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This study tried to analyze the family network of elderly and its effects on the subjective life satisfaction in South Korea. In order to classify the family network, the authors used the variables of three categories (morphology, interaction frequency, and interaction content). In addition, the authors described the demographic and economic situations of samples and basic characteristics of family network, and classified three types of family network by K-means cluster analysis method. The data based on survey for quality of life of elderly in South Korea, conducted by Center for Aging Study in Hallym university in 2003. The original data contained 2529 cases. However because the study focused on the elderly who was the over 65 years old and live in Seoul, the cases for analysis were 760. The results were in following. First, the characteristics of family network of elderly were very diverse. Some had traditional family network consisting of wife and children, but others only have either of them. In addition, Even though they had children, some elderly did not contact his/her children often. Second, the family network of Korean elderly could be classified into three types-independent type, spouse-centered type, and children-centered type. This result implied that traditional children-centered family network was not dominant in South Korea anymore. Third, the subjective life satisfaction was also different according to the family network type. In the spouse-centered type, the satisfaction was highest; on the contrary, in the independent type it was lowest. The social network of elderly consists of diverse element like family, kinship, friend and community. In this respect, the study focusing on only family had the limitation to analyze the one aspect of broad social network. Thus, broad scope of study would be necessary in order to supplement the narrow scope of this study.
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