"Rapidly Aging Korea Diagnosis" T&C Foundation Hosts Empathy Conference

'Nosini-eo Jon (老 see:near zone)' Held

The NC Foundation will start a conference on the theme of ageism and intergenerational empathy on its YouTube channel from the 5th. Experts from various fields will be invited to diagnose Korean society in the super-aged era and seek solutions to its problems. From the left in the photo: Dr. Jang Gi-jung, psychiatrist at Ajou Comfortable Hospital; Professor Lee Sang-hee, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside; Professor Emeritus Kim Tae-yu, Department of Industrial Engineering, Seoul National University; author Song Gil-young of the book Era Forecast; film critic Kim Hye-ri; Professor Namgung Eun-ha, Department of Social Welfare, Ewha Womans University; Professor Gu Jung-woo, Department of Sociology, Sungkyunkwan University. Photo by T&C Foundation.

The T&C Foundation will launch the online empathy conference "No Senior Zone /老 see:near zone/ We Who Have Come to Hate Our Future" starting on the 5th.

The T&C Foundation regularly holds the "APoV (Another Point of View) Conference," gathering speakers under themes chosen to encourage understanding of diverse perspectives. This time, the theme is "Ageism and Intergenerational Empathy."

The foundation selected this topic in recognition of the serious reality Korean society faces due to aging. Korea is experiencing unprecedented rapid aging worldwide and holds the unfortunate distinction of having the highest elderly poverty rate and suicide rate among OECD countries. The increasing burden of support is causing generational conflicts and ageism, making it urgent to address these issues amid a growing elderly population.

This awareness is reflected in the conference title "No Senior Zone /老 see:near zone/ We Who Have Come to Hate Our Future." It uses the phonetic similarity of the newly coined term "No Senior Zone," which some stores use to mean "No Elderly Entry." The title combines the Chinese character for elderly "老 (No)" with "see near (Senior)" to imply looking closely at the nearby future. It encourages viewing old age not as a distant story but as something approaching all of us, aiming to foster empathy between generations.

From the 5th, the T&C Foundation will sequentially release a total of eight lectures and dialogue videos featuring insights from seven speakers?including writers, film critics, sociologists, social welfare scholars, medical specialists, economists, and paleoanthropologists?on their YouTube channel.

Song Gil-young, a writer who predicted the "Era of the Nuclear Individual" through his book "Forecast of the Times," will engage in a dialogue with Professor Koo Jung-woo of Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Sociology to explore the causes of negative images of the elderly and generational conflicts and seek solutions.

Film critic Kim Hye-ri will introduce depictions of aging societies in films. She will particularly raise issues through the film "Plan 75," which portrays the Japanese government encouraging suicide among elderly people aged 75 to reduce welfare burdens. An exclusive interview video with director Hayakawa Chie, who made the film, will also be released to convey the director’s thematic intentions.

Professor Koo Jung-woo of Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Sociology will focus on generational conflicts. He will diagnose the reasons for conflicts between the older generation and the MZ generation from both perspectives and propose solutions. Professor Namgung Eun-ha of Ewha Womans University’s Department of Social Welfare will analyze the current state of aging with shocking statistical data, emphasizing the severity of elderly poverty and suicide rates and advocating for ways to create a society where all age groups can be happy.

Dr. Jang Ki-jung, a psychiatrist at Ajou Comfortable Hospital, will explain the causes of dementia based on his experience caring for over 2,000 dementia patients and emphasize attitudes toward aging and empathy for the elderly. Professor Kim Tae-yoo, emeritus professor of Industrial Engineering at Seoul National University, will highlight economic issues arising from Korea’s serious low birthrate and aging through two lectures. Professor Lee Sang-hee of the Anthropology Department at the University of California, Riverside, will share an intriguing story about how the elderly have played a key role in human survival through evolution.

Kim Hee-young, CEO of the T&C Foundation, stated, "Age discrimination and intergenerational conflicts are becoming increasingly urgent and serious issues as we enter a super-aged society. Given the APoV Conference’s positive reception from viewers of various age groups, we hope it will foster intergenerational empathy regarding perspectives on aging and create positive change."

Meanwhile, the T&C Foundation has prepared various events to coincide with the conference launch. Viewers who write impressions or reviews of the lectures will be entered into a drawing to receive autographed books by the speakers, movie tickets, and more. Detailed information can be found on the T&C Foundation’s Instagram and YouTube channel.

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