Why are Koreans getting unhappier despite economic prosperity?

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Lack of social safety net, wealth-centered mindset behind unhappiness

By Lee Yeon-woo

A 53-year-old woman identified only by her surname Seo, who runs a kindergarten in Gwangju City, becomes overwhelmed by a sense of anxiety whenever she thinks about her future. Seo says the sense of anxiety is shared by most of her friends to some degree.

"Most of my friends and I talk about life after retirement when we meet. My generation had no chance to think about saving up for retirement. We were too busy making ends meet through hard economic times, so there is no guarantee that I will be able to improve the quality of my life 10 to 20 years from now," she said.

Kim Hyung-joon, a 32-year-old office worker in Seoul, doubts whether his life will get better in the future.

"I doubt whether our future, both at a personal and national level, can get better than the past. I feel tired of the current economic situation ― fluctuating asset prices, inflation and more. I'm often worried whether I would be able to look after my family," said the man who is in his second year of marriage.

They are typical examples of many Koreans who are not satisfied with their lives. Despite economic growth touted as the Miracle on the Han River, with its gross domestic product (GDP) increasing more than 520 percent to $35,168 in 2021 from just $67 in 1953, Koreans' evaluations of their lives have been negative.

Koreans' dissatisfaction with their lives is shown in data. According to Statistics Korea's Quality of Life Indicators report in 2022, the country scored 5.9 out of 10 in terms of average life evaluation. It ranked at 36th among the 38 OECD member countries, followed only by Colombia and Turkey. The OECD average was 6.7.

"Korea is facing various social problems. The society has been losing vigor due to a low birthrate, rapidly-aging population and a high suicide rate," the report noted. It also cited notoriously long working hours, a competitive culture and excessive fervor in education as other social problems.

People who talked to The Korea Times thought there are still many social issues that need to be addressed. They believed such issues stem from uncertainty toward their future and some questioned if they are getting enough policy support from the government.

"Senior citizens get good support in other developed countries. I think Korea has a long way to go in that sense. The social safety net is not adequate. Individuals can only resort to their own efforts, so the struggle goes on," Seo said.

What is especially notable in the report is the increase in the number of people who feel socially isolated. Of the respondents, 34.1 percent felt they have no place to receive help when they experience a physical or mental crisis, while only 27.7 percent felt so in 2019. The ratio increases as one gets older.

"I always worried about the time when I won't be able to do anything except lie in bed. I don't want to be a burden on my children," said a 75-year-old man who asked to remain anonymous.

Young people also have little hope for the future. Some of them felt confused about life following the "old ways."

An office worker surnamed Kim said he doubts whether it is wise to work for a company for 20 or 30 years like his parents did. "I know that older generations struggled to survive the hard times, but they lived during a period of growth. I think the hope that they can live a better life tomorrow if they work hard today was the driving force," he said.

Lee Mi-ppeum, 27, who is currently seeking a job in the media industry, asked, "If we only have to wait and patiently reach goals at each stage of life, entering college as teenagers and getting a job in our 20s and so on, will we ever have a chance to enjoy our lives?"

An old man looks at a job posting bulletin in Suwon City, Gyeonggi Province, in this June 2022 photo. Yonhap

Feelings of unhappiness among people are easily fueled by comparing themselves with others.

"Unlike in the past, we can see various polarization in social media. So many people would think they are unfortunate due to that sense of deprivation. When I realize that my mind is unhealthy, I delete social media applications for some time," Lee added.

"Baby boomers are used to evaluating their own and also others' lives by economic values as they had lived in fierce competition to cope with poverty. However, there is always someone richer than you. I think it's important to find other kinds of happiness than getting wealthier," Choi, 60, a businessman based in Daegu said. He thought it is important to set up a social security net that guarantees a basic level of life for everyone.

More people agree that it is time to change the country's policy directions and goals, which have been largely slanted toward economic growth. Most countries that rank at the top of the happiness index every year have strong social welfare programs that can bolster security and happiness.

"It's a 'paradox of plenty.' Korea has pursued only growth and wealth during its explosive economic expansion, but overlooked other values, such as work-life balance and retirement preparation," Han Joon, a sociology professor at Yonsei University said.

"Korea has work to do in order to address various issues created during the fast, compressed growth in the past decades and to make society fairer," Yoon Hee-suk, an economist and a former lawmaker with the ruling People Power Party said.

"From now on, we need to pay more attention to people and society rather than economic growth and put more focus on listening to the voices of people from all walks of life and minimizing the generational divide through communication," Yoon added.

Koo Jeong-woo, a sociology professor at Sungkyunkwan University, also said Korea should shift the focus of its policy goal to support people.

"To do that, the government should come up with measures to ensure quality jobs, employment stability and other welfare programs, such as parental leave," Koo said.