A group of seniors takes part in a dance class in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SUWON, Dec. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — Elderly people over the age of 65 turned out to account for the largest share of the new class of people nicknamed NEES.
The NEES tribe refers to people who do not participate in economic activities, nor in education and social activities.
According to a report released on Thursday by the Gyeonggi Research Institute, a think tank run by the government of Gyeonggi Province, 50.6 percent of elderly men and 67.8 percent of elderly women can be classified as NEES people, the highest among all age groups.
By gender, NEES accounted for 32.7 percent of women between 50 and 64 years of age, 28.5 percent of those between 35 and 49, and 25.6 percent of those between the ages of 20 and 34.
NEES accounted for 15.1 percent of the men aged from 20 to 24, followed by 12.8 percent of those aged between 50 and 64, and 6.4 percent of those between 35 and 49 years of age.
The institute said that the share of NEES among women was 34.8 percent, higher than the 15.6 percent reported for men, reflecting the trend that women’s participation in social activities declines due to marriage and child-rearing.
“Compared to other age groups, the mental health of elderly people relies greatly on whether they participate in social activities or not. If they do not participate in social activities, they are at a higher risk of solitary death,” the institute said.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
