1 in 3 born in 1960s worry about dying alone: survey

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Koreans born in the 1960s are called the last generation to have the duty of caring for their parents in line with social norms. At the same time, these people are also called the first generation who are likely to not be looked after by their progeny due to drastic changes in the nation's population structure.

This perception has led one in three people born in the 1960s to worry about being abandoned and dying alone, according to a survey released on Monday.

The number of those born in the 1960s stands at about 8.5 million, accounting for 16.4 percent of the country's entire population.

The survey of 980 people aged between 55 and 64, conducted by Hankook Research from May 8 to 15, showed that five to six in 10 respondents still financially support their parents or children, or both.

In the survey, 44 percent of the 772 respondents whose parents are still alive continue to support their parents financially, spending an average of approximately 730,000 won ($530) per month.

Of the 851 respondents who have children, 43 percent support them, with 880,000 won a month on average.

Among the respondents, 15 percent said they financially support both their parents and children and spend an average of 1.64 million won a month for this.

Seven in 10 respondents said that they still work to make money, and 90 percent said they want to keep working as long as their health permits. Among the respondents who still work, 46 percent are worried about losing their jobs.

In the survey, 52 percent of the respondents have already retired, but of them, 54 percent started to work once again by being reemployed or establishing their own companies.

As for the reason for continuing to work, 37 percent said that they think they are still of working age, while 29 percent said they need money to support their families.

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When asked about who should be responsible for their later years, 89 percent said the responsibility lies on themselves, but only 62 percent are preparing for eventuality.

As they are called the first generation to not be looked after by their children, most of the respondents said that they are taking caregiving issues seriously.

Of the total, 98 percent said caregiving issues will become more serious in the future, and 86 percent said the government should expand caregiving services for older adults and people with disabilities.

One in three respondents, or 30.2 percent, said they could die alone. Of them, those earning less than 2 million won per month accounted for the highest portion at 49.9 percent.

"People born in the 1960s are somewhat different from existing older generations in terms of cultural and economic aspects," said Kim Yong-ik, who heads the Care for All Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Seoul that commissioned the survey.

"The government should focus more on their characteristics when deciding on the direction of its caregiving policies."