The Propaganda vs. Reality Dichotomy
On the surface, North Korea's legal framework appears to provide robust protections for its senior citizens. The country's Protection of the Elderly Law, adopted in 2007, outlines state responsibilities, including providing pensions, healthcare, and cultural activities for citizens over 60. State media frequently highlights lavish, state-run nursing homes in showcase cities like Pyongyang, portraying a caring and supportive socialist system. Official pronouncements also celebrate long-lived individuals and elderly war veterans as symbols of the regime's benevolence.
However, a closer look, primarily through the accounts of North Korean defectors and independent human rights investigations, reveals that this official narrative is a carefully constructed façade. The state's proclaimed commitments bear little resemblance to the lived experiences of the vast majority of the country's aging population. The disconnect between policy and practice is one of the most defining characteristics of how the elderly are treated in North Korea.
The Collapsed State Pension System
One of the most significant failures of the state's social safety net is the collapse of the pension system. While the law promises pensions to retirees (men at 60, women at 55), these are rarely paid consistently, if at all. Even when received, the amounts are so negligible—sometimes only a few hundred or a thousand North Korean won per month—that they are essentially worthless, often not even enough to buy a kilogram of rice or a handful of candies.
This collapse forces seniors into desperate situations, leaving them without the financial security they were promised. The failure is attributed to North Korea's long-standing economic struggles, resource scarcity, and the impact of international sanctions, which have crippled the central state's ability to fund social programs. In some regions, pensions that are paid out are reportedly funded by taxes from local market merchants, demonstrating the state's financial insolvency.
Economic Hardship and Reliance on Markets
With state support absent, the burden of care falls overwhelmingly on families and the elderly themselves. A 2017 survey of defectors by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University revealed that over 55% of respondents said seniors relied on their families, while around 31% reported the elderly had to earn money through market activities known as jangmadang.
Older North Koreans without family support, or those who are too frail to work in the informal markets, face the most severe risks. They are often reduced to begging, a phenomenon that has reportedly increased in recent years, giving rise to the term nojebi—elderly beggars. The state’s strict border closures and internal travel restrictions, particularly since 2020, have further restricted economic opportunities and market access, exacerbating food shortages and worsening the humanitarian crisis for vulnerable groups, including the elderly.
Inadequate Healthcare and Living Conditions
Despite the legal promise of free medical care, the system is dysfunctional and inadequate. Chronic illnesses are prevalent among the elderly, yet access to proper medical treatment is severely limited. A 2017 defector survey found that over half of the respondents were dissatisfied with North Korea’s healthcare. Outside of Pyongyang's privileged circles, medical infrastructure is poor, and essential medicines and equipment are scarce.
Beyond healthcare, living conditions for many elderly are subpar. Many reside in outdated housing, often built between the 1950s and 1990s, with inadequate heating and poor structural integrity, particularly in rural areas.
The Social and Political Isolation of Seniors
Even in retirement, the elderly are not free from the regime's control. They are expected to participate in mandatory political study sessions and self-criticism meetings, albeit less frequently than active workers. The state also cracks down on informal social gatherings of seniors in public parks, fearing they might use their free time to criticize the government and its policies. This adds to the social isolation and prevents older citizens from forming supportive community networks.
The Plight of the Vulnerable Elderly (Nojebi)
In contrast to the showcase facilities in the capital, the reality for the most vulnerable seniors is grim. The term nojebi highlights the emergence of a new social class of elderly beggars. These individuals, often without family or resources, are forced to wander and beg for survival. The state's efforts to create new nursing homes are often met with skepticism, as citizens worry about the compulsory nature of these facilities and whether they will be properly maintained, mirroring concerns from defectors that existing homes are inadequately run.
A Glimmer of State-Sponsored Care? Propaganda vs. Reality
Some elderly individuals do receive better treatment, but this is almost exclusively a result of propaganda efforts. War veterans or those with strong ties to the regime are paraded for state media consumption, receiving privileges and attention from the highest levels of government. The Pyongyang Old People's Home, for example, is equipped with facilities meant for show, not widespread use, and serves as a tool to project an image of state benevolence. While some state projects to build new facilities or identify homeless elderly have been initiated, their actual reach and efficacy are widely questioned.
Conclusion: A Disintegrating Safety Net
The state's treatment of the elderly in North Korea represents a profound failure of its social contract. While laws exist on paper to protect seniors, a severe lack of resources and economic hardship has rendered the formal social security system nearly nonexistent. This forces the elderly to rely on fragile family support or resort to desperate measures for survival, all while facing political and social isolation under a repressive regime. The vast majority of North Korea's seniors exist in a state of poverty and neglect, a grim reality sharply contrasted by the regime's carefully curated public image. For an in-depth report on recent human rights issues that impact vulnerable populations like the elderly, please refer to the Human Rights Watch annual report.
