
The higher the income, the more people engage in physical activities such as walking, aerobic exercise, and strength training. (Image courtesy of GoodFon/CCL)
SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Korea Bizwire) — A new report reveals that South Koreans with higher incomes are significantly more likely to engage in physical activities such as walking, aerobic exercise, and strength training, exacerbating health disparities linked to income levels.
According to the 2024 National Health Statistics released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), 44.5% of South Korean adults met the national walking guideline, which requires walking at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week.
However, walking rates varied sharply by income level: only 39.1% of the lowest-income group met the standard, compared to 49.2% of the highest-income group—a gap exceeding 10 percentage points.
This divide has grown fivefold in the past decade. In 2014, the difference between the highest and lowest income groups was just 2 percentage points (43.7% vs. 41.7%), but by 2024, the disparity had widened to 10.1 percentage points.
Aerobic and Strength Training Gaps Also Widen
A similar trend was observed in aerobic physical activity, defined as at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.
Nationwide, 52.5% of adults met this benchmark, but the gap between income groups was stark: 48.3% in the lowest-income group versus 57.2% in the highest-income group, marking an 8.9 percentage point disparity, up from 3.6 percentage points in 2014.
The divide was even greater among men, reaching 13.3 percentage points.
For strength training, the disparities were even more pronounced. While 27.3% of adults performed muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice per week, the rate was 21.4% for the lowest-income group and 32.8% for the highest-income group—an 11.4 percentage point gap, more than double the 5.2 percentage point difference recorded in 2014.

Higher-income groups tend to exercise more and are more likely to maintain a normal weight. In contrast, health risk factors such as obesity and smoking are more prevalent among lower-income groups, indicating a trend where economic inequality extends to health disparities. (Image: Pixabay/CCL)
Implications for Life Expectancy
Experts warn that these disparities in exercise habits contribute to wider health inequalities.
A study published by Professor Yoon Seok-jun of Korea University College of Medicine found that as of 2020, the healthy life expectancy—defined as years lived without serious illness or disability—was 74.88 years for high-income individuals, compared to 66.22 years for low-income individuals, a gap of 8.66 years.
The growing divide in physical activity rates raises concerns that income-based health disparities will continue to widen, further impacting longevity and quality of life in South Korea.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)