The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy is pushing to enact a law designed to force people to take more responsibility in taking care of their elderly parents. The envisioned act would allow elders to take back assets given to children who neglect their caregiving obligations. Under the current law, it is impossible for parents to revoke asset transfers to their children unless such obligations are specified in the form of a contract.

NPAD lawmakers are also pushing ahead with the revision of a law to make it possible to punish abusive adult children without complaints from parents.

In the eyes of some critics, these legislative initiatives have been motivated by the liberal opposition party’s desire to gain more support from elderly voters, who tend to favor conservative candidates.

Even so, NPAD officials are right to say the envisioned legislation would help cope with worsening elderly poverty and abuse in Korean society.

The number of reported cases of elderly abuse increased from 264 in 2009 to 3,411 in 2011 and 3,520 in 2014, according to government data.

More than 80 percent of the cases tallied last year were committed by family members. Elderly abuse at care facilities has also increased at an alarming pace in recent years, as they are accommodating a growing number of senior people.

In a survey of 10,452 people aged 65 or above, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare last year, about 10 percent of the respondents said they had experienced physical, emotional and other forms of abuse over the past year.

Elderly people struggling with poverty and illness are more likely to take their lives when subject to abuse.

More than 123 per 100,000 Koreans aged 80 or older commit suicide every year. The figure is four times as high as the country’s overall suicide rate, which stood at 29.1 per 100,000 in 2012, the highest level among the 34-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

With the life expectancy of Koreans forecast to continue rising from 80.8 in 2010, the population aged 85 or above is projected to double from 498,321 last year to 1.16 million in 2025.

Reducing and preventing elderly abuse requires a two-pronged approach of strengthening punishment and offering more consistent and effective help in taking care of senior people. Measures should be taken, in particular, to ease the burden on householders in their 60s and 70s who still care for their parents.