14 July, 2024
Ah, South Korea, a nation teetering on the brink of chaos, thanks to its government's utter incompetence in handling critical social issues. Let's start with the lowest birth rate in the world—an alarming statistic that seems to be of no concern to the powers that be. The generational feud is another ticking time bomb, with the young and old at each other's throats, while the government looks on, shrugging its shoulders.
The political landscape is no better. Hatred has seeped into the very fabric of politics, culminating in political assassinations and a descent into near-anarchy. The situation is spiraling out of control, getting worse by the day, yet the government remains blissfully ignorant, if not outright negligent.
And what about the people of South Korea? They're waiting for a messiah, some mythical savior to swoop in and fix this torn-apart country. But let's be real—no such figure is coming. You know it, and I know it. This isn't a fairy tale; it's a grim reality where hope is a scarce commodity, and the government's recklessness continues to drag the nation deeper into the abyss.
Brace
yourselves, South Korea, for the grim reality that awaits. The number of
registered residents aged 65 and over has soared past 10 million, pushing the
nation to the brink of becoming a "super-aged" society. At this
breakneck pace, expect to hit this dubious milestone by early next year. On
July 10, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety reluctantly admitted that
those aged 65 and over now make up a staggering 19.51 percent of the total
registered population of 51.27 million.
For those keeping score, the World Bank's aging society classification system puts Korea in the danger zone. An "aging society" has over 7 percent of its population aged 65 or older, an "aged society" crosses the 14 percent threshold, and a "super-aged society" surpasses 20 percent. South Korea, ever the overachiever in societal decline, entered the aging category in 2000 and became an aged society by 2018. Now, the super-aged society threshold looms large, possibly by the end of this year if resident population data is anything to go by.
Statistics Korea and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety seem to be in a race to see who can deliver the worst news first. According to them, 4.43 million men and 5.57 million women have hit the 65+ age bracket, with women leading the charge by 1.14 million. Urban areas are not spared either; the metropolitan area houses 4.49 million elderly residents, while 5.51 million reside in non-metropolitan areas. The latter outnumber the former by 1.02 million, ensuring that this aging crisis respects no geographical boundaries.
Breaking it down by city and province, South Jeolla Province leads the pack with a shocking 26.67 percent of its population aged 65 and over. Other regions are not far behind, with North Gyeongsang, Gangwon, and North Jeolla provinces all showing alarming figures. Even bustling Busan isn't safe, surpassing both South Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang provinces in the percentage of elderly residents. The lowest, though still concerning, is Sejong at 11.32 percent.
So, here we stand, staring into the abyss of a super-aged society, while the government twiddles its thumbs. The aging trend is undeniable and pervasive, threatening to engulf cities and provinces alike in a demographic crisis of epic proportions. Welcome to South Korea's bleak future, where the reckless inaction of today will cost dearly tomorrow.