Care Bankruptcy, How Should We Respond?

On February 24, Age Platform Korea, an affiliate of the Korean Association of Retired Persons (KARP) led by President Juch Myong-Yong, held its second February Taoreum Talk Concert at the association’s auditorium in Gwangjang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.

Following opening remarks by President Juch, Senior Research Fellow Lee Seok-koo delivered a keynote presentation titled, “Care Bankruptcy: How Should We Respond? The Care Crisis Approaching Us.”

The following is a summary of the presentation.

South Korea, now firmly in a super-aged society, is facing a mounting “care crisis.” Caregiving costs are rising to unsustainable levels, while shortages of care workers are deepening. As a potential solution, efforts are accelerating worldwide to develop humanoid robots capable of assisting with elder care.

The current situation is stark. The proportion of Koreans aged 65 and older has surpassed 20 percent, and the population aged 90 and above has increased by 22 percent in just four years. The National Health Insurance Research Institute projects a shortage of 116,000 care workers by 2028. With both rapid population aging and the aging of the caregiving workforce occurring simultaneously, the country faces a structural care crisis.

In extreme cases, caregiver burnout has led to so-called “care-related homicide.” Japan records an annual average of 46 such cases. Although Korea does not officially compile these statistics, court records show an average of 13 guilty verdicts per year over the past 13 years. Meanwhile, people in their 40s and 50s have become a “sandwich generation,” responsible for supporting both children and elderly parents. The average monthly caregiving cost of 1.3 million won, combined with child-rearing expenses, is eroding household finances. According to national data, average monthly disposable income for these households declined from 840,000 won in 2020 to around 650,000 won in 2024.

Global companies such as Tesla and Figure AI are competing to develop humanoid robots, including projects like Optimus and Figure 01. However, building machines with human-level judgment and empathy remains technologically challenging. Costs are expected to run into hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit, making them prohibitively expensive for widespread caregiving use. When maintenance and servicing expenses are included, experts caution that humanoids are unlikely to become a practical mainstream solution in the near term.

Instead, attention is shifting to “non-humanoid” care technologies already being deployed in real-world settings. Wearable devices, fall-detection sensors, and AI-based health monitoring systems are helping reduce hospitalizations by detecting emergencies in advance.

In Korea, emotional care robots such as Hyodol and Hyosoon are being utilized through dementia support centers and local government programs. Equipped with conversational functions, medication and meal reminders, cognitive training features, and emergency alerts to guardians or 119 in cases of prolonged inactivity, these robots are contributing to the prevention of solitary deaths and the promotion of emotional stability. Pilot and distribution programs are underway in multiple municipalities nationwide.

Experts forecast that the future of care will not rely on humanoids alone but will instead be built on collaborative systems combining human caregivers, AI, and sensor technologies. Rather than fully replacing human care, technology is expected to serve as a practical complement that reduces gaps in the caregiving system.