Nearly 70% of South Korea’s aging population, comprising individuals aged 55 to 79, express a desire to continue working. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Most Seoul residents now view 70 as the threshold of old age, and nearly 9 in 10 support extending the retirement age, according to the latest annual “Seoul Survey” released by the city government on Wednesday.
The 2024 edition of the wide-ranging study, which polled 5,000 citizens, found that the average age at which people consider someone to be a “senior” is 70.2. More than half of respondents (51.7%) cited 70–74 as the appropriate range, while only 18.1% chose the traditionally recognized bracket of 65–69.
The survey also showed a strong public consensus in favor of retirement age extension, with 87.8% of respondents supporting the idea. The most common view of the ideal retirement age was 65–69 (40.5%), and more than half (53.3%) said a monthly retirement income of at least 2.5 million won ($1,870 USD) was necessary for a stable post-work life.
Among residents aged 65 and older, interest in leisure and educational activities (78.8%) and income-generating work (70.3%) far outweighed traditional roles such as grandchild care (33.5%).
Seoul’s Changing Demographics: Aging and Living Alone
The city’s population continues to age, and single-person households now make up 39.3% of all homes in Seoul. Among these, 60 and older residents represent the largest share (40.6%), followed by those in their 20s and 30s (34.9%).
Single-person households reported the biggest challenges as maintaining a balanced diet, dealing with emergencies when sick, performing household chores, and experiencing loneliness and financial instability.
Meanwhile, roughly 1 in 5 Seoul households (19.5%) owns a pet, with dogs (77.8%) far more popular than cats (19.2%). A small number (2.6%) reported having both.
Commuters move busily to catch subway trains in Seoul, in this file photo taken Nov. 20, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Mobility and Satisfaction on the Rise
Public transit remains a dominant mode of commuting and school transport. The majority of Seoulites (76.6%) regularly commute or attend school, primarily using buses (27.7%), private cars (22.1%), or a combination of bus and subway (19.7%). Average commute times mostly fell between 30 minutes and 1 hour (48.2%).
Overall satisfaction with commuting rose for the sixth consecutive year, reaching 6.57 out of 10. Among transportation modes, buses showed the greatest year-over-year improvement, scoring 7.41, followed by subways (7.17), intercity buses (6.30), and taxis (6.19).
Class Perception, Fairness, and Life Outlook
When asked about their socioeconomic status, 72% of respondents identified as “middle class”, while 24.6% saw themselves as lower class and only 3.4% considered themselves upper class.
Roughly 30.5% believed upward mobility was possible, compared to 24.5% who felt it was unlikely. Optimism was greater regarding children’s prospects, with 44.5% believing their children would move up the social ladder, and only 13.7% expecting otherwise.
In terms of societal fairness, access to education was rated most fair (6.09 out of 10), followed by military service obligations (5.56) and welfare benefits (5.20). Perceptions of fairness regarding gender treatment (5.12) and employment opportunities (5.06) remained low.
Leisure time increased for 52.7% of respondents, and 37.8% said they were now achieving a better work-life balance—both improvements from the previous year. Satisfaction with leisure was highest among those in their 20s, averaging 6.06 points.
Seoul’s Appeal Remains Strong
Interest in remaining in the capital continues to rise, with 67.8% saying they want to live in Seoul 10 years from now, marking the second consecutive annual increase.
Foreign residents also reported greater satisfaction with life in the city. In a survey of 2,500 foreigners, life quality satisfaction rose to 6.97 out of 10, up from 6.72 the previous year. High ratings were given to welfare services (7.16), economic environment (7.04), and urban safety (7.03).
Asked to name Seoul’s defining landmarks, 48.4% of respondents cited Gwanghwamun Square, followed by palaces (36.8%), the Han River (23.8%), and Dongdaemun Design Plaza (23.5%).
Seoul’s overall image, according to residents, remains that of a city blending tradition and modernity (7.26), with strong scores also in categories such as forward-looking (7.17), multicultural (7.07), eco-friendly (7.07), and trend-conscious (6.98).
The Seoul Survey’s margin of error is ±0.69 percentage points with a 95% confidence level. Full results are available at data.seoul.go.kr.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
