Why men are at higher risk of dying alone than women

A resident living in a shanty town in Seoul walks down a corridor, July 25, 2021. The photo above is unrelated to the article. Yonhap

Number of men dying alone is 4 times higher than that of women, gov't study shows

By Lee Hyo-jin

A rising number of lonely deaths, or "Godoksa" in Korean, has been widely considered as a consequence of the country's rapidly aging population. It was often thought that the unattended deaths, which go unnoticed for days, or even months, usually occur among elderly people who had been cut off from their families, relatives and neighbors for a long time.

In Korea, however, this trend seems to be more common in younger groups.

A new government study found that a significant number of lonely deaths occur among middle-aged men, rather than the elderly or their female counterparts.

According to a report published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Dec. 14, the number of men who died alone was over four times higher than that of women. About 500 women died alone each year between 2018 and 2021, while over 2,000 men did, with the largest figure standing at 2,817 in 2021.

The first-ever official study on lonely deaths, which analyzed the cases that occurred between 2017 and 2021, also found that the number of such deaths has been increasing during the past five years, with 3,378 such deaths reported last year.

It is notable that people in their 50s and 60s accounted for 53 to 60 percent of the total number of lonely deaths each year. Of the 3,378 people who died alone in 2021, 1,982 were aged between 50 and 60, while 624 were 70 or older.

The results of the study did not come as a surprise to Kim Sae-byul, whose job over the last decade has been cleaning up after unattended deaths. Since setting up a trauma cleanup company called "Bio Hazzard" in 2010, Kim has witnessed thousands of lonely deaths, most of which occurred in Seoul and its surrounding areas.

In a recent Korea Times interview, he estimated that the actual number of men who die alone is probably bigger than what the government study showed.

"From my experience, the number of men dying alone is well over four times than that of women. And I would say that most of the cases (among men) I've dealt with were those in their 40s or 50s," said Kim.

According to the cleanup specialist, poverty and unemployment are the most common struggles among Koreans who die alone, regardless of gender, but middle-aged men seem to have more difficulties in coping with these pressures.

"Roughly 90 percent of the men I've dealt with had been living alone after divorce, and had lost connection with their children. They were either unemployed or barely making ends meet by working on construction sites. All these factors seem to make them feel that life is less meaningful," Kim added.

Kim also mentioned excessive drinking habits and health issues as common traits of men who died alone.

"Many individuals were found to be suffering from alcohol-related diseases such as liver cirrhosis, or in some cases, they died after falling while intoxicated," he said.

Song In-joo, a researcher at Seoul Welfare Foundation, who specializes in social isolation and lonely deaths, observed that men who live alone suffer from a deeper sense of loneliness than their female counterparts, both in terms of emotional and physical isolation.

"Whether it be due to early retirement or divorce, men tend to experience deeper isolation than women. Losing his position in society and in a household are major triggers of social isolation for a middle-aged man," she said.

The researcher also said that these men, many of whom are not used to doing household chores, have higher risks of ending up neglecting themselves ― a behavioral condition in which an individual fails to meet his or her essential physical, psychological needs ― which can lead to chronic illnesses.

Tailored support needed

In 2020, the government came up with the Act on the Prevention and Management of Lonely Deaths and the health ministry plans to draw up comprehensive action plans by the first half of 2023.

The ministry vowed to introduce tailored support measures to better protect the high-risk group ― men in their 50s and 60s ― and strengthen cooperation with local authorities to swiftly detect warning signs among the vulnerable group.

But Kim said the authorities should do more than just detect and sort out the risk groups.

"These people, who have already cut themselves off from the outside world, may not want attention from social services or the local community. They may refuse to receive help even when social service workers knock on their doors," he said.

He stressed that the government should get to the bottom of the issue and provide preemptive support, such as job creation programs to help them escape the vicious cycle of poverty and social isolation.

Meanwhile, Song suggested that Korea can learn from some European countries that offer co-housing options where single-household members can easily connect with their neighbors.

"Some European governments offer public co-living spaces or share houses not only to the elderly, but also to the socially vulnerable. Rather than stressing the need for intervention of social workers and civil servants, the government should focus more on creating more opportunities and spaces where isolated residents can feel a sense of connection with others," she said.