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Wed, May 31, 2023 | 13:28
National
More Koreans frustrated by 'broken social ladder'
'무너진 사회이동 사다리’에 좌절하는 한국인 늘어
Posted : 2021-12-06 10:34
Updated : 2021-12-06 15:50
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Social mobility becomes more difficult amid COVID-19 pandemic


코로나19 팬데믹 상황 속 사회 이동 더 어려워져

By Lee Hae-rin

A growing number of Koreans in the low- and middle-income brackets are becoming increasingly frustrated by the so-called broken social ladder, as chances to ascend in the hierarchical structure of society continue to diminish amid a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots.
빈부 격차가 점점 커지며 사회의 위계적 구조에서 상승할 기회가 계속 줄어들어 소위 무너진 사회이동 사다리에 좌절감을 느끼는 한국의 저소득 및 중산층 인구가 증가하고 있다.


Kim Jae-sung, 26, a university graduate in Seoul, is one such Korean who sees no chance of climbing the societal ladder. He is about to enter the job market, but sees little hope because his estimated income and debt augur a continuation of tough living conditions in the future. "I have to work all my life but won't ever be able to afford a house," is what he and his friends often tell each other these days.
서울에서 대학을 졸업한 김재성(26)씨는 사회이동 사다리를 오를 가능성이 보이지 않는 그런 한국인 중 한 명이다. 김씨는 곧 취업 시장에 진입할 예정이지만, 그의 예상 수입과 부채는 앞으로 힘든 생활 환경이 계속될 것으로 전망하기 때문에 희망이 거의 보이지 않는다. "평생 일을 해야 하는데 집도 못 살 것 같다"는 김씨와 김씨의 친구들이 요즘 서로에게 자주 하는 말이다.


"My friends and I feel that monthly income cannot even guarantee our near future. There is no chance of a rags to riches story anymore," Kim told The Korea Times. "Without hitting the jackpot in cryptocurrency, the stock market, or on YouTube, turning my life around seems impossible."
김씨는 코리아타임스와의 인터뷰에서 "친구들과 나는 월수입이 우리의 가까운 미래를 보장할 수조차 없다고 생각한다. 더 이상 ‘무일푼에서 벼락 부자'가 된 이야기의 가능성은 없다"며 "암호화폐, 주식 또는 유튜브에서 대박을 터뜨리지 않고 내 인생을 바꾸기는 불가능해 보인다"고 말했다.


Kim Jeong-seok, 41, an engineer from Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, also shared with his friends and colleagues the difficulties he faces in overcoming social inequality.
경기도 수원에서 온 엔지니어 김정석(41)씨도 사회적 불평등을 극복하면서 겪는 어려움을 친구와 동료들에게 전했다.


"I feel like it's getting more and more difficult to achieve a better living standard out of individual effort, compared to the past when I was in my 20s. The inequality seems to get stronger especially as financial income from investments far surpass earned income in all classes," Kim said.
김씨는 "내가 20대였던 과거에 비해 개인의 노력을 통해 더 나은 생활을 하는 것이 점점 더 어려워지는 것 같다. 특히 모든 계층에서 투자로 인한 금융 소득이 근로 소득을 훨씬 능가하면서 불평등이 더 심화되는 것 같다"고 말했다.


According to a survey released by Statistics Korea, Nov. 17, six out of 10 adults here believe there is little chance of them improving their socioeconomic status. Only 25.2 percent of 36,000 respondents answered that individual effort can improve their socioeconomic status.
통계청이 11월 17일 발표한 설문조사에 따르면 우리나라 성인 10명 중 6명은 사회경제적 지위가 향상될 가능성이 거의 없다고 생각한다. 응답자 3만 6천명 중 25.2%만이 개인의 노력이 사회경제적 지위를 향상시킬 수 있다고 응답했다.


KEY WORDS
■ bracket (가격연령소득 등의) 계층[대]
■ ascend 오르다
■ augur (상서로운 또는 상서롭지 못한) 전조[조짐]가 되다
■ rags to riches 가난뱅이에서 부자가 된[출세한]
■ cryptocurrency 암호화폐
■ socioeconomic 사회경제적

기사 원문 보기


Emailywjeon@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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