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Nearly 8 out of 10 Koreans wish to emigrate

February 22, 2016

47.9 percent of those who said they wished to emigrate were already preparing to leave.

By The Korea Times Seoul staff

Eight out of 10 Koreans wish to emigrate, leaving “Hell Joseon,” a newly coined term referring to how tough life is here.

According to recruitment portal Saramin’s recent survey of 1,655 adults, 78.6 percent said they would emigrate if they could.

People in their 30s made up the highest percentage, followed by those in their 20s, those in their 40s and those in their 50s and above.

 

South Korean office employees work night hours in this file photo. (Korea Times file)

South Korean office employees work night hours in this file photo. (Korea Times file)

The dominant reason for wanting to leave the country was because they “needed a work life balance.”

This was followed by poor working conditions, severe income inequality, anxiety about jobs and life after retirement, the competitive environment and because “the country does not protect its people.”

In addition, 47.9 percent of those who said they wished to emigrate were already preparing to leave.

Meanwhile, the respondents cited wealth disparity as the greatest problem of Korean society. This was followed by the tough job market for young people and “the societal atmosphere that incites competition.”

7 Comments

  1. Horangih Gomtoki

    February 22, 2016 at 9:43 PM

    The problem is that Korea’s ideology is now economism that only attached value to money, social status, and showing off. The rapid rise of South Korea in economics was a good thing that improved living standards. But it rotted the souls of Koreans because they came value only money, social status, and professional success.

    The idea of having value and meaning as a patriot who lives in his or her country has been lost.
    Also, because South Korea has been a political puppet and dog of the US for too long, South Koreans lack any sense of national independence, pride, and sovereignty. They see just their nation as the 51st state of the US.
    As a mere extension of the US that is forever dependent on Americans for survival.

    Korean parents have failed. They allowed their kids to just embrace globalism and worship Hollywood and MTV.

    Also, so many Korean professors and teachers have been trained in the US. They preach American propaganda to Koreans who come to value America more than their own nation.

    For South Koreans to find themselves, US military must leave. South Koreans must come to rely on themselves.

    Also, rampant capitalism has made Koreans think of money, money, and money. Koreans even reject their own looks. They want to look white and get plastic surgery. They spit on the genetics given to them by their ancestors. Korean women have come to look down on their own men. They are globalized and want to have kids with white or black men who are seen as superior.

    Koreans no longer value their own country. They have no sense of roots, history, or pride. They just see themselves as white-wanna-be’s, American-wanna-be’s.
    Korean soil is the place where all the Korean ancestors have been buried. But today’s Koreans don’t care about any of that. They just see the land as an economic zone. They have lost historical and cultural sense of roots to Korea, their own motherland.

    Sure, in the US, Koreans might find better material lives but if Koreans leave their homeland and if foreigners take over, Korea will be lost forever. But Koreans no longer care. Egocentrism and self-interest are the only value systems held by Koreans.

    It is ironic. North Korea is ruled by a terrible regime. But North Koreans still maintain Korean nationhood.
    South Koreans are much better off, but they hate their own race, their own identity, and only care about money and materialism.

    Something is wrong.

    Koreans who wanna leave Korea say they are sick of snobby Koreans, but they wanna come to the US to be snobby themselves. They want to feel superior to Koreans in Korea and show off that they got bigger houses, better cars, and racially superior children with white or black men.

    Korea has lost its soul. It’s no wonder US sees South Korea as just a dog or whore to order around.

    If Korea is like a hell, then it is up to Koreans to change it. But Koreans don’t wanna fix their own problems. They just bitch and complain and wanna come to the US to get bigger houses, nice cars, and more money. Korean-Americans act snobby toward Koreans.

    This is how a nation will die.

    Reply

  2. Susan

    February 23, 2016 at 1:13 PM

    You can’t blame the Americans for everything. A Korean friend (man) from church, who is a physician with no particular ax to grind, recently told me that some Korean women are marrying non-Korean men because they are treated better. Kirean men are too authoritarian. Whose fault is that? Further, when will Koreans take responsibility for their own materialism? Since when are they that brainwashed by others that they cannot think for themselves. I say to the young people, don’t leave your marvelous and amazing country,. change it instead. Now the time is now for a ’60′s revolution.

    Reply

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    February 24, 2017 at 12:59 AM

    Such a disheartening news about Korea, they are left with no option and its very obvious that they are making this saddening digressions , I think Korean government must take some decision in a righteous way .
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  4. Jason Edie

    June 6, 2017 at 2:56 AM

    We have seen that the ratio for immigration has been increased in Korea and it’s observed that people are not satisfied with their jobs or any other things which could be the reason or there should be an Help With Assignment impact of a literacy rate due to that people are migrating and they can’t find any proper way so that they can stay out there and their government should take some steps due to that the people could live their rather than leaving that place.

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  7. Life Experience Degree

    September 5, 2017 at 11:05 AM

    You can’t accuse the Americans for everything. A Korean companion (man) from chapel, who is a doctor with no specific grievance, as of late disclosed to me that some Korean ladies are wedding non-Korean men since they are dealt with better.

    Reply