Prof. Ik Ki Kim
East Asia Well-Ageing Research Center, Republic of Korea
Title: A Study on the Link between Forest Therapy and Welfare for the Elderly in Korea
Abstract:
Ik Ki Kim, Ph.D
(Director, East Asia Well-Ageing Research Center)
Hyun-Chin Lim
(Professor Emeritus of Seoul National University)
Abstract
This paper introduces the progress of aging in Japan, Korea, and China which have entered the super-aging era, and in particular, explains the elderly problem and the reality of elderly welfare in Korea step by step, and introduces the contents of newly proposed forest therapy to solve this problem. More specifically, it explains the development process of forest therapy that has been carried out abroad so far and the ongoing programs in Korea, introduces the contents of forest therapy in Korea, and discusses the direction of how elderly welfare and forest therapy should converge in Korea in the future.
Population aging has emerged as a global phenomenon, but East Asia is also appearing as the fastest-growing region in the world. The rapidly progressing population aging is having a profound political, social and cultural impact. The rapid population aging leads to a slowdown in economic growth because the economic growth rate is likely to be lowered due to a lack of labor and a decrease in productivity. In addition, the aging population may increase the pension and welfare burden on the people, which may exhaust the funds of the national pension, and the increase in medical expenses for the elderly. The national fiscal crisis that may arise due to the rapid population aging is demanding a new paradigm for elderly welfare.
Forest therapy provides psychological stability to the elderly, reduces feelings of isolation, and is effective in preventing depression. Activities in nature help the elderly manage their own health and increase self-esteem. By participating in various forest therapy activities, the elderly can participate more socially and feel less lonely. Through such convergence policies, it will be able to play an important role in improving the quality of life of the elderly and supporting healthy retirement.
The convergence policy of elderly welfare and forest healing is already becoming increasingly important in a super-aged society. In particular, with the increase of the elderly population, diseases requiring long-term care are increasing, and as a result, not only personal medical expenses but also medical expenses that the state has to pay are increasing beyond its capacity. Accordingly, a new policy that breaks away from the existing elderly welfare policy is required, and the convergence policy of elderly welfare and forest healing is emerging as a new paradigm.
This convergence policy is expected to play a big role in improving the quality of life of the elderly and helping them to have a healthy retirement. In the end, participatory welfare in which the elderly directly participate in the welfare of the elderly in a super-aged society will be an alternative. In the future, it is also necessary to create a new space and enjoy the forest healing effect by using forests for local communities. On the one hand, in order to raise social awareness of the effect of forest healing, activities to promote it through various media and to inform the elderly of the benefits of forest healing will be necessary.
Biography:
Education
Ph.D. Sociology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, U.S.A. (1984)
M.A. Sociology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, U.S.A. (1980)
B.A. Sociology, Seoul National University, Korea (1976)
Awards
Research on the sustainable development of Korea in the period of low fertility and population aging. National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences. 2014.
A Time-spacial Study on Asian Pop-culture. Korea Research Foundation. (2012-2014)
Grant for the Korean wave in the context of the East Asia. Asia Research Center of Seoul National University (2011-2012)
Grant for a comparative study on the living arrangements of the urban elderly between Seoul, Incheon in Korea and Shandong province in China. Korea Research Foundation. (2009-2010)
Grant for a Study on the Current Situation of young Korean Chinese in China. Korean Institute of Youth Development (2007)
Grant for a Study on the Size and Current Situation of Korean Students in China. Korean Institute of Youth Development (2006)
Grant for a Study on the Socio-cultural Integration of Koreans after the Unification (2003)
Grant for a Comparative Study of the Living Arrangements of the Elderly and Improving the
Quality of Life of the Elderly in Korea and Japan, Korea Research Foundation (1997-1998)
Grant for a Comparative Study of Urban Environmental Management in 6 Asian Countries,
Korea Research Foundation (1995-1996)
Grant for a study of the Korean elderly, Institute of Gerontology,
The University of Michigan (1993)
Grant for a study on Community-Based Environmental Management in Wolgoksa-dong,
Korea Research Foundation (1992)
Grant for a study on Residential Patterns of the Urban Poor,
Korea Research Foundation (1990)
Grant for the 18th Summer Seminar on Population, East-West Population Institute,
Hawaii (1987)
National Institute of Health Traineeship in Demography, The Population Studies Center,
The University of Michigan (1980-1984)
Rackham Dissertation Grant, The University of Michigan Graduate School (1983)
ICPSR Summer Grant, Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan (1981)
Graduate Fellowship, University of South Carolina (1978-1980)
Population Fellowship, The Population and Development St