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LucyTodd
Mr.Hendren
TransactionalEnglish
March12015

TheSecretofSouthKoreansSeniors
Inthearticle
SouthKorea'srapideconomicriseleavesmanyofitselderlyfacing
poverty,
ChicoHarlanexplainsthesaddetailsofthelostgenerationofSouthKoreathe
elderly.Thearticleexplainswhatexactlyisbeingdonetothemornotbeingdonefor
them.Italsoshedslightonthequestionofwhythisishappeningtoacountryknownasa
placethathasrisentoriches.Inaddition,thearticlepointsoutsomespecificaction
beingtakentohelpthesepeople.Finally,thearticlewrapsupwiththestoryofLee
YeongSun,an82yearoldmanandhiswife.
Overthepast15yearsthepercentageofchildrenwhobelievetheyshouldlookafter
theiragedparentshasdroppedfrom90%to37%.Duetothis,theparentsofthis
generationarebeingcompletelyneglected.HalfofallSouthKoreanselderlyarepoor.
Thatsthehighestrateintheentireindustrializedworld!Theseseniorsarefoundlivingin
crumblingshacksonhillsideswithoutrunningwater,waitinginlinesatsoupkitchens,
andcombingthroughrubbishpilesforanythingthatcanbecollectedforcash.Mostof
theseKoreanshadexcellentlivesandlivedinprosperitybeforetheyretired.
Thechangeincultureisgreatlytobeblamedonthenotoriouslycutthroat,ruthless
competitionforthebesttestscoresandmoreprestigiousjobs.Theyoungerpopulationis

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socaughtupinclimbingtheeconomicladderthattheyareleavingtheirparentsinthe
dusttofendforthemselves.Theseparentsneversavedadimeforthemselvesbecause
theywerespendingitallontheirchildrenseducationwiththebeliefthattheirkids
wouldprovideforthemoncetheyretired.Thisbeliefissadlynolongeradheredto.The
statetheseparentsareleftinissobadthatthesuiciderateamongstSouthKoreanseniors
hastripledsince2000.InSeodaemun,anareawhereover9000seniorslivealonethe
localsuicidehelpcentergets30pluscallsperday!
TheSouthKoreanpensionplanwasestablishedin1988butbythenitwasalready
toolateformanyolderadultstostartsavingtheirmoney.Thereisawelfaresystemin
placebutonlythosewithnochildrenorwhosechildrenhavebeenprovenunableto
adequatelysupportthemaregivenwelfare.Manyoftheelderlydontpursuethisbecause
theyareembarrassedabouttheirsituation.TheSouthKoreanpresidentpledgedin2012
tohelpimprovethewelfareprogrambyincreasingthemonthlypaymentsby$200.
Severalmonthslater,however,shescaledbackherplantoonlyhelpthepoorest70%and
withaloweramount.YangYunKyeong,a24yearoldwoman,wasnotsatisfiedwith
thegovernmentsresponsesoshebeganherowninitiative.Thisinitiativeistotravel
aroundanareahandingoutflavoredmilkandsacksofstickyricetoanyelderlypersonin
need.Shenotonlydeliversfoodbutshesitsandtalkswiththeresidentsbecausemostof
thetimetheyarejustlonelyandwantcompany.OneofthepeopleshehasvisitedisLee
YeongSun.
LeeYeongSunis82andheliveswithhiswifewhohasdementia.Theyliveina
condemnedbuildingwithfiveothercouples.Theirflooriscoveredwithquiltsandthe

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onlyheatinthewholehouseisanelectricblanket.Theyhavenofoodandtheir
apartmentsmellsofmold.Leehastwochildrenbutneitherofthemhelphimandhiswife
financiallyandonlyoneofthemanswershisfathersphonecalls.Leeliveson$300a
month,whichishardlyenoughtosupportthemorbuythemedicationhiswifeneeds.
Hismainhope,hesaid,wastostayalivelongerthanhiswifeinordertotakecareof
her.LeeservedintheKoreanWarandremembersthehardtimesofhavingnofoodbut
hethoughtthosedayswerebehindhimasheandhiswifebecameintoawealthyfamily.
Now,however,afterretiringhesays,Imworriedaboutrunningoutofriceagain.
Thisstoryissoincrediblymovingandshedslightonatendencyforonegenerationof
thehumanracetoneglectanotherinthiscasetheelderly.Eventhoughmanyofthese
seniorswillhavesacrificedeverythingfortheirchildrentheyarenowreceivingnothing
inreturn.Thisissosadbecausetheirlifeisnolongerbeingtreasuredandthewealthof
experienceandknowledgetheyhaveisbeinglost.ThesepeoplewerecreatedbyGodand
havenorighttobeleftinthecoldsimplybecauseoftheirage.Thislackofrespectand
neglectisnotjustaprobleminSouthKoreabutprevalentinmanyothercountries.My
personalfeelingasaChristianistoliveaccordingtoGodsheartfortheelderly.Thisis
revealedinthefollowingverse,
Showrespecttotheelderly,andhonorolderpeople.In
thiswayyoushowrespectforyourGod.IamtheLORD
.Leviticus19:32.Myprayer
forCanadaisthatlawswillbeestablishedthatreflectthisverse.