Korean Children Unhappiest in OECD Despite Material Wealth

Chosun Ilbo ^ | 08/27/2013 | Chosun Ilbo

[TexGrill]

Korean children and adolescents are the least satisfied with their lives in the OECD, despite increasing material comfort. Korea ranked fourth among OECD member countries in terms of youngsters' material happiness but last in terms of subjective happiness, according to research published Friday by the Social Development Institute at Yonsei University with the support of the Korea Pang Jong-hwan Foundation.

This is fourth consecutive year Korea ranked bottom in the institute's annual happiness index.

The material happiness index rankings of Austria and Spain are more or less on a par with their subjective happiness index rankings, but among Korean youngsters the gap is vast.

"Many Korean children and adolescents know that they live more abundant lives than their peers in any other country," said Yum Yu-sik, a professor of sociology at Yonsei University. "But they have a low level of subjective happiness because they witness or suffer bullying at school, where they have to spend most of their time, and many contemplate running away from home or even committing suicide."

For the material happiness index, the wealth of a respondent's home is measured based on their answers to questions such as whether adult family members have jobs, whether the home has more than 10 books, and whether they have their own desk or a quiet place to study. The subjective happiness index is based on answers to questions such as whether respondents like school and are satisfied with their life.

[TexGrill]

Global business tip

[jmacusa]

Well if the South Korean kids are so darn unhappy with material wealth, indoor plumbing and full bellies they can head north where their cousins are living large fat and happy under that pudgy kid, the “Dear Leader’’ the “Loss Leader’’ or whatever the hell his name is. And to think my wife’s uncle spent his time in Hell over there in 1951 and ‘53 so these kids can be so darned unhappy.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Having one million enemy troops and 25,000 pieces of artillery pointed at you can cause some unhappiness. I’ve watched Koreans measure the distance from the road to my barracks and write down the numbers. I don’t think they were planning on landscaping. When I’d go up to the DMZ a North Korean would sometimes come on the loudspeaker saying hello to me by rank and name and detailing my home address in the states, my parents and sister’s names and my high school.

[TexGrill]

Did they also announce who was the first girl you kissed? NK ops are everywhere in South Korea. They’re jobs would be to act as saboteurs in the country. So they would ignite violent protests, launch militant labor strikes, infiltrate into the reigns of Seoul government and create havoc at all times. They can be a real nuissance but they were effective. I met many South Koreans who were ignorant of human rights abusues in the North. When I asked why, they said the Teachers’ Union forbade any negative talks about Pyongyang.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Internet agitation is indeed massive. The pro-North elements took their root in Internet, legislature, schools, media and even judiciary. You can haul in suspected spies but the judges give them slap of the wrist or let them free. The most serious problem is the infiltration of courts and class room.

As an aside, the new list of dirty words in S. Korea includes: peace, beautiful, democracy. These words pop up frequently in leftwing rhetoric. One of the worst epithets you can throw at leftwing losers is 'democracy-peddler'(Minju-Palyi in Korean): Peddling democracy to get power or honor or money.