고령자 웰다잉을 위한 법제 개선 방안 (4)

Abstract

This paper deals with the topic of so-called education about death or preparation for death. This paper, as part of the studies from a legal perspective on the well-dying of the elderly, aims to analyze the current status of legislation and operation related to death (preparation) education and seek improvement points. The Elderly experience so-called ‘death anxiety’, where they feel fear and stress about their own death through the death of family members and relatives. The purpose of death education is to alleviate and resolve this ‘death anxiety’ through understanding the process and nature of death, to rediscover the value and meaning of life, and to have a positive attitude toward the remaining life and the future. Through death education, it becomes possible to exercise the correct ‘right to self-determination’ to independently decide how to end one’s life. This paper reviews the legal and institutional status of death education. The death education for the elderly is carried out as part of elderly education or leisure activities at leisure welfare facilities for the elderly (for example, welfare center for senior citizens, center for senior citizens, educational courses for senior citizens, etc.) under the Welfare of Senior Citizens Act. In addition, Jeju Island is the first and currently only local government in Korea to enact and implement an ordinance on death education. This paper proposes the following as a legal and institutional improvement plan for death education. First, it is necessary to systematically legislate various matters related to death education for the elderly. Next is to improve the death education contents delivery system for the elderly. Lastly, it is required to classify the subjects of death education by age and provide education contents appropriate for each age group, thereby promoting death education for the elderly and institutionalizing death education for youth.