죽음. 우리는 어떻게 준비해야 할까? l KBS 다큐 인사이트 - 좋은 죽음을 묻습니다 260507 방송

KBS Documentary Insight - Asking About a Good Death May 7 (Thu), 10 PM, KBS 1TV Death Comes to Everyone Preparing for and Facing the End A Choice That Preserves Dignity and Peace We know of death, but we rarely think about how we should die. Death remains a story we want to keep far away and an event we wish to face later. However, reality is changing rapidly. As we enter a super-aged society, deaths are occurring more frequently and in greater numbers; along with the rise in single-person households, solitary deaths and deaths without next of kin are increasing every year. Death is no longer a personal matter but has become an issue that the entire society must grapple with. What constitutes a good death for us today? In a reality where most people face death due to illness and suffering, is there no such thing as a good death? We sought answers through pre-death funerals and cemetery tours, corpse hotels and bereavement gatherings in Japan's "Dasa Society," and deaths observed in the field of public funerals and hospice care. ■ The Final Process Centered on the Deceased: Funeral “I view the funeral as something created to handle death in a humane way.” Kim Si-deok / Professor, Major in Funeral Industry, Eulji University A funeral is an inevitable event that follows death. More important than formalities and procedures is preserving the dignity of the deceased and having a heart of mourning. Kim Young-rae, a funeral director with 30 years of experience, conducts funerals with the deceased at the center, rather than the chief mourner. To him, the act of preparing the deceased’s body—embalming—is akin to protecting human dignity. The bodies of the deceased must be treated with the same respect as those of the living. ■ Preparing for Death: Pre-death Funerals and Cemetery Tours “We plan and prepare everything when we get married, don’t we? I think it would be good to prepare for death as well.” Gong Bo-ram / Daughter of the protagonist of a pre-death funeral There are people who hold their own funerals while still alive. A pre-death funeral is a gathering where family and acquaintances come together to spend meaningful time before death arrives. A culture of preparing for death oneself, rather than facing it suddenly, is emerging. *Funerals in Life: The Final Process Centered on the Deceased* There are also people who go on cemetery tours. They prepare in advance for what will happen after death, while also reflecting on their current lives. We need to be able to speak more about death in our daily lives. ■ Japan: The Normalization of Death Created by a "Society of Death-Related Incidents" “Death events are truly happening in our daily lives. Are we prepared to face them?” Park Mi-yeon / Professor, Department of Death Education and Counseling, Hanshin University Japan, having experienced a super-aged society first, entered a "society of death-related incidents" early on. Death is no longer an unfamiliar event, but has become a part of daily life. In Japan, where crematoriums are becoming insufficient due to the surge in deaths, "corpse hotels"—where bodies can be interred and funerals conducted—are on the rise. There is even an experience where participants can step directly into a coffin. Inside the coffin, participants come to realize anew the preciousness of their time alive and their families, rather than the fear of death. “It is important to live this very moment to the fullest. However, today’s elderly are living in a state of anxiety.” Midori Kotani / Organizer of the Bereaved Support Group, Professor of Death Studies at Rikkyo University Death scholar Kotani established a group to help alleviate the anxiety of those who have lost their spouses. In a society where death is common, the anxiety surrounding life and death for those living alone is growing. ■ The End of Life Completed Through Warm Care “Public funerals signify that the state and the public sector guarantee a dignified death for those who die without relatives, or for those who have relatives but whose families lack the financial means to hold a funeral.” Choi Go-un / Operator of the Busan Citizens’ Public Funeral Condolence Group, Representative of the Busan Anti-Poverty Center The number of deaths among the isolated, such as solitary deaths and deaths without relatives, is increasing every year. The Busan Public Funeral Condolence Group is a civic organization that accompanies the final journey of those who passed away amidst poverty and isolation. They state that everyone has the right to mourn and be mourned. “What we desire is a comfortable state before death. It is the process itself that is comfortable.” - Jeong Geuk-gyu / Hospice Doctor The final journey toward a good death is hospice care. Hospice is a place that helps patients reduce their suffering by controlling pain and allows them to face their passing in a comfortable state. Under the care of hospice staff, clergy, social...