An overwhelming majority of college students said they were not independent. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — The vast majority of twenty-somethings in South Korea are not fully independent from their parents, a recent study revealed.
Alba Heaven, a part-job listings website, conducted a survey of 3,709 people in their twenties, 89.2 percent of whom said they were still dependent on their parents.
At 96.1 percent, an overwhelming majority of college students, in particular, said they were not independent, surpassing job seekers (84.9 percent) and office workers (66.4 percent).
College students received an average of 501,000 won (US$420) as financial support from their parents each month, which was more than what job seekers (385,000 won) and office workers (350,000 won) received.
Most of the financial support came in the form of allowance (50.8 percent), followed by support for tuition fees (35.3 percent), and communications expenses (35.2 percent).
College students (56.7 percent) and job seekers (46.4 percent) said allowance was the most common form of financial support they received from their parents.
Office workers (42.1 percent), in contrast, were financially supported by their parents paying their insurance premiums. Only 20.1 percent received an allowance.
At 93.6 percent, the vast majority of respondents who were still dependent on their parents said they planned to become completely independent in the near future.
For economic independence, 57.4 percent were engaging in part-time jobs.
Another 6.3 percent who did not have plans to become independent referred to an absolute lack of income (44.8 percent) as the primary reason for depending on their parents.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
