S. Korean society aging rapidly: report

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- The number of South Koreans aged 65 years and older
grew to just over 10 percent of the nation's population, a government report
showed Wednesday, pointing to the country's rapid transition towards an "aged
society."

According to the report by the National Statistical Office (NSO), 5.01 million
people here are aged 65 or older as of July, accounting for 10.3 percent of the
nation's 48 million people. The corresponding figure in 1998 was 6.6 percent, the
office said.
An aged society refers to a country in which more than 14 percent of the
population is 65 or older. South Korea became an aging society in 2000 when the
ratio exceeded 7 percent and it is expected to become an aged society in 2018,
the office said.
Among senior citizens, the No. 1 cause of death was cancer, with lung cancer
taking the most lives. Illnesses related to the brain such as stroke came next,
followed by heart diseases, the report showed.
Divorces and remarriages among seniors are on the rise, according to the report.
A total of 1,427 divorces were filed by those within the population bracket, a
5.8-fold increase compared with a decade ago.
Men reported 2,004 cases of remarriage, while 610 women married again, the
reports said. Compared with 10 years ago, the figures are 2.3 times and 3.7 times
higher, respectively, according to the report.