People walk down a street in central Seoul on April 15, 2022. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — While the COVID-19 pandemic has pulled down the level of happiness and overall life satisfaction among the public, the sense of solidarity has strengthened, a report said Sunday.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs conducted a survey of 3,923 men and women between the ages of 19 and 75, in which they gave an average score of 5.90 points out of 10 in terms of how satisfied they were with their livelihood, the lowest since 2015.
Respondents in their 20s and 30s saw their average score drop from 6.34 points to 6.06 points and those in their 40s and 50s from 6.13 points to 5.88 points, showing the steepest drop among all age groups.
In the case of economic activities, the self-employed saw their average score drop from 6.25 points to 5.66 points.
When asked about the severity of depression they had experienced, respondents saw their scores rise from 2.71 points to 2.93 points, up by 0.22 points in two years.
Respondents in their 60s and 70s, however, saw their average score drop from 3.19 points to 3.04 points, most likely due to stronger family bonds that took place during the pandemic.
When asked about how proud they were to be Korean, respondents gave a score of 2.96 points, higher than 2.88 points in 2019.
“The pandemic has posed a difficulty for both individuals and the state, but the relative success in quarantine or the economy as praised by the domestic and international community seems to have added to national pride,” the report said.
When asked about how socially integrated South Korea is, respondents saw their scores rise from 4.17 points in 2019 to 4.59 points in 2021.
“The pandemic has brought about this sense of being in the same boat, which has led to higher levels of solidarity and social unity,” the report said.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
