South Korean retirees find a 'playground' in daytime discos

An underground discotheque hidden behind little back alleys in eastern Seoul is packed with hundreds of grey-haired couples in the afternoon, dancing to local hits from the 1960s in a basketball court-sized hall.

Seven days a week, 70-year-old Han Min-ja gets up at 4 a.m., has breakfast and gets a physio-massage before hopping on a bus for New Hyundai Core disco, or 'colatec', at 11 a.m.

Han is among some 1,000 customers visiting the disco any given week day, one of nearly 1,000 daytime discos for the elderly around the country. The New Hyundai Core 'colatec' owner said almost 2,000 people visit on a weekend.

Named after cola being served at discos, colatecs are one face of South Korea's rapidly ageing population, as a growing number of lonely, impoverished and ailing people rediscover ways to entertain themselves after decades of hard work.

"I worked for 30 years. I've been visiting here since 2015, after I retired. When I was young, I earned money, so now I have to enjoy. That's why I do this as an exercise," said Han after dancing on the disco floor decorated with fairy lights and mirror balls.

The generation that has helped rebuild Asia's fourth largest economy from the ruins of the 1950-1953 Korean War are now the most depressed and impoverished among member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The relative poverty rate of South Korea's elderly stood at 49.6 percent in 2013, four times the OECD average, according to the latest available data. The elderly suicide rate rose from 35 per 100,000 persons in 2000 to 82 in 2010, also far above the OECD average of 22.

The 1,000 won (90 cents) colatec entrance fee gives their elderly patrons some respite, and those who are well-dressed pay another 500 won for coat-check service. And despite the name, the disco's best-selling beverage is 2,000 won probiotic yogurt, not cola.

Kim In-gil, still haunted by painful memories related to his failed businesses during the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, says two-hours of straight dancing four times a week helps get rid of "suicidal thoughts" from time to time.

"First, there's music and a (dance) partner, it's really enjoyable. I can put all other thoughts out of my mind," said Kim, as beads of sweat dripped off his nose.

Colatecs began to spring up in the late 1990s as a no-alcohol dancing club for the teens, but started to attract the elderly as the main customers from mid to late 2000s.

But the government still needs to pay attention to the issues of an ageing society, says director of NowMe Family Culture Institute, Cho Chang-hyun, said.

"South Korea is rapidly becoming an aging society, more so than any other countries in the world. The public and government should pay more attention to old generation. Places like colatec, recreation facilities and other meeting places need to be increased," Cho said.

There are few post-retirement jobs, or cheap leisure, available for them even as South Korea is aging faster than any other developed country. Population aged 65 and over as a percentage of those aged 15-64 is set to hit 71 percent in 2050 from 17.3 percent in 2014, making it the most aged country behind Japan and Spain, according to OECD forecasts. (Reuters)