Unhappy with life

Unhappy with life

Time to sow seed of hope for future Improving living conditions is certainly a top priority for South Koreans as most of them are unhappy with their life. It would be better for the nation to shift its focus from quantitative to qualitative economic growth. It is hard to gauge the degree of happiness or unhappiness because either feeling is subjective. However, it is worth noting an online survey of 19,216 adults residing in Korea and 23 other countries, which was conducted by Ipsos, a leading global research firm. The survey discovered that 81 percent of 1,000 Korean respondents are dissatisfied with their life. Only Hungarians showed a higher degree of dissatisfaction with 89 percent. The poll did not give details about why Koreans are not gratified. But it is easy to find the reasons. Many Koreans feel that their living standards have not improved much over the past few years although the economy enjoyed modest growth. They have often complained about widening social polarization which deepened the sense of deprivation among the poor and socially weak. The problem is that only a small number of conglomerates and their owners have amassed wealth. Most workers and the self-employed have been unable to enjoy their fare share of economic fruits. Large businesses have been engrossed in maximizing their own profits with little regard for social responsibility. The past decade has been characterized by a jobless growth. Corporations have been reluctant to offer new jobs, while exploiting non-regular workers. Mammoth business groups have become more dominant by consolidating their control on the market. In addition, the government’s misguided macroeconomic policy has worsened the situation. Soaring consumer prices have weakened people’s purchasing power. Runaway rents and a heavier burden of private tutoring for schoolchildren have also forced salaried workers to dig deeper into their pockets. Pervasive corruption among bureaucrats, politicians, bankers and businessmen was and still is the source of frustration for the people. Needless to say, corruption increases costs in almost every sector of our society. In the end, consumers and taxpayers have to suffer from the consequences arising from a lack of transparency and accountability. Korea has the highest suicide rate among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This proves that more Koreans are hopeless than any other people in the group of the world’s major rich states. Nothing will improve if one is satisfied with today’s life and Koreans have a lot of things to improve. Now, it is time for Korean to make all-out efforts to turn dissatisfaction into happiness. All players should join hands to make Korea a better place to live. They must sow the seeds of hope for the future.