Too young to retire

By Park Moo-jong

The Republic of Korea is an aged society and will become the world's fourth super-aged nation by 2030, in 12 years time.

The country officially became an aged society seven months ago, last September, 17 years after it began to be an aging one in 2000.

A nation becomes an aging society if the elderly -- 65 or older -- exceed 7 percent of the population; and is dubbed an aged society when this exceeds 14 percent.

A country becomes a super-aged society when more than one in five of the population is 65 or older.

In comparison, the average lifespan of Koreans is 85.4 years for women and 79.3 for men, higher than the OECD average, thanks to improvements in living conditions and medical care, among others.

The number of people over 65 stood at 7.26 million last September, or 14.02 percent of the 51.75 million total population.

These figures mean there are "too many young" senior citizens with physical strength and experience but with no jobs.

The prime concern of retired citizens is, needless to say, finding jobs, while the most important thing is how to overcome loneliness and to relieve boredom, living apart from their children.

At most big companies, those in their 40s have been replacing their 50-something seniors at important posts and the age is becoming ever younger.

To recall, one of the traditional Korean virtues from olden times used to be filial piety and respect for the elderly. Not that long ago, filial Koreans mourned the death of their mothers or fathers for three years in shabby huts built beside their graves.

But times have changed and so have the people. Filial devotion is increasingly fading, although parents' affection, particularly a mother's love for her children, remains the same as in the past.

The weakening filial piety amid the spreading selfishness of young people in society accounts for the poor treatment of senior citizens, whose number is ever-increasing due to improvements in living standards and the development of medical technology.

There are many fraternal societies of people sharing the same hobbies and preferences. One of them is "Orchestra," a club of people interested in trekking and going to classical concerts and musical performances. They get together anytime they want.

However, this type of society is not open to anyone. The age is limited. People over 60 are not allowed to join because they are "too old," particularly for trekking.

The retirement age of Koreans is legally 60, two years up from the previous 58, though it depends on the kinds of job. In the case of professors, they retire at 65 and teachers at secondary schools 62, for instance.

Senior citizens of today in their 60s and 70s are the ones who have contributed over the past decades to making the Republic of Korea what it is today. But the world is getting smaller for them to enjoy social activities.

A brief visit to the vicinity of Tapgol Park or Jongmyo Park in Jongno, downtown Seoul, will vividly show the seriousness of the problem. Hundreds of people forced into mandatory retirement or laid off because of restructuring processes spend their days in the parks with no work to do. Many of them rely on free lunches provided by welfare and religious organizations.

Our society tends to waste its precious human resources in the widening gap between generations without considering the ability, experience and achievements of the "older" generation.

Younger people harbor doubts about their own future upon seeing their elders' sad fates when graduation from college means unemployment with the number of jobless young people showing no signs of decreasing.

In this aged society, there are too many "young" aged people. This is a national waste. The increasing number of these people with no work even for a penny is not "none of our business."

Many aged people argue "we can work, too." They are truly old at ages over 60. But most of them think they are still "too young to retire."

Whether they are transitioning into new roles after a lifelong career or already in retirement, they are thinking they are too young to retire.

Unfortunately, however, the latest situation the country faces makes it difficult for them to ask for new jobs or an extension of their retirement age. The increasing population of aged people only makes for a heavier welfare burden to the complaints of the younger generation. Now, Korea is virtually entering into a war between generations.

For their part, young grandfathers and grandmothers should not retire from work despite their legal or forced retirement from their career workplaces, but replace their tire to "re-tire" for a new life in the "second" part of their lives.

For theirs, young people need to be aware of what old people want most: someone with whom they can have heart-to-heart talks, as they are increasingly alienated from society and their families.

I don't want to hear aged people tell the young with a sigh: "You will know what getting old will be like."

But a permanent truth is that everyone grows old.

Park Moo-jong is a standing adviser of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English daily newspaper founded in 1951 from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter since 1974. He can be reached at moojong@ktimes.com or emjei29@gmail.com.