Unhappiness, Suicide Rose in Lockdown

Child abuse and suicide increased in lockdown, sending the country to the bottom of the OECD on the happiness index. 

According to Statistics Korea on Monday, Koreans scored just 5.9 out of 10 points on the happiness index for 2019 to 2021. That put Korea at 36th out of 38 OECD member nations. Only Turkey (4.7 points) and Columbia (5.8 points) were more unhappy. 

For all of 2021, the happiness index stood at 6.3 out of 10 points, up slightly from six points in 2020, but low-income households making less than W1 million a month and stuck in small homes scored just 5.5 points, and households making between W1 million and W2 million a month scored six points (US$1=W1,295).

The suicide rate per 100,000 people rose by 0.3 to 26 in 2021. Among people over 70s the suicide rate increased to 41.8 per 100,000 and among the over-80s to 61.3.

Some 502.2 cases of child abuse were reported per 100,000 children in 2021, up from 401.6 the year before. Child abuse statistics have been rising since 2013, partly because of growing awareness.

Statistics Korea said the data is based on reports filed and may not reflect an actual increase.