Aged orphans are orphans who must leave their orphanages. Orphans are forced to leave at a certain age and when they leave, they are given $5000 to start their new life outside of their orphanage. Orphans are oftentimes trapped in poverty as well.

According to KBS, 40% of them end up below the poverty line in Seoul and 60% have jobs that pay less than $1,500 a month. It is nearly impossible to create a stable life with $5000, and many orphans tend to lack the motivation to study hard or work hard when they become independent.

Says Ms. Julie Duvall from Love Beyond the Orphanage, an organization which aims to help aged-out orphans in Korea, most orphans don’t get ready to live their new lives because they think they have a plenty of time before becoming independent.

https://news.joins.com/article/17193770

Another problem is that even when orphans study hard an excel in academics, they are not supported to go to college. The government needs to realize that the situation these orphans are facing stops them from being able to focus on their studies. Most students who are not orphans have parents who tell them constantly that they should concentrate solely on studying. These orphans do not have anyone who is so worried about them that they keep on reminding them that studying is so important for their future.

Due to the lack of knowledge with money, they go to spend most of their money on things that are not necessary to them. Ms. Lee from 고아권익연대 says that orphans should learn to be independent, to help them adapt better to society. Orphans have so many things done for them by the staff at the orphanages, and with this, they cannot get any real-life experience unlike other children whose parents give chores and other responsibilities. To this, I believe that there needs to be a financial education that prepares them from a young age, and changes in the law to give them more money when they become independent.

유승현 강남포스트 학생기자  webmaster@ignnews.kr

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