South Korea’s lack of comprehensive public eldercare services and the high costs of professional care services force many families to provide care themselves, resulting in significant financial strain and, in extreme cases, the murder of dependent elderly relatives.

Kim Sang-hoe, a 65-year-old noodle shop owner from Seoul, exemplifies this struggle. He endured over a decade of financial and emotional hardship while caring for his elderly mother, who recently died from cancer in 2023.