Young caregivers between ages 9 to 24 see education, careers disrupted from duties

A child walks to a playground in Daegu on March 17. [NEWS1]

 
Young caregivers in Korea — people aged 9 to 24 who provide unpaid care for family members, often in place of adults — are increasingly seeing their education or careers disrupted, with one in five having contemplated quitting school or work due to their responsibilities, a study showed on Tuesday.
 
That figure rose to nearly four in 10 when considering only young caregivers who are also primary caregivers, or the main person responsible for the well-being of one or more individuals, underscoring growing concerns over young caregivers' right to education and career development, according to the National Youth Policy Institute's report. 
 

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Of the 577 respondents, 21.5 percent stated that they had considered quitting school or work due to their caregiving responsibilities. The proportion rose sharply with age, from 9.8 percent among those under 13 to 31.6 percent among those 19 to 24.
 
The burden of being a primary caregiver was also more pronounced in low-income households. Among adolescents in households earning less than 3 million won ($2,000) per month, 52.4 percent were primary caregivers, compared to 22.6 percent in households earning 5 million won or more.
 
“Youth from low-income households are more likely to shoulder caregiving responsibilities alone due to a lack of alternative support sources,” the researchers said.
 
Nearly half of the respondents became caregivers at an early age. According to the report, 20.1 percent started before the age of 9 and 27.9 percent between the ages of 9 and 12, meaning that a combined 48 percent had become caregivers before the age of 13. 
 

Children read at an elementary school in Gyeonggi on March 6. [NEWS1]

 
The main reasons that someone required care were chronic illness, physical challenges, language and cultural difficulties and mental illness or disabilities, in that order.
 
When asked how their responsibilities have affected their education or work, 30.2 percent of respondents answered that they had been late to, left early from or completely missed school or work due to their duties. They also cited their own physical fatigue, the difficulty of leaving family members unattended and being stressed or depressed as key reasons for wanting to quit school or work. 
 
When asked which areas in life they most needed support, 76.9 percent of respondents mentioned assistance with living expenses and medical costs. The second most cited demand was for health care, followed by career support and housing assistance. Respondents also indicated the need for services that reduce daily burdens, such as help with meals and household chores. 
 
“The burden faced by young caregivers can no longer be viewed as an individual or family issue but as a social problem that infringes on their basic rights. An integrated support system is needed to identify such cases early and connect [families] with appropriate assistance,” the researchers said.


This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM NAM-YOUNG [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]