SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Poverty and low educational attainment are significantly delaying young South Koreans’ transition into adulthood — from employment to leaving home to marriage — while also deepening psychological distress, according to a government-funded study released Tuesday.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs analyzed data from more than 1,200 people aged 24 to 39, tracking their life trajectories from 2005 to 2022.
The findings revealed sharp disparities: by age 39, nearly half of non-poor respondents (48.7 percent) had graduated, secured jobs, moved out and married, compared with just 35.3 percent of those who had experienced poverty.
The gaps appeared early and persisted. At age 25, more than a quarter of poor youth had failed to achieve any of those milestones beyond graduation, while fewer than one in 10 of their wealthier peers lagged so far behind.
Even by their late 30s, nearly 11 percent of those with a history of poverty had not moved on to work, independent living or marriage.
Education was another dividing line: high school graduates were consistently less likely than college graduates to achieve all four milestones at comparable ages.
Delayed employment, in turn, was linked to greater depression and lower self-esteem, while postponing or forgoing marriage was associated with diminished emotional well-being and life satisfaction.
“Poverty slows entry into the labor market, and even once employed, young people face barriers to independence and family formation,” the researchers wrote, warning of compounding disadvantages that could perpetuate cycles of inequality.
To break this pattern, the report proposed early interventions tailored to young adults, including a “youth backpack account” to provide financial, social service and training support, and a state-backed jobs guarantee in fields such as care work and climate response.
“Stalled transitions in education, work, housing and marriage can accumulate into lasting harm,” the researchers concluded. “Policies must ensure that poverty does not become a structural barrier to adulthood.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
