Incheon Solitary Deaths: 6 out of 10 Are Men... 42% in Intensive Care Group, Monthly Income Below 1 Million Won

Incheon Social Service Institute, Survey on the Actual Conditions of High-Risk Groups for Solitary Deaths

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Among the 10 people who died alone in Incheon last year, 6 were men, and 42% of those in the high-risk group for solitary death were found to be living on a monthly income of less than 1 million won.

Incheon Social Service Institute announced on the 15th that its recent study, "Research on the Actual Conditions of High-Risk Groups for Solitary Death in Incheon," found that solitary deaths had a relatively high proportion of men and generally showed poor living conditions, health status, and economic situations.

The study first analyzed solitary death cases by identifying those who received funeral benefits last year and died alone at home in isolation. The subjects numbered 371 and were classified as the "high-risk group for solitary death." Funeral benefits refer to support for costs related to the examination, transportation, cremation or burial of the body, and other necessary funeral arrangements.

By age group, those in their 60s accounted for the largest share at 24.3%, followed by those in their 80s at 19.7%, 70s at 18.1%, 90s at 17.8%, and 50s at 17%.

Men accounted for 60.1%, women 39.9%, with the average age at death for men being 67.7 years and for women 81.5 years. The causes of death were mostly natural causes such as old age, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes, accounting for 78.2%.

Regarding housing types, 37.8% lived in multi-family houses, 30.6% in single-family houses, and 13.8% in rental apartments. Other housing types such as containers, small rooms, inns, and motels accounted for 1.9%, non-residential housing 1.6%, and goshiwon (small dormitory-style rooms) 0.8%. Notably, all residents of other housing types were men.

Incheon Social Service Institute also classified the high-risk solitary death group into "intensive management group," "general management group," and "general group" based on a survey conducted by the Incheon Data Innovation Office in late May, which investigated 3,500 single-person households aged 19 and older.

The intensive management group accounted for 4% of the total subjects and included households with high social isolation and vulnerability, based on factors such as the duration and extent of social relationship disconnection, income loss, and health problems.

Among the intensive management group, 42% were found to live on a monthly income of less than 1 million won.

By gender, men made up 55%, and regarding housing types, 37.1% lived in apartments such as rental apartments, 32.1% in row houses or multi-family houses, and 15% in officetels. The proportion living in shacks, vinyl houses, or temporary shelters was 2.9%, and 1.4% lived in residential units within commercial buildings such as shops, academies, or factories.

Among the intensive management group, 43.6% lived in monthly rent, semi-basement rent, or jeonse (long-term deposit lease), and 18.6% lived in free or public rental housing. The longest period living alone was over 10 years at 45.7%, followed by 5 to less than 10 years at 24.3%.

More than half of the intensive management group reported being in poor health (43.6%) or very unhealthy (7.9%), and the percentage who drank alcohol almost daily was higher in the intensive management group (8.6%) compared to the overall single-person households (2.5%).

The study suggested measures to prevent solitary deaths, including selecting vulnerable areas, conducting pilot projects, establishing detection systems and regional prevention strategies, and raising awareness.

For example, Seoul has been working on solitary death prevention since 2017 by identifying isolated households and providing daily support in three districts and three neighborhoods. Based on the pilot project results, Seoul announced the 4th Comprehensive Plan for Solitary Death Prevention in 2021.

It also emphasized creating networks using local human resources such as community social security councils, residents, and neighborhood leaders to maintain continuous connections through small resident gatherings and mentoring. Furthermore, it explained the need to establish criteria for selecting high-risk groups to identify and categorize them for prevention.

Seo Yoonjung, a research fellow at Incheon Social Service Institute, said, "If there is even one close person, the likelihood of facing life alone can be significantly reduced. An effective way to prevent solitary death is through social participation and network formation via jobs and other means." She added, "Following the Ministry of Health and Welfare's ongoing '2022 Solitary Death Survey' and the establishment of the '1st Basic Plan for Solitary Death Prevention,' it is necessary to continue conducting solitary death surveys based on accurate data."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.