The Elderly Population in Korea: Their Health Status and Kin-Based Social Support

Abstract

The recent social concern about the elderly's life in Korea revolves around the gradual decline of the extended family as the prime institution for supporting the elderly. However, the results of my in-depth analysis of the Korean elderly's mental and physical health as well as the minimal social security mechanisms for the aged population signal that most Korean elderly still turn to their families for both instrumental and affectional support. The sustained importance of kin support under rapid socioeconomic modernization not only differentiates the Korean situation from the Western experience but also suggests a different way of coping with the growing aged population.