Korea is backtracking on quality of life.
A latest index released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is yet another depressing testament to the increasing hardships that many Koreans face. The report showed Korea lagging in overall well-being, with long working hours, widening income gap, insufficient social security and poor environmental quality. Korea placed near bottom on the “Better Life Index,” placing 28th out of 38countries, falling four rankings from 2014. The index measured 11 areas, including income, jobs, environment, health, life satisfaction and housing.
The report is an occasion to reflect on the core problems that need to be addressed to improve the people’s quality of life. Without this, Korea’s sustainable growth is not possible.
First, Koreans are overworked. On the work-life balance index, Korea ranked 36th, only ahead of Turkey and Mexico. The report shows that number of Koreans working more than 50 hours per week is more than 23 percent, which is way higher that than the OECD average of 13 percent. This highlights the need for a more work-life balance among Korean workers. Long work hours leaves little room for leisure and personal growth, leading to a deteriorating sense of satisfaction in life, while hampering productivity. Korea urgently needs to reform labor and corporate culture to enhance productivity, efficiency and family-first measures.
The index also shows Korea at the bottom in some crucial areas, such as life satisfaction and health, placing 31st and 35th, respectively.
Another serious problem is environment. With an ultra-fine dust level that's five times higher than Australia, Korea came in at second to last for its environmental quality, followed only by Israel. In air pollution, Korea ranked the worst.
All in all, the report highlights the need for promoting policies for people’s satisfaction in areas such as labor, healthcare, education and family-oriented issues. The report placed Norway at the top, followed by Australia, Demark, Switzerland and Canada. Policymakers should learn what these countries are doing to raise their people’s quality of life.
President Park, who assumed office on the slogan of an “era of people’s happiness” should think hard about why Koreans are becoming increasingly disenchanted with life.