"아프면 더 나갑니다" 혼자 사는 70세가 일을 포기하지 못한 이유

Kim Young-cheol, a 70-year-old man living alone, has not taken a single sick leave in three years. He works as a demolition assistant at a construction site. His daily wage is 130,000 won. He went to work even when his knees were swollen. He went even when his back ached. He went even when it rained or he had a fever. If he rests, 130,000 won disappears. That 130,000 won is the money to keep his electricity from being cut off this month. That 130,000 won is the money to endure a single hospital visit. That 130,000 won is enough to buy a snack for his grandchild. However, there was something scarier than money. If he rests, no one calls his name all day long. Only when he goes out to the site does someone call out, "Mr. Young-cheol." That single word was his only sign that he was alive today. His security guard allowance has run out. The cafeteria won't hire him. He can't do the cleaning. He doesn't know how to use a computer. He doesn't have a driver's license. All that remains is the physically demanding job at the construction site. Construction sites don't ask about age. They only look at whether you can lift. Mr. Kim Young-cheol can still lift. When the day comes that he can no longer lift, the last door will close. My wife passed away four years ago. My son is in Daejeon. My daughter is in Gyeongsang-do. When I return home, the lights are off. I turn on the TV. I don't watch it. I need sound. 12.6% of elderly people living alone aged 65 or older cannot go to the hospital even when they are sick. The number one reason: there is no one to help them. In 2024, there were 3,924 deaths from loneliness. This is a 7.2% increase from the previous year. Mr. Kim Young-cheol put on his safety boots again today. The left one has a cracked sole. The right one is worn out on the inside. He has been wearing the same safety boots for three years. It wasn't because of his knees that he went out. When he is alone at home, no one calls his name. Only when he goes to the site does someone call out, "Mr. Young-cheol." He will go out tomorrow as well. As long as someone calls his name. #ElderlyLivingAlone #ElderlyPoverty #ConstructionDayLaborer #NationalPension #ElderlyJobs #SolitaryDeath #PovertyInOldAge #DayLaborer #ElderlyLivingAlone #ElderlyWelfare #Boiso #SocialIssues #KoreanSociety #Labor #Poverty #SinglePersonHousehold #Aging #Pension #ElderlyHealth #Documentary