A majority of Koreans believe the country's social structure is to blame for poverty, according to a study by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.

In the study, 58.2 percent of respondents said Korea's social structure is responsible. Only 41.8 percent said poverty is due to a lack of efforts, laziness, ineptitude or bad luck.

There was a clear delineation between age groups. Among people in their 20s to 40s, 65 percent blamed the country's social structure. But among people in their 50s that shrank to 48.7 percent and among the over-60s to 39.3 percent. Older people tended to blame individuals themselves.

Some 10.6 percent of respondents said Korean society is "extremely unfair," and 24 percent "unfair." Only 1.2 percent said Korean society is "very fair" and 14.4 percent "fair." There were twice as many negative responses (34.6 percent) as positive answers (15.6 percent), though 49.9 percent said Korean society is "somewhat fair."

Older and more conservative Koreans tended to view society as fair, but there were fewer differences in views according to age group and ideological preferences than one might expect.

When asked what is most needed to increase fairness, 28.8 percent of respondents ticked "consideration for the economically underprivileged," while 28.4 percent chose "the rule of law."

Asked their views about government efforts to support the poor, 35.1 percent voiced negative views, with 12.5 percent saying the steps are "extremely inappropriate," while 26.6 percent said they are "inappropriate." Only 21.4 percent welcomed them.

The study was conducted by phone interview of 2,000 adults across the country in July last year.