Choo Kyoung-jin, 58, who acquired a physical disability from a traffic accident, cannot even lift himself out of bed or prepare to go out without the help of others.
He shares that he sometimes suddenly imagines situations where he might leave this world.
[Choo Kyoung-jin : (When running a fever) Because I cannot use my hands, I couldn't even pull down (my blanket) and had to wait until my care worker arrived. I thought, 'Could I really die like this...?']
As lonely deaths (gokdosa) have increased every year, approaching 4,000 in 2024, the government launched a response system for lonely death risks starting last February.
The system preemptively identifies those at risk of lonely death by collecting 27 types of information, such as overdue electricity bills or health insurance premiums, and emergency room visits, to assess whether individuals are in a state of social isolation.
As a result, as of last July, the number of people at risk of lonely death nationwide was tallied at 43,858.
About 33,000 of them, or 76%, were people with disabilities, and 93% of those with disabilities had physical disabilities.
By type of economic activity, the unemployed accounted for about 70%, showing a wide gap compared to the second most vulnerable group, temporary and daily workers.
This is the first time that the socio-economic characteristics of those at risk of lonely death have been made public.
Previously, surveys focused on age and gender rather than disability or employment status, leading to the perception that middle-aged and older men in their 50s and 60s were vulnerable to lonely deaths.
[Seo Mi-hwa / Democratic Party lawmaker (National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee) : Policy issues regarding what services (the government) will provide to people in these lonely death risk groups need to be considered. Especially whether to provide customized services for elderly people with physical disabilities...]
The Ministry of Health and Welfare is considering measures to prevent social isolation even for people who are already within the existing social welfare net, such as people with disabilities.
"Can't Pull Down Blankets Even When Hot"... 'Lonely Death Risk Group' Imagines Death (September 9, 2026, 8 News)
Reported by Park Ha-jung | Produced by Bae Jun-hwi | Camera by Choi Ho-jun, Kim Yong-woo | Video Edited by Kim Ho-jin | Design by Lee Ga-jin | Produced by SBS Digital News
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