By Kim Se-jeong
The exposure to air pollutants at the PM 2.5 density level and an insufficient water supply will undermine the quality of lives for Koreans, according to the OECD. In “How’s Life 2017?” released by the organization, high household debt and low trust in the national government also affect people’s life satisfaction.
The OECD conducts the study every two years using statistical data provided by individual countries and compares these against standard indicators. Seven non-OECD states were also studied for reference purposes.
Regarding exposure to PM 2.5, the average exposure level outdoors was 27.9 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013, double the OECD average at 13.9 micrograms. Korea had the worst exposure among 41 states whose records were compared.
The second worst country was South Africa with 21.6 micrograms while Poland, another non-OCED member state, was third worst with 22.1 micrograms.
The countries with the best air quality were Iceland with 3 micrograms, followed by Finland with 4.6, New Zealand with 4.9 and Australia with 5.2.
The study found Korea’s water resources were also a threat to the future quality of life, with 1,500 cubic meters of water available per person. Korea ranked as the second lowest country regarding water resources among the 41 surveyed countries. Israel ranked bottom. The OECD average was 9,100 cubic meters of water per person, while Japan had 3,300 cubic meters and the U.S. 7,700 cubic meters.
International statistics have long designated Korea as a water stressed country, yet the government dismisses this, arguing Korea has a relatively large volume of rain water during the monsoon season and has enough dams and reservoirs to maintain a steady supply.
The study also found Korea’s household debt per earnings was 170 percent, the 10th highest, posing a threat to people’s life satisfaction. Also notable was that the percentage has worsened over the years _ in 2008, the debt ratio was 143 percent.
The OCED said Korean citizens’ trust in its national government is also among the lowest at 26.2 percent. The OECD average was 37.6 percent, while in Switzerland and Luxembourg the rates were 77.9 percent and 67.9 percent, respectively.
However, the report positively noted Korea for improving its voter turnout. It cited last year’s presidential election where 77 percent of eligible voters went to polling stations after the outraged public ousted corrupt former President Park Geun-hye.