Korean youths say they want to be born in a country where people are 'satisfied' with life
Published: 12 Jul. 2025, 12:55
Updated: 13 Jul. 2025, 19:57
![Children play at a park in Gwangju on July 2. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/07/13/51f101ad-a5e3-451a-ae03-0b6950eb314f.jpg)
Children play at a park in Gwangju on July 2. [YONHAP]
Korean children and teenagers said they most want to be born in a country where people are "satisfied" with their lives, according to a survey released Friday.
Save the Children asked 1,000 individuals between the ages of 10 and 18, as well as 1,000 adults: “What kind of country would you most want to be born in?” Respondents could choose more than one answer.
Among children and teens, 39.6 percent chose “a country with a high level of life satisfaction.”
The second most-popular answer was “a country with low risk of accidents or crime” with 38.6 percent, followed by “a country with good health care services” with 21.9 percent. Other answers included “a country without discrimination” with 18.8 percent, “a country where you can earn a lot of money if you succeed” with 16.8 percent, and “a country with rich culture, like music, art, performances and architecture” with 6.9 percent, the least popular choice.
Adults gave similar answers. Their top choice was also “a country with high life satisfaction” with 40.4 percent, followed by “a country with low risk of accidents or crime” with 36.6 percent, and “a country with strong health care” with 26.8 percent. Only 3.1 percent chose “a country with advanced science and technology,” making it the least selected answer.
When asked what conditions would make them more open to having children, both cohorts mentioned higher satisfaction in life, better healthcare, quality education and a clean and balanced environment that combines nature and city life.
The main reasons they hesitated to have children included a lack of time to care for them and concerns about safety in society.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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