고령사회 진입에 따른 환경문제 및 정책과제 = Environmental Needs and Associated Policies of the Aged Society in Korea

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

By 2018, Korea is expected to transition into an aged society, as 14.3% of its total population will be elderly who are older than 64. Nonetheless, no study has been performed to sufficiently investigate what national policies should be prepared to respond to future environmental needs which Korea would face soon once it transitions into an aged society. By referring to previous related studies, this study tries to answer the following questions: during its transition into an aged society, what environmental needs will the Korean society have in the future? And what national policies will the Korean government have to prepare to meet its future environmental needs? Based on the research outcome generated specifically from performing a large-scaled survey for different age groups and implementing in-depth interviews of elderly residing in various regions, this study finds out that different age groups in the future will have different environmental needs based on their mobility, resource consumption, residence, and health. Simply put, a study such as this is needed for the Korean government to consider national policies or measures on the following points. First, the accessibility of public transports should be more secure. Second, the air quality of indoors should be managed systematically. Third, the energy efficiency of houses should be further improved. Fourth, more social education and campaigns on saving resources should be implemented widely. Fifth, green parks or spaces should be more readily available, particularly in urban areas. Lastly, rapid response alarm systems to cope with extreme weather conditions should be arranged and operated effectively, due especially to the ongoing climate change.