빠르게 늙는 대한민국…2025년에 10명 중 2명이 65세 이상<br /><br />According to a government report, five years from now, one in five South Koreans will be 65 years old... or older.<br />That would officially make it a "super-aged society."<br />A growing number of South Korean seniors are working, but almost half of them are struggling with poverty.<br />Eum Ji-young has the details.<br />South Korea is expected to become a "super-aged society" by 2025.<br />According to a report released on Wednesday by Statistics Korea, people aged 65 and older currently make up almost 16 percent of the country's entire population.<br />By 2025, that's expected to rise to a little over 20 percent,... which would make the country a "super-aged society" according to standards set by the United Nations.<br />By 2060,... seniors are projected to make up almost 44 percent of the country's population.<br />People in South Korea are expected to live longer than the global average too.<br />In 2018, men aged 65 could expect to live another 18-point-7 years,... more than half a year longer than the global average. Women aged 65 were expected to live even longer than men at 21-point-4 years,... also higher than the global average.<br />"In 1998, the average life expectancy of 65-year-olds was lower than the OECD average by 1-point-2 years for men and zero-point-9 years for women. But the life expectancy for elderly people in South Korea has improved quickly over the years."<br />Last year, the top three causes of death for senior citizens were cancer, heart disease and pneumonia.<br />And with the growing number of seniors, there has been an increase in deaths from age-associated diseases like Alzheimer's.<br />On the bright side, the employment rate for South Korean seniors has risen to almost 32-point-9 percent,... up 1-point-6 percentage points.<br />However, they have a lower level of satisfaction with life compared to the population overall.<br />Many seniors struggle financially, too.<br />In 2017, the relative poverty rate defined as proportion of them living on less than half the median income was 44 percent, the highest among the OECD member countries.<br />Eum Ji-young, Arirang News.<br />
