South Korea ranked 1st among OECD countries, with 81% of people in their 20s still living with their parents.
According to 2022 data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a staggering 81% of South Koreans in their 20s still live with their parents. This is the highest percentage among the 26 OECD nations where data was collected.
In an article released earlier this year, the delayed employment of individuals in their 20s has been a major factor contributing to this trend. According to Statistics Korea, the average time it took for job seekers aged 15-29 to secure their first job after graduating from their final school, such as a university, was 11.5 months this year—about one month longer than last year. This marks the longest period since this data was first recorded in 2004 when the average was 9.5 months.
For those fortunate enough to find a job, even if delayed, the situation is still challenging. Kim (age 29), who graduated with a business administration degree from a private university in Seoul three and a half years ago, still lives with his parents and works part-time jobs.
As of May this year, 238,000 job seekers aged 15-29 had been searching for employment for more than three years, representing 18.4% of all unemployed individuals. This is a 1.1 percentage point increase from the previous year (17.3%) and the highest rate in 11 years since May 2013 (18.8%).
The increasing difficulty in securing stable employment has become a major issue for many young adults in Korea, leading to delayed independence. Additionally, many Korean netizens have pointed out that rising housing costs are also a significant factor contributing to this trend.
Korean netizens also expressed concerns and confirmed the financial difficulties of becoming independent. They commented:
"I don't have money."
"You can't save any money with this salary if you become independent."
"I don't have the money to pay for housing."
"In Korea, there's a culture for unmarried individuals to live with their parents though."
"I want to become independent... but I have no money."
"I pay my parents monthly... Can I say I'm half independent?"
"I want to move out but the rent is ridiculously expensive compared to my salary. Someday, I'll become independent..."
"I like living with my parents though."
"My mom doesn't want me to move out... My younger brother moved out and got married."
"It's not easy to move out on your own with rent prices like this."
"Korea is a country where you move out after getting married though."
"You need to move out when you're in your 30s, that's when you're a real adult."
"My office is 5 minutes away from my parent's house ..."
"It's hard when you move out."
"I don't think it's a problem living with your parents."
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