Non-Stop Parenting and Generational Reciprocity Gap: Exploring Elderly Poverty in South Korea Through an Intergenerational Sustainability Lens

Abstract

Later-life poverty is a complex issue, particularly in South Korea. This study investigates this puzzling phenomenon, focusing on continuing parental investment and its impact on economic hardship facing older people in the contemporary Korean context. Data were derived from critical document analysis and interviews with 26 participants, including older people experiencing poverty and professional experts. Thematic analysis revealed the impact of older adults' ongoing parenting on their financial security and well-being. The "generational reciprocity gap" is proposed as a framework for understanding the dynamic and temporal nature of intergenerational exchanges and their influence on economic strain in later life.