Purpose: This study aimed to refine the concept of Ikigai among Korean older adults and to identify its attributes and empirical indicators within the Korean later-life context.
Methods: This methodological study used Schwartz- Barcott and Kim’s hybrid concept development model. In the theoretical phase, the literature on Ikigai and related concepts was reviewed to identify preliminary attributes and empirical indicators. During the fieldwork phase, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with six community-dwelling older adults. Interview data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, with interpretation supported by team-based analytic review and participant checking. In the final analytical phase, theoretical and fieldwork findings were compared and integrated to refine the concept.
Results: Six attributes of Ikigai among Korean older adults were identified: Relational Sense of Place, Continuity of Daily Tasks, Joy and Vitality Through Being Together, Dignity Through Not Burdening Others, Adjusting the Heart and Accepting Life, and Fulfillment of a Well-Lived Life. The participants did not describe Ikigai primarily as an abstract purpose in life. Instead, it was expressed through everyday Korean language and concrete life contexts, including belonging in relationships, continuing daily tasks, enjoying life with others, living independently without burdening others, adjusting one’s heart and accepting life, and feeling proud of having lived well. These attributes indicated that Ikigai among Korean older adults was grounded in relationships, daily routines, embodied limitations, family responsibilities, social participation, self-reliant dignity, emotional adjustment, and retrospective acceptance of life.
Conclusion: Ikigai among Korean older adults was defined as the experience of recognizing and sustaining one’s place and share within family, work, relationships, caregiving, and everyday life. It was expressed through six interrelated attributes: Relational Sense of Place; Continuity of Daily Tasks within one’s physical capacity; Joy and Vitality Through Being Together; Dignity Through Not Burdening Others; Adjusting the Heart and Accepting Life; and Fulfillment of a Well-Lived Life. Grounded in this lived experience, Jejarisal-i is proposed as a working Korean conceptual expression that warrants further examination across diverse Korean older adult populations. These findings provide a conceptual foundation for gerontological nursing assessment and community-based care by emphasizing meaningful roles, relational belonging, dignity, life acceptance, and continuity in daily life during later adulthood.