US or Korea: Where will Korean Americans retire? 한국, 미국? : 재미동포는 어디에서 은퇴할까?

[김우정]

여러분은 은퇴하면 어디서 살고 싶은가요?
미국에사는 한국교포들은 한국으로 돌아올 것을 고려하는 사람들이 증가하고 있습니다.
미국의 높은 요양원비용과 고국에 대한 그리움이 중요한 요인입니다.
한국에서 살기위한 F4비자, 높은 생활비가 걸림돌이 될 수 있습니다. 
 
US or Korea: Where will Korean Americans retire?
한국, 미국? : 재미동포는 어디에서 은퇴할까?

By Dami Kim
Dami Kim (dami.kim91@gmail.com) is a freelance journalist based in Dallas.
김다미씨는 댈러스에 사는 프리랜서 저널리스트이다
Posted : 2023-09-16 09:35Updated : 2023-09-16 21:27
Korea Times

Retirement communities, which are referred to as "silver towns" in Korea, offer assisted living. Some Korean American retirees consider moving to Korea and living out their twilight years in such places, which provide higher quality services, health care and meals than those in the U.S. at more affordable prices. Gettyimagesbank 한국에서 “실버타운”으로 불리는 은퇴자 커뮤니티는 도움을 주는 생활을 제공한다. 일부 한인 은퇴자들은 한국으로 건너가 미국보다 질 높은 서비스와 의료, 식사를 저렴한 가격에 제공하는 황혼기를 보내는 것을 고려하고 있다. 게티이미지뱅크

DALLAS ― With birthrates hitting an all-time low and life expectancies getting longer due to extensive yet affordable health care in Korea, serving seniors has become big business in the country.
델러스 ― 출생률이 역대 최저치를 기록하고 있으며, 한국의 지속가능하고 저렴한 의료 시스템으로 수명이 연장되면서 어르신들을 위한 서비스는 한국에서 큰 비즈니스가 되었다.

Major conglomerates like Samsung and Lotte have built or are in the process of building retirement communities, which are also called "silver towns" in Korea.
삼성과 롯데와 같은 대형 기업들은 노인복지 커뮤니티인 "실버 타운"으로도 불리는 노후커뮤니티를 건설하거나 건설 중에 있다.

Silver towns are communities designed specifically to cater to the elderly.
실버 타운은 주로 노인들을 위해 설계된 커뮤니티이다.

Koreans like Choi Hee who are nearing retirement say silver towns are not for everyone.
퇴직이 다가온 최희씨와 같은 한국인들은 실버 타운이 모두에게 맞는 것은 아니라고 말한다.

"They're made for the top 1 percent of Korea. My husband and I did quite well for ourselves, but we still don't think we'd have enough to enter a luxurious silver town with our retirement funds. Not to mention, there are waiting lists for a lot of the popular communities," Choi said.
"그것들은 대한민국 상위 1%를 위해 만들어졌다. 남편과 나도 꽤 잘 해먹었지만 우리의 퇴직자금으로 호화로운 실버 타운에 들어갈 만큼 충분한 돈이 있다고 생각하지 않는다. 게다가 많은 인기있는 커뮤니티에는 대기명단이 있는 경우가 많다." 최씨가 말했다.

As Choi mentioned, having sufficient funds is not the only requirement. There are usually waiting lists and these lists average anywhere from six months to a whopping five years for top-tier silver towns. That is some serious competition.
최씨가 언급한 것처럼, 충분한 자금을 갖고 있는 것만이 요구사항은 아니다. 일반적으로 최상위 실버 타운의 대기명단은 평균 6개월에서 최대 5년까지 어디든 높을 수 있다. 이것는 상당한 경쟁이다.

But Koreans should brace themselves for even more competition in the following years as there is a new interested party in the world of luxurious retirement spots: Korean Americans.
그러나 한국인들은 미래 몇년 동안 럭셔리한 은퇴지에서 경쟁이 더욱 치열해질 것으로 준비해야 한다: 한국계 미국인들이 새롭게 관심을 가지고 있기 때문이다.

Retiring in an assisted living senior community in the U.S. is very costly. Genworth, a long-term care financial company, reported that seniors wanting to reside in an assisted living facility with around-the-clock nursing staff are spending anywhere between $3,500 and $10,500 a month per person.
미국에서 노인 복지 커뮤니티에서 은퇴하는 것은 매우 비용이 든다. 장기 보건금융 회사인 Genworth에 따르면, 24시간 간호 스태프가 상주하는 복지 시설에 거주하려는 노인들은 한 명당 월 3,500달러에서 10,500달러 사이를 지출하고 있다.

