can strongly intervene in the situation of elder abuse at home by referencing the recently strengthened ‘Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Child Abuse Crimes.’ However, in order for the elderly to enjoy their rights themselves, education for the elderly, strengthening of the capacity of related organizations, and support for this must be carried out simultaneously, and in relation to the various problems experienced by the elderly, it is necessary to first establish a minimum standards for social protection for the elderly, such as public medical service, care service, and establishment of an institutional foundation for income support. 2) The Issue of Elderly Digital Divide in a Digital Society A) The Digital Divide Issued Accelerated by COVID-19 Since the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, the Korean society experienced accelerated digitalization in important parts of daily life, such as vaccination reservations, quarantine passes, video chats using Zoom, and QR codes. With the development of intelligent information technology, represented by AI, a lot of information has been created and opportunities to access it have increased. However, with such social changes, the lack of access to digital devices and the ability to use information causes inequality beyond inconvenience, and the issue of the digital divide349) is drawing attention. Korea is one of the countries with a highest level of digital infrastructure, but the digital divide between generations is the largest among OECD member states.350) In general, digital use tends to be inversely proportional to age, and the level of digital informatization of the elderly has been found to be lower than that of other information-vulnerable groups (the disabled, low-income class, farmers and fishermen).351) As of 2021, when the level of digital information utilization of the general public is set at 100%, the elderly are 69.1%, lower than the disabled (81.7%), low-income class (95.4%), and rural residents (78.1%). In addition, the smart device ownership rate of the elderly in their 70s and older was 63.2%, which was significantly lower than the national ownership rate (93.5%). 349) Also referred to as ‘information divide,’ it refers to a difference in opportunities to access or use intelligent information services and related devices and software due to social, economic, regional, or physical conditions. 350) KERI Press Release, Mar. 29, 2022. 351) National Information Society Agency, Survey of Status on Digital Information Divide 2021, Mar. 2022. 150