By Yoon Ja-young
Nearly half of Koreans are dissatisfied with their income. They would cut spending on eating out first if their financial situation worsens, a survey showed.
According to a 2017 social survey by Statistics Korea, only 13 percent of Koreans are satisfied with their income while 46 percent are dissatisfied.
When choosing work, 39 percent said how much a job pays matters most. Job security was chosen by 27 percent of respondents as most important.
One out of four young Koreans said they want to get a job with the government, followed by state-run enterprises with 20 percent and conglomerates with 15 percent.
When asked to choose between work and family life, 43 percent of the employed said work matters more, while only 14 percent said they value family life more. However, the ratio of those who cherish their work more than family life was 54 percent two years ago.
Four out of 10 think overall social conditions have improved compared with three years ago, while 13 percent said they had deteriorated.
When asked whether they are preparing for life after retirement, 65 percent said “Yes.” Among them, 53 percent were preparing to pay into the National Pension, while 19 percent were saving their money in banks.
Among senior citizens aged 60 or older, 70 percent were funding the cost of living by themselves. Those who had children or other relatives supporting them took 20 percent, while the rest were getting support from the government or NGOs.
Seven out of 10 senior citizens were not living with their children. Among those living with their children, 31 percent said they were living together because their children are not capable of living by themselves.
The survey also asked whether they would oppose construction of a facility for the disabled in their neighborhood. While 86 percent said they do not oppose this, the ratio was 93 percent two years ago. The ratio of those who oppose such facilities near their homes tends to increase among older people.
Koreans were not generous with donations. The ratio of those who made donations over the past year stood at 27 percent, continuing to drop since 2011 when it was 36 percent. When asked if they have any intentions of donating, 41 percent said “Yes,” which compares with 48 percent saying yes in 2013.
The ratio of those who engaged in volunteering activities over the past year stood at 18 percent. They volunteered 8.3 times on average, dedicating 25.6 hours for the year.
In the survey, 58 percent of Koreans said they belong to the middle class, while 40 percent identified themselves as in the lower class, socially and economically.
Koreans were skeptical about their children rising on the social ladder, with only 30 percent thinking it is highly likely.
Koreans mostly spent their leisure time watching TV, resting, playing computer games or surfing the internet. As a result, only 27 percent were satisfied with how they spend their leisure time. They cited economic burdens and lack of free time as the main obstacles to quality leisure.
The ratio of Koreans who enjoyed overseas trips over the past year stood at 27 percent, while 71 percent traveled within the country.
The survey also showed that Koreans are distancing themselves from print media. The ratio of those who read news articles stood at 70 percent, but among them 90 percent read internet news while only 35 percent read newspapers. Only 55 percent of Koreans have read books over the past year.