High monthly costs, quality of care, language barriers, convenience, outdated living spaces and food choices are some of the many reasons Korean American seniors like Jason Hong are looking forward to entering a silver town in Korea.
높은 월 비용, 의료 서비스의 질, 언어장벽, 편의성, 구식의 주거 공간 및 음식 선택은 Jason Hong과 같은 한국계 미국인 어르신들이 한국의 실버 타운에 입주하기를 고대하는 이유 중 일부이다.

 

Jason Hong, right, and his wife, who are Korean Americans, pose during their trip to Scotland in this undated photo. The couple is contemplating where to settle after retirement, with Korea as one of the options. Courtesy of Jason Hong 날짜 미상의 이 사진은 재미교포인 제이슨 홍(오른쪽)씨 부부가 스코틀랜드 여행 중 포즈를 취하고 있다. 부부는 한국을 선택지로 두고 은퇴 후 어디에 정착할지 고민하고 있다. 제이슨 홍씨 제공

Hong, based out of Austin, Texas, is already retired, and he and his wife currently spend time traveling the world.
오스틴, 텍사스에 거주하는 홍씨는 이미 은퇴했으며, 현재는 세계 여행을 즐기고 있다.

"We'll be in our mid-70s in five years, so we plan to move into a silver town then," Hong said. "Right now, we are able to drive ourselves around and we have the energy to travel throughout the year, but we figured around then we will want to slow down."
"5년 후에는 70대 중반일 것이므로, 그때 실버타운으로 이사가기로 계획하고 있다." 홍씨는 말했다. "현재로서는 우리는 스스로 자동차를 운전하고 연중 내내 여행을 다니기에 에너지가 넘치지만, 그때쯤 되면 늦추고 싶을 것 같다."

As to his biggest reason for wanting to move into a Korean silver town, Hong said, "Convenience. We don't have to drive in Korea. We can easily navigate the public transportation system or simply take a taxi to get anywhere we'd like. Also, our taste buds lean more toward Korean food than American food, so that's another big plus. Not to mention, the food served in American senior communities were more along the lines of processed foods and Korean silver towns serve more fresh-made food and delicacies."
한국의 실버 타운으로 이사 가기를 원하는 홍씨의 가장 큰 이유는 "편의성"이다. "한국에서는 차를 운전할 필요가 없다. 대중교통 시스템을 쉽게 이용하거나 택시를 타서 어디든 갈 수 있다. 게다가 우리의 입맛은 한식에 더 가깝기 때문에 큰 장점이다. 미국의 노인 커뮤니티에서 제공되는 음식은 주로 가공식품에 가까웠는데, 한국 실버 타운에서는 더 신선하게 만든 음식과 특산품이 제공된다." 홍씨는 덧붙였다.

Hong added, "My wife and I get by fine in the U.S. with our English, but we know we'd struggle with medical terms when it comes to discussing our health with health care providers. So that's another reason. And ultimately, the price for the quality was a big factor. In America, it costs about $5,000 per person to enter a facility that we felt was on par with the Korean silver town we had in mind. While that silver town requires a big lump sum deposit, it costs about $5,000 for the both of us. With so many more pros to retirement in Korea, we thought we should go to Korea to fully retire when we're tired of traveling."
홍씨는 덧붙였다. "내 아내와 나는 미국에서 영어로도 괜찮게 지낼 수 있지만, 건강 관련어휘로 자신을 표현하는 것이 힘들 것이라고 알고 있다. 그래서 이것도 하나의 이유이다. 게다가 가격대비 품질이 큰 요인이다. 미국에서는 우리가 상상한 한국 실버 타운과 비슷한 시설에 들어가려면 한 사람당 약 5,000달러가 든다. 그러나 그 실버타운은 큰 일시불을 필요로 하지만, 우리 둘 다 약 5,000달러에 머물게 된다. 한국에서 은퇴하는 데는 더 많은 장점들이 많아서 우리는 여행에 지칠 때 한국으로 완전히 은퇴하려고 생각했다."

However, interestingly enough, when asked which country he preferred overall, Hong said he finds himself more comfortable and at peace in the U.S.
그러나 흥미로운 점은 홍씨에게 전반적으로 어떤 나라를 선호하는지 묻자 홍씨는 미국에서 더 편안하고 평온하게 느낀다고 말했다.

