SEOUL (ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – A study revealed that over 85 per cent of “lonely deaths” in South Korea involved middle-aged men, with bodies remaining undiscovered for more than three weeks on average.
The Act on the Prevention and Management of Lonely Deaths defines this phenomenon as an individual dying alone after losing contact with friends or family, with their body undiscovered for at least three days.
Also known as “solitary” or “unattended death,” the study, analysing forensic autopsy data from 2017 to 2021, found 108 cases among men and 20 among women.
The research was conducted by Na Joo-young, a forensic medicine professor at Pusan National University.
The findings were based on 664 forensic autopsies conducted by the professor from 2017 to 2021, the same period during which the Ministry of Health and Welfare conducted its first-ever official study on lonely deaths.
By age, individuals in their 50s accounted for 51 cases (40 per cent), those in their 60s accounted for 30 cases, and those in their 40s accounted for 28 cases. Individuals in their 20s and 30s accounted for the smallest share of the total, with eight cases.
The report also suggested that changes in traditional family structures, such as higher rates of divorce and estrangement, are associated with an increased risk of lonely death, as half of those who died and remained undiscovered were either divorced or separated from their spouses.
It took an average of 26.6 days to find the body in cases of lonely deaths, according to the study.
The deaths were often reported by a landlord when a tenant was behind on their rent or no longer responding to their attempts to make contact, or they were reported by a building manager or a neighbour. In these cases, it took an average of 29.7 days to discover the bodies.
Moreover, the study found that 63 per cent of the bodies had an average blood alcohol content of 0.074 per cent — nearly two times the level that constitutes drunk driving in South Korea, which is 0.03 per cent under the current law,
South Korea has seen a stark increase in the number of people dying alone over the past five years from 2,412 in 2017 to 3,378 in 2022. In 2018, the figure stood at 3,048, slipped to 2,949 in 2019, but bounced back to 3,279 in 2020 and 3,378 in 2021.
To tackle the problem of middle-aged and isolated people dying alone each year, the government rolled out a scheme in May 2023 to annually survey people at risk of dying alone and vulnerable groups, as well as provide them with health, employment and medical care that tailors to the needs of each demographic.
In line with the South Korean government’s efforts, the study also echoed the need for an integrated social approach to address lonely deaths and alcohol disorders, as well as suggesting coming up with specified timeframes to define the term “lonely death.”
