Tapgol Park and the challenges of an aging society

Tapgol Park in Seoul’s Jongno District appears in the Netflix series Squid Game, which has been viewed by hundreds of millions worldwide. In one scene, the game recruiter known as “Ddakji Man” solicits participants from elderly people and homeless individuals in the park. In numerous films and dramas, Tapgol Park has often been depicted as a gathering place for elderly people and homeless individuals with nowhere else to go. Media reports frequently describe it as a “playground for the elderly” and a “holy site for the homeless.”

Recently, Jongno District stirred controversy by removing the Go and Janggi (Korean chess) boards along the park’s fence, saying it was part of an effort to improve the park’s image. The district office explained that the boards were removed because disputes and scuffles often occurred among the elderly playing games, and incidents such as public urination made it difficult for other citizens to use the park. Critics, however, argued that the issue could have been addressed through law enforcement and environmental improvements rather than dismantling the elderly’s recreational space. They also said the move fostered ageism and social stigma.

The district office’s predicament is understandable. Complaints related to the elderly and homeless have been constant in Tapgol Park, and local merchants have repeatedly voiced concerns that their businesses were being harmed. Established in 1897 as Korea’s first modern-style park, Tapgol Park is designated as Historic Site No. 354, a national cultural heritage. As the birthplace of the March 1st Independence Movement, where annual commemorations are held, it would have been difficult for authorities to ignore the negative perception of this historic site as a gathering place for the elderly and homeless.

However, the structural reasons drawing elderly people to Tapgol Park cannot be ignored. Many became socially marginalized, unable to keep up with Korea’s turbulent modern history, including liberation from Japanese rule, the Korean War, and the development of Gangnam. Preoccupied with making a living and raising children, they neglected retirement planning. Once they became elderly, finding suitable employment became difficult. Today’s labor market, centered on the working-age population, offers most elderly workers only low-skilled positions. Even those who graduated from prestigious universities and retired from large corporations often take simple part-time jobs, such as security guard work, valet parking, or sewing buttons onto bags.

The replacement rate of public pensions in terms of real income is barely over 20 percent. Although South Korea ranks among the world’s top 10 economies, its elderly poverty rate remains consistently among the highest in OECD countries. Poverty becomes increasingly severe among those aged 75 and older. As earned income declines and health deteriorates, the poverty rate for this age group exceeds 50 percent.

A significant portion of the elderly who visit Tapgol Park are precisely this group. As the population ages and poverty among the elderly rises, the social burden inevitably increases. The number of elderly people aged 65 and older supported by every 100 working-age individuals is projected to rise from about 27 in 2025 to 74 in 2050, and 81 by 2070. The negative image of Tapgol Park and ageist expressions such as “old geezer insects” are closely tied to the pressures faced by the younger generation in this reality.

The controversy over the removal of the Janggi boards at Tapgol Park illustrates, in a condensed form, the congregation of vulnerable populations arising from a lack of fundamental social protections, as well as the resulting waste of administrative resources. By 2070, nearly half of South Korea’s population (46 percent) will be aged 65 and older. If the economic and social roles of the elderly, who will constitute a vast majority in an aging society, are not expanded to create new “points of engagement,” today’s conflicts at Tapgol Park are likely to repeat in other spaces tomorrow.