Editorial Comment: Intergenerational Issues in a Changing Society of South Korea

South Korea officially became an aged society in 2017. It took only 17 years for the country to transition from society that was aging to an aged society, which is the fastest such transition on record. Life expectancy in South Korea has steadily increased in recent decades and it reached 82.6 years in 2017. Rapid growth of the older population posed the county with unprecedented challenges due to limited opportunities and resources. Furthermore, gaps in historical and cultural experiences across generations accentuated differences in cultural values and communication methods. The lack of commonalities between generations may lead to intergenerational conflicts as well as inequalities, which can in turn become threats to intergenerational solidarity or age integration.

Intergenerational solidarity among family members or neighbors is more important today than in the past because people live longer, and older adults are more likely to share their time and experiences with younger generations. Nowadays, policy paradigms for the aging society have emphasized intergenerational solidarity as a way of responding to the changing age landscape and intergenerational needs (Zaino, 2005). It is necessary to develop creative social and policy systems that enable intergenerational integration to enhance health, security, and well-being of adults of all ages (Hodge, 2004). Challenges posed by population aging and altered social values are emerging in Korea including family caregiving burden, intergenerational family conflicts, disrespect toward older adults, lack of intergenerational bonds and expectations, health disparities across generations, and disputes over the role of society to enhance intergenerational relations.

In this context, this special issue of Journal of Intergenerational Relationships (JIR) seeks to advance scientific knowledge on the role of intergenerational relationships in addressing intergenerational family networks, perception of aging and intergenerational integration, and intergenerational differences in health in South Korea. We are also interested in developing programs designed to narrow generational gaps by tackling concerns and conflicts from the intergenerational perspective, thereby enhance intergenerational solidarity. The nine research papers in this special issue critically examine rapidly changing intergenerational issues, covering various issues concerning different age groups from Millennials to baby boomers in the Korean society. Also included are analyses on identifying in-depth profiles of the Korean generations.

As noted earlier, the included papers are by scholars from several disciplines. All authors are members of the Ewha Institute for Age Integration Research (EIAIR) network. Established at Ewha Womans University in 2016 with the support of Korea Research Foundation (NRF), EIAIR has conducted research related to the issues of age integration and intergenerational solidarity to respond to an aged society of Korea.

Intergenerational relationships are formed by shared experiences among members from different age groups and affect our family lives, perceptions of aging, and care for others. The first three papers in this issue deal with the topic of intergenerational family network. Ju-Hyun Kim describes the intergenerational perception of gender roles in consideration of time use and life satisfaction. Kim focuses on middle-aged and older women living with spouses or living alone and compares the age groups in terms of the consumption of time and level of life satisfaction. The study examines the differences and similarities with respect to gender role expectations, time use, and the relations of quality and quantity of time use with life satisfaction among middle-aged and older women.

Kyong Hee Ju and Dongsim Kim discuss elderly care in South Korea and suggest intergenerational approaches to alleviate caregiving burden. They examine the mediating effect of care for older people of the three age groups – older (60+), middle-aged (40–50s), and young (20–30s) adults – on the relationship between age integration and life satisfaction. Recommendations include intergenerational social welfare practice plans to alleviate the burden of support for the young generation. They also provide intervention strategies to increase age integration for older generations.

Turning to social network analysis, Minhye Kim analyzes the effects of cross-age networks using a name generator approach for measuring an individual’s core networks among middle-aged (50–64 years) adults; respondents were asked to list up to five people with whom they discussed important matters in life. The results of the study demonstrate how intergenerational relations are intertwined and how network patterns vary by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

The second topic addressed in this issue deals with the perception of aging and intergenerational integration. Intergenerational programs for both the young and the old have been increased in Korea, at the national and community levels, to promote opportunities for intergenerational interactions. Efforts have been focused on supporting intergenerational experiences such as multi-generational community in-door or out-door programs, co-housing policy, or intergenerational integrated education between young and older adults. The three studies covering this topic share the themes of intergenerational solidarity and intergenerational integration in society that are recognized in the literature as critical (e.g. Riley & Riley, 1999; Uhlenberg, 2000).

Soondool Chung, Junghyun Kim, and Youngran Hong explore the impact of a bilateral intergenerational intervention program on intergenerational solidarity, perception changes toward the other generations, and sense of community. Results of the intervention include increased positive perception of younger generations toward older generations and younger generations’ improved sense of community through the intervention.

In the context of social norm and cultural values, Hong-Jae Park explores the issue of intergenerational solidarity in relations with filial piety, referred to “hyodo” in Korean, which has shaped the fundamental value and tradition of intergenerational family relationships in Korea. Using a qualitative, thematic approach, Park presents the themes from 17 cross-regional individual interviews and demonstrates core principles of long-lasting social norm and the influence of filial piety on intergenerational solidarity in the contemporary Korean society.

Considering the role of social engagement in intergenerational integration, Zhou Jing and So-hyun Joo show social engagement to be a critical factor for successful aging among the second baby boomers (born in 1964 ~ 1974, 45 ~ 44 years old in 2019) and millennials (born in 1988 ~ 1998, 21 ~ 31 years old in 2019). The authors emphasize generational similarities and differences in the relations of successful aging perception, lifestyle, and self-esteem. Overall, the perception of successful aging is related to self-esteem and shaped by different lifestyles.

The third topic deals with intergenerational differences regarding physical and mental health, access, and unmet needs in relation to social factors. Nan Sook Park, David Chiriboga, and Soondool Chung examine the relationships of social capital factors, perceived family support, and loneliness among three age groups of adults (18–44, 45–64, 65+) in South Korea. The results identify several social factors that differentially affect loneliness depending on age groups.

Using survey data with 1,000 respondents in South Korea, So-Young Park examines the intergenerational differences in age-friendly environments, social support, and health outcomes. This study demonstrates that positive age-friendly environmental factors contribute to improving social support and health outcomes and that the mediating role of social support on the association between age-friendly environments and health outcomes varies by age groups. Results hold implications for health professionals seeking to identify environmental risk factors and intervention strategies for different age groups.

In another intergenerational health study of South Koreans, Eunjeong Noh compares the middle-aged (50–64) and older (65+) adults on unmet health-care needs. The unmet needs of both age groups are differentially influenced by demographic, physical/mental health, and health behavior factors. Noh suggests more preventative policies concerning socioeconomic status and health of both middle-aged and older adults are needed.

Taken together, the papers in this special issue emphasize the importance of shared experiences and values and the opportunities to understand others, which create deeper connections and build intergenerational solidarity. The nine papers from various fields describe issues including intergenerational perception of aging, elderly care, and life satisfaction across generations. Using the most recently collected intergenerational data from South Koreans, these studies examine factors associated with intergenerational changes and dynamics with a range of individual behaviors, family networking, and community practices. We hope the results presented here will help efforts to reduce social and health disparities across generations and expand our understanding of intergenerational relationships from various perspectives.