"In Korea, people care too much about others' lives and sometimes I feel they care too much about the area you live in and school ties when it comes to meeting new people. Also, I wish the Korean government would spend more time working for the country and its citizens instead of wasting time taking sides and picking fights with each other. A lot of times their own interests seem to be prioritized over those of their citizens, which is unfortunate," Hong said.
"한국에서는 사람들이 다른 사람들의 삶에 너무 신경을 쓰는 편이고 때로는 새로운 사람들을 만날 때 사는 지역과 학교 관련사항에 너무 신경을 쓰는 것 같다. 또한, 한국정부가 시간을 낭비하지 않고 국가와 시민을 위해 노력했으면 좋겠다. 많은 경우 그들 자신의 이해관계가 시민들의 이해관계가 보다 우선시되는 경우가 많아 아쉽다."고 홍씨가 말했다.

However, Hong explained that these factors don't affect his decision to live in a silver town in Korea much.
그러나 홍씨는 이러한 요소들이 그를 한국의 실버타운에서 살 것인지에 대한 결정에 큰 영향을 미치지 않는다고 설명했다.

Like Hong, many Korean-American seniors who are nearing retirement are contemplating where they will call home in their golden years. Among those individuals are people like Hyun Yoo who are torn between the U.S. and Korea for sentimental reasons.
홍씨와 마찬가지로 퇴직이 다가온 많은 한국계 미국인 노인들은 노후를 어디에서 보낼 지 고민하고 있다. 유현씨와 같이 미국과 한국 사이에서 정서적으로 갈라지는 어른들도 그 중에 포함된다.

Yoo spent his years in America working hard to achieve the American dream and it's safe to say he has achieved it. After the successful operation of numerous bed and breakfasts throughout the state of California, he is ready to leave it behind for his home country. Yoo says one of the biggest reasons he began to consider a Korean silver town was that he missed the country he grew up in.
유씨는 미국에서 노력하여 미국 꿈을 이룬 것은 확실한데, 캘리포니아주 전역에 있는 여러 개의 민박을 성공적으로 운영한 후 이를 뒤로하고 고향으로 돌아가려고 한다. 유씨는 한국에서 자란 나라를 그리워해서 한국 실버 타운을 고려하기 시작한 가장 큰 이유 중 하나라고 말했다.

"Sure, the affordable luxury living is great, but for me loneliness is big. It's simple. I feel that the older you get, the more you yearn to be with people that are like you. I came here when I was an adult, so while I've found my place in society here, I miss the cultural connections that come so easy when I'm in Korea," Yoo said.
"물론, 저렴한 고급생활은 좋다. 그러나 나에게는 외로움이 큰 문제이다. 단순하다. 나이가 들면 들수록 나와 비슷한 사람들과 함께 있고 싶어진다. 나는 어른이 되어서 여기에 왔기 때문에, 여기 사회에서 내 자리를 찾았지만, 한국에 있을 때처럼 문화적 연결을 그리 쉽게 느끼지 못해 아쉽다." 고 유씨가 말했다.

Yoo added that he immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s and the Korea he remembers was a lot different from what the country is today.
유씨는 1980년대에 미국으로 이민 간 것을 덧붙였으며 그 당시의 한국은 오늘날과는 많이 다르다고 말했다.

"Korea has advanced so much. I don't just mean economically, but 40 years ago Koreans were so busy just trying to make a living and survive, so at times it felt lawless and we lacked manners in many aspects. Today, Korea is a different country. For example, dining out culture. I am so much more satisfied dining out in Korea than I am in the States. The people are so kind and go out of their way to help you while in America we have tip culture that goes beyond tipping 20 percent these days and there are many times where I've felt very dissatisfied with the service I received," Yoo explained.
"한국은 많이 발전했다. 경제적으로 말하는 것뿐만 아니라 40년 전에는 한국인들이 생계를 유지하고 살아가려고 정말 바쁘게 지내기 때문에 때로는 무법하고 여러 면에서 예의가 부족했다. 오늘날의 한국은 다른 나라이다. 예를 들어 음식점 문화를 보면 한국에서 외식하는 것이 미국에서 하는 것보다 훨씬 만족스럽다. 한국 사람들은 매우 친절하고 도움을 주려고 노력한다. 반면에 미국에서는 팁 문화가 20%를 넘어가기도 하고 종종 서비스에 대해 매우 불만족스러운 경험을 했던 적이 많다." 고 유씨가 설명했다.

