Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
A new report shows three-out-of-four Koreans think they're unable to climb the social ladder,...
no matter how hard they try,... with those in their 30s giving the most negative responses.
Our Kim Min-ji explains what's behind the pessimism.
Lee Ho-***,... who is self-employed,... went through all kinds of hardships for 20 years,...
before becoming the owner of a small franchise.
It was his belief that "effort makes everything work" that kept him going.
"I started my business when I was 28-years old with only a few hundred dollars. I tell
my children to work hard and with passion."
Although hope can be a driving force in life sometimes,... many Koreans these days are
finding it hard to think positive.
According to a survey by the Hyundai Research Institute,... 75-percent of Koreans said that
moving up social class will be difficult regardless of how much effort they put in.
Respondents in their 30s answered most pessimistically at about 80-percent,... likely due to increased
economic expenses after starting a new family and having been through the intense competition
in the job market.
"There are many opportunities for the people in the higher tier. For those stuck in the
middle,... there aren't many opportunities available even if you try hard."
The survey takers cited increased living expenses and unfair hiring practices as the main reasons
for not being able to climb the social ladder.
About 21 percent of the participants also said they have fallen in social class during
the past year,... while only 2-percent said they have moved up the ladder.
"If more people think moving up social class is difficult,... they will put in less effort
and thus the dynamics of the economy will fall. Tensions could also rise between the
different social classes."
Experts say the government needs to strengthen public education, reduce housing expenses,
and create stable jobs,... in order to provide a bridge for citizens to move up in the world.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.