Most workers in Korea view their jobs as merely a source of income rather than a worthwhile occupation in itself, a straw poll suggests.

Online job portal JobKorea polled 590 salaried workers and found that 56.6 percent of them said their present jobs are merely a means to support themselves. Only 18.8 percent said they work for self-realization, and 5.1 percent said they do not know why they work.

Among main reasons for their failure to find value in their work, 36.6 percent cited low pay and poor working conditions, and 21.9 percent heavy workload and frequent overtime work. Some 18.5 percent said they are turned off by work that is different from what they expected. Asked if they would choose their present jobs if given a second chance, only 13.6 percent said yes.

Meanwhile, recruiters give newly hired workers 65 out of 100 points. That is based on a survey of 334 human resources workers surveyed by job portal Incruit. According to the poll, only 28.1 percent of recruiters were satisfied with new employees, while 50.3 percent rated them as average.