However, Yoo is still a bit on the fence. After all, he has called the U.S. home for more than 40 years. Residing in Orange County, which is home to the second-largest Korean population in the U.S., is one of the reasons he is hesitant.
그런데 유씨는 아직도 약간 망설이고 있다. 어쨌든 그는 40년 이상 미국을 고향으로 부르며 살았다. 미국에서 두 번째로 큰 한인인구를 가진 오렌지 카운티에 거주하는 것이 그가 망설이는 이유 중 하나이다.

"Korean seniors now make up 60 percent of the senior community in which my in-laws spent their remaining years, so my wife and I thought we wouldn't mind being in a place like that. However, senior communities in the U.S. can be quite pricey, especially for what they offer. I can't help but compare it to Korean silver towns. Also, there are a lot more activities to do in Korea in your free time and the food. The food is so much better, at least for us. There is good food everywhere you go in Korea," Yoo said.
"어머니와 시아버지가 남은 세월을 보내셨던 어르신 커뮤니티에서 한인 노인들이 이제는 전체의 60%를 차지하게 되어서, 저희 부부는 그런 곳에 살아도 괜찮겠다고 생각했다. 그러나 미국의 노인커뮤니티는 제공하는 것에 비해 가격이 꽤 비싸기도 하다. 어쩔 수 없이 한국의 실버 타운과 비교하게 된다. 또한 한국에서는 여가 시간에 할 수 있는 활동들이 훨씬 많고 음식도 좋다. 적어도 우리에게는 한국에서 어디로 가든 좋은 음식이 있다." 유씨가 말했다.

Yoo is definitely leaning more toward retiring in a silver town for many reasons, but most of all he misses and longs for the culture in which he was born and raised.
유씨는 많은 이유로 한국의 실버 타운에서 은퇴하기를 더 선호하는 경향이 있지만, 그 중에서도 그는 자신이 태어나 자란 문화를 그리워한다.

The desire to retire in Korea has become a widespread phenomenon for many Korean American baby boomers.
한국에서 은퇴하길 원하는 욕망은 많은 한국계 미국인 베이비붐 세대에게 퍼져간 현상이 되었다.

However, it is vital that a Korean American goes about retiring in Korea in a respectful manner to that of their home country.
그러나 중요한 점은 한국계 미국인이 자신의 고향 나라에 대한 예의를 갖추며 한국에서 은퇴해야 한다는 것이다.

Those considering retirement in Korea should first and foremost apply for an F-4 visa, which is a long-term visa that allows individuals of Korean descent to live and work in Korea. This visa will also allow them to be automatically enrolled into the national health insurance plan that the Korean government provides. Depending on the individual's income, there will be a set monthly amount that needs to be paid to the plan and the individual will be eligible for the same health care benefits as those afforded to a Korean citizen.
한국에서 은퇴를 고려하는 사람들은 먼저 F-4 비자를 신청해야 한다. 이 비자는 한국 혈통의 개인들이 한국에서 생활하고 일할 수 있는 장기 비자로, 한국 정부가 제공하는 국민 건강보험 계획에 자동으로 가입되도록 허용한다. 개인의 소득에 따라 매월 일정금액을 지불해야 하며 해당 개인은 한국 시민에게 제공되는 것과 동일한 건강 관리 혜택을 받을 수 있다.

In addition to approaching retirement correctly and respectfully in their home country, Korean Americans should prepare themselves for a different Korea from what they may remember.
고국에서 은퇴를 적절하고 예의 바르게 접근하는 것 외에도 한국계 미국인들은 기억하던 한국과는 다른 한국에 대비해야 한다.

Korea has developed at a rapid speed in the past few decades, and living costs are at an all-time high. This is something Korean Americans will have to consider on top of bracing for how much the country has changed.
한국은 지난 몇십년 동안 급속한 속도로 발전했으며 생활비가 최고치를 기록하고 있다. 이는 한국계 미국인들이 나라가 얼마나 변했는지 대비하면서 고려해야 할 사항이다.

To some Korean Americans, their home country may be unrecognizable and almost foreign.
어떤 한국계 미국인들에게는 고국이 낯설고 거의 외국 같을 수도 있다.

#Retirement은퇴 #Silvertown은퇴자커뮤니티 #KoreanAmericans한국계미국인 #Seniorcommunity어르신커뮤니티 #Assistedliving돌봄지원생활 #Long-termcare장기요양 #Culturalconnection문화적연결 #F-4visa F-4비자 #Nationalhealthinsurance국민건강보험 #Livingcosts생활비용