Thousands of individuals many of them middle-aged and solitary die alone in South Korea every year; frequently going unnoticed for days or weeks.
The government has been battling the common godoksa or lonely deaths for years as the country's population is aging quickly.
According to South Korean legislation, a lonely death is defined as when a person who lives alone, is cut off from family or friends, passes away from a disease or suicide and their corpse is only discovered a specific period of time afterwards.
Over the past 10 years as the number of lone fatalities grew, the topic has attracted national attention.
The demographic issue facing the nation, social welfare disparities, poverty and social isolation; all of which have been worse since the Covid-19 pandemic are the driving forces behind the trend.
The ministry's report was the first since the government passed the Lonely Death Prevention and Management Act in 2021, which stipulates that revisions must be made every five years in order to assist create plans to avoid lonely deaths.
Despite the fact that lonely deaths impact people of all ages and socioeconomic groups, the survey found that middle-aged and elderly males seem to be more vulnerable.
In a press release earlier this year, South Korea's legislative research council stated that immediately identifying cases of social isolation was the government's top objective as the country prepared for a super-aged society.
With fewer infants being born and women giving birth later in life, South Korea is one of several Asian nations, like China and Japan, that are experiencing demographic decline.
Content created and supplied by: MsLK (via Opera News )
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