1,500 Child Family Caregivers in Gwangju and South Jeolla... Nationwide Total Reaches 17,000

From Nursing and Housework to Farm Labor, All in the Hands of Children
985 Identified in South Jeolla, 518 in Gwangju
Seo Mihwa: "Urgent Need for Support System"

It has been found that at least 1,500 "child family caregivers"-children who take on household chores and even farm work while caring for ill family members-are living in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province. Nationwide, the number reaches approximately 17,600, highlighting the need for institutional support.

Image generated by ChatGPT.

According to a summary of the "Research Report on the Status and Support Measures for Family Caregiving Children Under 13," released on September 17 by Seo Mihwa, a proportional representative of the Democratic Party of Korea, there are 985 such children in South Jeolla Province and 518 in Gwangju, each taking on primary caregiving responsibilities in the absence of healthy adult household members.

This data was analyzed by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, using social security administrative data. This is the first study in South Korea to estimate the number of family caregiving children under the age of 13.

By region, Gyeonggi Province had the highest number (3,906), followed by Seoul (2,519), North Gyeongsang Province (1,329), South Gyeongsang Province (1,275), Busan (1,145), South Jeolla Province (985), and North Jeolla Province (941). The nationwide total reached 17,647. This figure is a conservative minimum estimate, based on conditions such as whether an adult household member is present.

If estimated at the maximum, the number could rise to 31,322 nationwide, with 1,740 in South Jeolla Province and 922 in Gwangju. It was found that these child caregivers are responsible not only for household chores such as nursing, meal preparation, dishwashing, cleaning, and caring for younger siblings, but in some cases, they also take on farm work.

The reasons for caregiving were related to the industrial and demographic structures of each region. South Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan had a high number of households receiving disability benefits, while South Jeolla Province, Jeju, and North Jeolla Province had higher rates of households receiving customized elderly care.

Assemblywoman Seo stated, "There are likely many cases left unattended outside the system," and emphasized, "We need to establish a system in which local communities, including schools and hospitals, proactively identify and support these children."

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