Thousands of young people who tested a written exam for public servants at a middle school in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Young people in Seoul recognize that the better off their parents are, the higher their children’s average salary is.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s survey of 10,000 young people between 19 and 39 years of age, there are differences in their salaries depending on the economic background of their parents.
In other words, the higher the parent’s economic status, the higher the average wage was.
When it came to income at their first job, those who perceived their parents’ economic status as upper class made 1.92 million won (US$1,649) per month, while those who thought their parents were lower class made 1.54 million won, the survey showed.
The figures also differed for current pay levels, at 2.97 million won and 2.71 million won for the high and low economic status groups, respectively.
In addition, young people still cited “education” as an element of job success. After successfully obtaining a job, 33.5 percent of the respondents thought it was due to “academic background or being a prestigious college graduate.”
Meanwhile, regarding marriage and childbirth, the younger generation perceived both more negatively than the older generation, the survey showed.
On social difficulties related to marriage and childbirth, the younger generation assigned 3.68 and 3.58 points, respectively, while the older generation assigned 2.79 and 2.74 points.
Young people picked “getting the job I want” as the most important thing in life, accounting for 28.3 percent. This was followed by “living in a desirable house,” which accounted for 28.2 percent.
Based on the survey, the city will develop a “Generation Balance Indicator” that will introduce the concept of intergenerational equity to the entire city.
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
