Comparison of the living arrangements of the elderly in China and Korea

摘要

This study analyzes the differences of the living arrangements of the elderly in Chinese and Korean towns. This study is based on the data that Lin and Kim showed in the investigations in which they interviewed the elderly in Yantai, China and Korean cities. Summary of the results are: There's a large proportion of old people who live with married children in Korean cities, while the proportion is relatively small in Yantai. The reason of not living together with children is not much different between Korean and Chinese elderly, but quite different in the reasons of living together. The main reasons for the Korean elderly to live with children are that it is taken for granted for them to live with children as a tradition. However, the elderly in Yantai select the same choice aiming at helping their children economically. By analyzing the findings we can draw a following conclusion: most of the elderly in Korean cities choose to live with their children as a tradition. But the elderly in Yantai of China make their decisions based on the reality. Many of them choose to live alone because they are independent and against the traditional way of supporting the elderly.