<Anchor>
Seven years have passed since the case of Songpa's three mothers and daughters, who died after suffering from high school life.
After that, several countermeasures came out, but it is confirmed that 57 people died of hunger in the last 5 years and 11 people each year.
It is estimated that there are more cases that are not caught in the statistics, and reporter Yun Nara reported.
<Reporter>
In May of last year, a man in his 50s was found dead in a container in Sacheon, Gyeongnam.
After failing in business and divorcing, he lived alone, and he often skipped meals as his work decreased.
[Neighboring residents: While working, we ate with people we were with, but since there is no work, the meals aren't working properly.]
A memo asking for food from acquaintances was also found.
[Police official: (in the memo) there was a message asking for something to eat, and I lost a lot of weight in my body...
.] It
was found half a year after death and was in a severely corrupt state, and it is believed that he died after suffering from hunger.
[Kyung-Moo Yang/Director of Forensic Medicine, National Institute of Scientific Investigation: The physique is quite poor, and the possibility of nutritional deficiency until death should be considered...
It seems that the amount of muscle or subcutaneous fat has decreased considerably.]
Most of the starvation occurs in a socially isolated state, and the body is left for a long time, making it difficult to accurately diagnose the cause of death.
[Kyung-Moo Yang/Director of Forensic Medicine, National Institute for Scientific Investigations: There are cases of corruption and discovery.
If you are diagnosed with corruption, it may have been marked as a different cause, even if there was hunger.
(There is a possibility that there will be more starvation that has not been revealed?) Yes.] In
particular, last year, more cases were suspected of starvation due to the aftermath of Corona 19.
[Seo Joong-seok/Former Director of the National Institute of Scientific Investigation: (I) I think the body, which I think may have been exposed to these conditions of starvation in 2020, has autopsied about 5 to 6 cases.
Before that, (I) did 1-2 cases a year.] I
am a man in his 40s living alone at a ryokan in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul.
After losing their job in February of last year, it is said that there have been more days of starving.
[A man in his 40s who lives in a ryokan: I want to eat three meals.
(By the way) I can't work and I'm starving.
I cry because I am sad at night.] I have a
serious heart disease, so I applied for basic living, but I am not getting any help because I am able to work and I am not registered as a disabled person.
For these vulnerable groups, places that operate free sharing stores have begun to emerge.
This is the '0 Won Market' in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, which opened early last month.
You can bring 4 kinds of necessities for free once a month, and we are looking for more than 10 people a day.
[Kim Yang-yu/'0 Won Market' volunteers: Mostly rice, red pepper paste, and miso (bring it.) There are also young people.
Even though I was in my 30s, it was difficult to live in Gosiwon,
but if chronic poverty continues, it may become difficult to ask for help from around the world.
[Kim Hyun-su/psychiatrist: There is a poverty delusion.
'No one can help.
And I have nothing.' When these two are accompanied, you can leave yourself dead without asking for any help.]
All 57 people have died of starvation in the past five years since 2015.
If accurate fact-finding and countermeasures are not supported, hunger will inevitably continue even in Korea, the 10th largest economy in the world.
(VJ: Taec Yoon)