South Korea’s rapid shift into a super-aged society heightens the need to understand the diverse determinants of life satisfaction among older adults. While prior studies emphasize health, social relationships, and physical activity, they commonly treat the elderly as a homogeneous group and insufficiently account for Korea’s significant urban–rural divides. This study addresses these gaps by examining how life satisfaction differs across early (65–74), middle (75–84), and late old age (85+) within distinct residential contexts.

Using nationally representative data from the 2023 National Survey of Older Koreans (N=10,078), we analyze the structural effects of age-group heterogeneity and urban–rural environments on three endogenous predictors of life satisfaction: social connectedness, physical activity, and subjective health. Given the bidirectional relationships between these determinants and life satisfaction, we employ two-stage least squares (2SLS) to address endogeneity and ensure consistent estimates.

The results show substantial variation. Social connectedness more strongly predicts life satisfaction in rural areas, reflecting the salience of community ties, whereas physical activity exerts greater influence among urban elders, likely due to built-environment differences. Subjective health remains a strong determinant across all groups but has the largest effect among the late-old-age population. Some determinants even shift direction by context: dwelling satisfaction increases life satisfaction in rural areas but shows a negative association in urban settings, suggesting housing-related psychological pressures.

These findings underscore the importance of age-specific and region-sensitive aging policies as Korea prepares to implement an integrated regional care system in 2026. The study offers evidence-based guidance for tailoring interventions in rapidly aging Asian societies.

Authors:
Hyun-chool Lee, Konkuk University, South Korea

About the Presenter(s)
Hyun-Chool Lee is Professor of Political Science and Diplomacy at Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.My current projrct is "Beyond the Demographic Cliff: Designing a New Social Contract in a Shrinking Society."

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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