In 2025, South Korea entered a super-aged society. The figure that caught the reporters' attention was '53.9%'. Among registered disabled persons in South Korea, 53.9% are aged 65 and older. This indicates that aging and disability are not unrelated. The reporting team analyzed health statistics on the elderly population and met with disabled individuals, caregivers, and medical personnel to amplify their voices. The lives of elderly persons with disabilities signal a bold shift in our society's medical and welfare paradigms. [Editor's note]
A man who threw a stone at a naive woman's heart ~ if someone is going to leave, why did they say they loved me?~
Lee Ok-soon (pseudonym, 75), who lives in a rental apartment in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu, welcomed the reporter while humming the trot song 'Miuin Sanhae' by singer Yoo Ji-na. 'Miuin Sanhae' is known as a favorite song of 'Mr. Trot' winner Lee Chan-won.
"It's a song that resembles my life. Miuin Sanhae was my husband whom I met in my youth. He would hit me unreasonably..."
With old pants, colorful tops, various application documents for subsidies, and pots of all sizes, Lee's apartment, living alone, was cluttered with items, leaving no space to step. On the dining table, bowls of side dishes and small odds and ends piled up. Due to twisted ankles and arthritis, even mundane tasks seemed like hard labor to her.
"As I age, daily life feels like a weapon."
"One day in 2010, I lost my footing getting off a bus. I couldn't see the deep hole in the road. I slipped and lost my balance, and simply collapsed onto the street. As I age, my reactions are slower, and that day seemed even worse."
Lee faced an unexpected accident while suffering from degenerative arthritis in both knees after overworking her body in her youth.
"I was in so much pain that I wanted to call 119, but I didn't even have the strength. There were people around, but no one helped. That was truly sad."
Ultimately, she limped home alone. A week passed. Still, the pain didn't subside, so she went to a spinal joint hospital. After that, she had to undergo surgery for an ankle fracture.
The doctor advised her to do nothing for three months and to stay still. For someone living alone, the doctor's advice was a luxury. She had no caregiver and no family to help her.
"I had no choice but to use my foot, but the artificial bone set in my ankle collapsed."
Despite her harsh fate, she lived faithfully, entering an unwelcome life as a 'disabled senior.' Now, she depends on an electric wheelchair after receiving a level 2 disability rating.
Whenever Lee goes to the bathroom, gets up from bed, drinks water, or goes to eat, it is difficult to move without the handrails installed throughout her home. Handrails are installed by the bed and in the kitchen to facilitate movement. The bathroom has anti-slip pads laid down. If she loses her footing or lets go of something, it could lead to a serious injury. Therefore, Lee spends her daily life in a constant state of tension.
Accidents and injuries, along with resulting muscle deterioration and cognitive decline, led to further incidents, which was only a matter of time. Recently, while using her electric wheelchair to access an external restroom, Lee tripped and fell again on the uneven floor.
This time, the issue was putting her hand on the ground. After an MRI at the orthopedic department, it was found that a tendon in her right wrist had ruptured and needed surgery.
"Due to the lack of strength in my legs, I instinctively put my right hand on the ground to avoid getting hurt. This time, I was told not to use my hand for five weeks. I need to cook and do the dishes... but raising the funds for the surgery is an even bigger concern."
He added, "Daily life feels like a weapon."
The number of households with individuals aged 65 and older, like Lee, in South Korea was 2,196,738 as of 2024. The proportion of elderly people living alone (single-person households) among the elderly population has been steadily increasing from 19.8% of all households in 2020 to 22.1% in 2024.
South Korea has the highest elderly poverty rate among the 38 OECD countries. As of 2023, the elderly poverty rate for those aged 65 and older is 40.4%, which is double that of Japan (20.0%) and the United States (22.8%).
Son OO, definitely watch - from Ok-soon
Hello. I was born in 1949, and I wanted to write down my life story, so I am writing this. I got married and had two sons and two daughters. (Omitted)
Lee showed the reporter her crooked handwriting. It was a total of four letters written with the help of a caregiver. Lee's life was as full of twists and turns as the wrinkles of her hand.
Unable to endure her husband's violence, Lee left home while carrying her three-year-old youngest child. She had done everything to make a living. She once rented a room in a chick hatching facility in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, to raise an infant and even worked as a maid in a stranger's house.
She worked as a caregiver, eating and sleeping at the hospital for 24 hours. The alleys of Euljiro, Seoul, were also Lee's main workplace. She took on restaurant jobs and various odd jobs. Ultimately, unable to bear poverty, she had to return her youngest son to her husband. Lee shed tears, reminiscing about the children she couldn’t raise.
"The reason I worked so hard to earn money was for my children. When I found a small room and went to see them, they resented their mother for leaving suddenly and didn't want to see me. It broke my heart so much."
One day, her youngest son came back, saying he was seriously ill. Lee said, "When I heard my youngest was sick, it felt like the sky was falling." The letter documents her life living in a goshiwon (small room) in Jung-gu, Seoul, and taking care of her youngest son.
Lee once took care of her oldest grandson, but now the only child she communicates with is her 'youngest son' whom she carried on her back when he was young. The envelope reads, "Son OO, definitely watch - from Ok-soon."
Lee mentioned that she brought this letter to the district office (Community Administrative Welfare Center) with the help of her caregiver. Applications for various subsidies for vulnerable groups can be made at community administrative welfare centers nationwide, regardless of jurisdiction.
Lee also suffers from Alzheimer's disease. She is using a dementia patch provided by the hospital. Lee was well aware that her memory was fluctuating.
"This is why I left my record in this letter."
Five times a week, her caregiver visits her home. The caregiver asks Lee regularly about her date of birth or address. This is said to be light training to help maintain Lee's cognitive ability. Lee's caregiver noted, "She often scolds me when I suggest that we should organize the unnecessary items in the house, saying, 'These are valuable things to me.'"
"Singing is my strength."
In one corner of Lee's room, there is a small trophy that glimmers in gold. 'First Annual OO Park Autumn Festival Community Singing Contest Popularity Award.' It stood out amid the faded wallpaper and various clutter.
Last October, she won the popularity award in the community singing contest at the autumn festival held at OO Park in Yangcheon-gu. This event was a neighborhood celebration led by residents from Mok1-dong and Sinjeong2-dong in Seoul.
"Living alone can be lonely. The basic pension and the disability pension are my only income. It might be around 700,000 won. Yet, I am happiest when I sing. It’s singing that allows me to forget everything else."
The song that earned her the honor of the popularity award is 'Miuin Sanhae', a song that resembles her life. Lee straightened herself as if she were back on stage and began to sing. Her voice trembled faintly in the first note, but soon displayed the charm of a 'popular singer.'
Seeming to detach from her arduous life for a moment, the unique trembling tone of trot spread throughout the rental apartment.