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Japan’s “Age-Tech” Boom Offers Lessons for Korea’s Rapidly Aging Society

Japan’s “Age-Tech” Boom Offers Lessons for Korea’s Rapidly Aging Society

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — As Japan confronts the strains of a rapidly aging population with robots and digital care technologies, a new report is urging South Korea to follow suit and invest in “Age-tech” — a burgeoning industry combining artificial intelligence, robotics, and ICT to support the elderly. According to a study released [...]

Young Workers Shrink in Number as South Korea’s Top Firms Skew Older

Young Workers Shrink in Number as South Korea’s Top Firms Skew Older

  SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s largest companies now employ more workers in their 50s than in their 20s, a demographic shift that underscores slowing youth hiring amid persistent economic headwinds. As of the end of 2024, employees in their 20s accounted for 19.8% of the workforce at 124 major companies tracked [...]

Demographic Headwinds Deepen South Korea’s Domestic Demand Slump

Demographic Headwinds Deepen South Korea’s Domestic Demand Slump

SEOUL, May 27 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korea grapples with a prolonged domestic slowdown, economists and policymakers are sounding the alarm over an increasingly potent structural threat: the country’s shrinking and aging population. Already facing stagnating consumer sentiment, high inflation, and global uncertainty, South Korea’s economy is now contending with the compounding impact of demographic [...]

South Korea’s Hotel Chains Move Into Senior Living as New Growth Strategy

South Korea’s Hotel Chains Move Into Senior Living as New Growth Strategy

SEOUL, May 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Facing changing demographics and a slowdown in core businesses like duty-free retail, South Korea’s leading hotel chains are pivoting toward the senior living sector, identifying it as a promising new growth engine in an aging society. According to industry sources, hotel companies such as Lotte Hotel & Resort, Hotel Shilla, [...]

South Korea Nears Super-Aged Status as Elderly Population Tops 10 Million

South Korea Nears Super-Aged Status as Elderly Population Tops 10 Million

SEOUL, July 13 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea is on the cusp of becoming a “super-aged society” as its population of residents 65 and older surpasses 10 million, a demographic milestone that will see one in five citizens classified as elderly. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as of July 10, [...]

Population Over 65 Surpasses 10 Million, Reports Interior Ministry

Population Over 65 Surpasses 10 Million, Reports Interior Ministry

SEOUL, Jul. 11 (Korea Bizwire) – The population aged 65 or older has surpassed 10 million, accounting for 19.5 percent of the total officially registered population, the interior ministry said Thursday. The population of those aged 65 or over reached 10,000,062 as of Wednesday, out of a total population of nearly 51.27 million, according to [...]

For the First Time, Population Aging Accelerates as Individuals Aged 70 and Older Surpass Those in Their 20s in Numbers.

For the First Time, Population Aging Accelerates as Individuals Aged 70 and Older Surpass Those in Their 20s in Numbers.

SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s elderly population aged 70 and older outnumbered those in their 20s for the first time last year, government statistics showed Wednesday, as the society is rapidly aging amid record low birth rates. According to the resident registration data compiled by the interior ministry, the number of people [...]

South Koreans Fear Solitary Death Amid Economic Struggles

South Koreans Fear Solitary Death Amid Economic Struggles

SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – As “godoksa,” or solitary death, becomes a pressing social concern, a recent survey unveils that the average South Korean believes there is a 32 percent chance of facing such a fate.  Godoksa refers to an isolated demise, where an individual passes away alone, disconnected from family, relatives, and others, with [...]

Surging Depression Rates Among Korea’s Elderly Linked to ‘Feeling of Loss’

Surging Depression Rates Among Korea’s Elderly Linked to ‘Feeling of Loss’

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – As more and more people in their 60s and older in Korea are dealing with depression, there’s a growing need to pay attention to mental health among the elderly, especially as the country is moving towards having a significant elderly population. In 2021, statistics from the Health Insurance Review and [...]

Experts Concerned About Senior Poverty in S. Korea as Aging Society Takes Speed

Experts Concerned About Senior Poverty in S. Korea as Aging Society Takes Speed

SEOUL, Nov. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Experts are increasingly concerned over the issue of senior poverty caused by a lack of pension programs and other senior welfare policies as South Korea is becoming an aging society at twice the speed of Japan. The Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI) conducted a survey of 500 senior respondents [...]