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At what age does one become a senior citizen? The question has significant implications for South Korea’s policy making as the country grays rapidly. In most cases, public benefits for senior citizens such as the basic pension 기초연금 and free subway rides begin at age 65. But according to a survey by Oxopolitics 옥소폴리틱스 conducted on October 6, only 64.1% of respondents said 65-year-olds should be considered “elderly.”
Even among those aged over 60 years old, only 32% said 65-year-olds should be considered elderly. When do you get old, then? In the same survey, 52.7% overall said senior citizenship begins between 70 and 74 years old.