 65, and soon to be 67. Probably when I get into that age, it'll be 70. |
That ain't me talking--it's the statistics.
Lots aren't eligible for the national pension, many have spent all their money on their kids so have no money to fund a retirement, and there's no welfare unless you can prove that your children aren't supporting you.
But you can ride the subway for free.  |
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Rutherford
Joined: 31 Jul 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:24 am Post subject: |
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| had the least amount of free time to begin with, as they either had jobs or family members, such as spouses or grandchildren, to take care of. |
Have you ever heard a Korean say they're not busy? These people could be playing go-stop on the mountain 5 hours a day and they'd still tell a newspaper survey they are working hard and stressed.
A lot of older Koreans work but at least certain jobs are reserved for them. The "security" officer at my public school was a retired guy who spent his days chatting with the teachers and students and helping out around the school. He seemed to enjoy himself.
Taking care of grandchildren might be tiring but it beats getting stuck out in a retirement home and forgotten. |
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 4:40 am Post subject: |
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I read this article twice and I'm not quite seeing what they're suggesting the problem is...presuming there is a problem. Not enough lesure time? Does anyone feel like they have enough lesure time?
Ambiguously written with ambiguous problem and no suggested cause. It sounds like the author just thinks the leisurely activities of the elderly are boring and sad and/or family, pets, and plants stand in the way of truly satisfying lesure. |
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EZE
Joined: 05 May 2012
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:01 am Post subject: |
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| Sister Ray wrote: |
To see how bleak it is for some old people here, try spending some time around Jongno3ga Station (Lines 5 & 3) Nakwon Dong and Tapgol Park. Hundreds of old men milling around with nothing to do and nowhere to go, rampant alcoholism, sporadic violence and $2 pig head stew.
A terribly depressing, dystopian scene.When I lived in Anguk I had to walk through it 4-6 times a day for a year. It really got me down. |
I've been in that area a few times. In addition to the alcohol and stew, they play board games and get propositioned by ladies. We're too young for that scene so it doesn't appeal to us now, but when we're that old, it honestly doesn't look like a bad lifestyle for that age bracket. |
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Sister Ray
Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Location: Fukuoka
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:08 am Post subject: |
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| EZE wrote: |
| it honestly doesn't look like a bad lifestyle for that age bracket. |
You need to look closer. It is a cesspit of poverty, rejection, isolation, addiction and frustration bubbling over into a out and out violence on a regular basis. |
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:11 am Post subject: |
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...
Last edited by isitts on Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:14 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Sister Ray
Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Location: Fukuoka
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 5:58 am Post subject: |
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| isitts wrote: |
...and you'd know, being in....Fukuoka. |
I haven't always been in Fukuoka, man. As I said, I walked through this area many times everyday when I lived in Anguk and it was bleak. 2012, if you're curious. |
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:16 am Post subject: |
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| Sister Ray wrote: |
| I haven't always been in Fukuoka, man. As I said, I walked through this area many times everyday when I lived in Anguk and it was bleak. 2012, if you're curious. |
Fair enough. Comment withdrawn. |
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aq8knyus
Joined: 28 Jul 2010
Location: London
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 7:37 am Post subject: |
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Huge swathes of the over 65s in Korea live in poverty and the suicide rate is many times the OECD average.
These are the people who grew up during some of the most difficult times in modern Korean history. It is not surprising, but it is still shocking that they have to endure yet another round of pain in their twilight years. |
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