Aging Society in South Korea Reveals The Rise of Robot Workers
On Tuesday, 2nd February 2021, Pope Francis establishes World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. As it mentioned in Vatican News, Pope Francis has decided to institute a Church-wide celebration of a World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Starting this year, it will be held on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the liturgical memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
Moment of elderly reminded by Pope Francis comes as an idea for me to explore about aging society. This article would like to gives you several information and context of aging society and the impact for industry.
An article in Kompas Daily published in1st February 2021 specifically on the headline of international desk was reporting about crisis of young generation in South Korea. The article said, South Korea has been struggling with serious problem of citizen because of the highest number of elderly compared to the population of productive and younger citizen that smaller. If we already know that Japan also one the of East Asian country with the same problem, South Korean might never been mentioned before.
Based on the Yonhap Report (2020), number of deaths in South Korea was 307.764 people, higher than number of birth that recorded 275.815. As The Guardian reported, President Moon Jae-in created policy to push couples in South Korea having more than one kid. Unfortunately, experts said, the program wasn’t effective because the policy didn’t support couples with incentives to provide their kids and family.
PRIVATE SECTOR STRATEGY
Human resources crisis at some point would be the problem for private sector. Statista, global data statistic platform launched report from International Federation of Robotics that mention South Korea as the country with the highest density of robot workers.
South Korea known as biggest creative industry in the world. Korean drama, K-Pop, and foods innovation successfully expand using their artists as an icon. It indicates young generation in South Korea would enter creative industry instead of manufacture in order to succeed culture diplomacy.
This fact means, South Korea’s contradictive condition at some point might harm their creative industry if they can’t solved population problem. To solve it, South Korea seems rising their machine especially in manufacture industry. As International Federation of Robotics reveals, the pace of industrial automation accelerating across much of the developed world with 74 Installed Industrial robots per 10.000 employees globally in 2016.
Statista also noted that by 2020, that increased to 113 across the manufacturing sector. Practically, in South Korea had 885 installed industrial robot per 10.000 employees. That is mainly due to the continued installation of high volume robots in the electronics and electric sectors. On the other hand, Japan with aging society and also main players of industrial robotics and technology sit on second place under South Korea.
I can conclude that even South Korea doesn’t solved their population challenges, they might survive because they have other plan to make sure the industry continued due pandemic and aging society.
Sources:
Statista, The Countries With The Highest Density of Robot Workers
Kompas Daily, Bom Waktu Kependudukan, 1st February 2021
