Political polarization remains the most pressing social conflict in South Korea. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 26 (Korea Bizwire) — Political polarization remains the most pressing social conflict in South Korea, according to the 2024 Korean Social Indicators report released by Statistics Korea on Tuesday.
The report, reflecting data from the previous year, highlights growing concerns over social isolation and widening disparities, alongside shifts in education, housing, and health trends.
A striking 77.5% of respondents identified conflict between conservatives and progressives as the nation’s most serious division. Although slightly down from 82.9% in 2024, the figure does not account for the political turmoil that followed the imposition of martial law later that year.
Other significant fault lines included tensions between low-income and middle-income groups (74.8%), between labor and management (66.4%), and between development and environmental preservation (61.9%).
Gender conflict saw the sharpest increase, rising from 42.2% to 51.7%.
The report also revealed a growing sense of isolation among South Koreans. The proportion of adults who described themselves as “lonely” rose to 21.1%, a 2.6-point increase from the previous year. Those who felt “no one truly knows me” climbed to 16.2%. Loneliness was most prevalent among people over 60, while feelings of being misunderstood were highest among those in their 40s.
Despite these trends, life satisfaction showed modest improvement. Some 75.6% of respondents said they were satisfied with their lives, and 76.3% said they found their work meaningful — both figures marking gains from the prior year. Predictably, higher income correlated with greater life satisfaction, while younger respondents reported a stronger sense of purpose in their work.
In education, both private education participation and spending continued to climb. The participation rate in private education reached 80%, with average monthly spending per student rising 9.3% to 474,000 won. Higher-income households contributed most to this growth.
School enrollment rates increased at the elementary (100.2%) and high school (93.9%) levels, though middle school enrollment slightly dipped. The higher education enrollment rate held steady at 74.9%.
South Korea’s total population in 2024 stood at 51.75 million, with 19.2% aged 65 and over — a figure projected to surge to 47.7% by 2072 as the population shrinks to 36.22 million. The rise of single-person households continued, accounting for 35.5% of all households in 2024. Elderly-headed households also grew significantly.
Health trends showed mixed results: adult smoking rates rose to 18.5%, and alcohol consumption increased to 55.1%. Aerobic exercise participation (48.9%) and healthy eating habits (49.2%) both declined slightly.
Housing affordability remained a concern. The price-to-income ratio (PIR) stood at 6.3, unchanged from the prior year, with the Seoul metropolitan area posting a higher PIR of 8.5. Rental burdens, measured by the rent-to-income ratio (RIR), dropped slightly to 15.8%. Average living space per person grew to 31.4 square meters, and the proportion of households falling below minimum housing standards decreased to 3.6%.
Air quality worsened, with the annual average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM-10) rising to 37 micrograms per cubic meter — an increase of six micrograms.
Meanwhile, leisure time edged up, with South Koreans spending an average of 3.7 hours on weekdays and 5.7 hours on weekends on leisure activities.
As South Korea approaches 2026, these findings suggest a society balancing rising individual fulfillment with deepening structural challenges, from demographic shifts and political polarization to environmental and social pressures.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
