초고령사회와 영케어러 문제에 대한 문학적 고찰: 『로스트 케어』와 『52헤르츠 고래들』비교 연구를 중심으로

Abstract

This study explores the intersection of aging, caregiving, and literary representation in the context of South Korea’s transition into a super-aged society. With over 20% of the Korean population aged 65 or older as of 2025, the nation faces a rapidly intensifying caregiving crisis. The phenomenon of young carers—youths or young adults who bear family caregiving responsibilities—has emerged as a significant social issue, yet remains under-recognized and insufficiently supported. Through comparative literary analysis of Hamanaka Aki’s Lost Care and Machida Sonoko’s 52 Hertz no Kujiratachi, both set in Japan, this article examines how fiction reflects and critiques the psychological and ethical dilemmas of caregiving in aging societies. Lost Care exposes the moral paradox of “salvation through killing” within Japan’s collapsing care system, while 52 Hertz no Kujiratachi reveals the invisible suffering of female young carers trapped in domestic abuse and unpaid emotional labor. Drawing on demographic data and interdisciplinary research, the paper situates these works within the broader East Asian caregiving crisis and introduces the concept of a “collective young-carer society,” in which an entire younger generation inevitably assumes responsibility for an expanding elderly population. Ultimately, this study argues that literature not only mirrors social realities but also anticipates ethical imperatives for intergenerational solidarity and policy reform in post-industrial aging societies.