Aging population sparks growth in funeral services in South Korea

Rows of coffins fill a classroom at the Busan Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, where students train as funeral directors amid significant demographic changes. With one of the lowest birth rates globally and nearly half the population over 50, the demand for funeral services is rising.

Students like Jang Jin-yeong, 27, anticipate this growth. “With our society aging, I thought the demand for this kind of work would only grow,” he said while preparing a mannequin in traditional funeral cloth.

The increase in single-person households—now about 42 percent—has also led to a new profession: cleaners who tidy homes after occupants have died alone. Former classical musician Cho Eun-seok describes the emotional toll of this work, noting homes filled with "hundreds of neatly capped soju bottles and dusty boxes of gifts that were never opened," highlighting the loneliness of these deaths.

Additionally, South Korea has the highest suicide rate among developed nations, contributing to the issue of “lonely deaths,” emphasizing the urgent need for community support.

Source: EncaNews