Memento Mori? Differences in translating perceived engagement into end-of-life preparatory activities in Germany and South Korea

This study examines whether perceived engagement in end-of-life planning translates into culturally specific patterns of formal (e.g., having a living will) and informal (e.g., discussing one's own death with relatives) preparatory activities by comparing older adults in Germany and South Korea, two countries with distinct cultural and legislative contexts.

Data were drawn from two sources: an online survey from the "Ageing as Future" project conducted in 2023 with German participants (aged 60+; n = 708), and an in-person tablet-assisted survey conducted in 2023/24 with Korean participants (aged 60+; n = 519). Two logistic regression models were applied to examine the interaction between perceived engagement in end-of-life planning and culture, focusing separately on formal and informal preparatory activities. Additional logistic regression models, matching German and Korean participants on key covariates, were conducted to test the robustness of the findings.

The results showed that Korean older adults were significantly less likely to engage in both formal and informal preparatory activities compared to German older adults. However, among those who perceived themselves as preparing for the end of life, the likelihood of discussing one's own death with relatives was higher among South Korean older adults than their German counterparts.

Our findings indicate that perceived engagement in end-of-life planning translates into more informal activities among Korean older adults, while it promotes both formal and informal activities among German older adults. These differences may reflect varying political, legal, emotional, and cultural attitudes toward death and dying in each culture.