More and More Koreans Die Alone

More and more people are dying alone as the traditional family network erodes under the pressures of modernity.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said that the number of people dying alone rose 77.8 percent from 693 in 2011 to 1,232 last year.

People are classified as dying alone if nobody steps up to claim their bodies after their death and the state foots the bill for funeral and cremation.

Most of these people lived alone or on the streets, and those in their 60s and 70s accounted for about half.

A health ministry official said, "Social workers are making regular visits to check up on senior citizens and handicapped people living alone," but many poor and marginal people fall through the cracks.