48% of Koreans Think They Are Low-Income Earners: Poll

According to a recent survey, one out of two Koreans (47.9%) thinks he or she is a low-income earner, and eight out of ten feel their economic situation is worse or the same as five years ago.

Regarding their economic outlook over the next five years, 46.2% said it would maintain the same level, and 31.2% said it would improve, reflecting the public’s hopes for the future of Korea’s economy.

Meanwhile, the percentage of people with a moderate view decreased, whereas the number of people with conservative and progressive views went up as the presidential election came closer: 36.8% of respondents said they are conservative, 28.4% moderate, and 27.7% progressive.

This paper carried out a survey to mark the 87th anniversary of its foundation on 1,500 Korean adults on March 27, and found out that 24.9% think inefficient political structure is the biggest barrier to economic development.

Concerning Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s recent remarks that, “Koreans will face an economic crisis four or six years later,” 85.1% said they agree with him, reflecting their concern about the economy.

The survey was conducted by the Korea Research Center, which asked respondents it selected based on gender, age, and region on the phone on March 27. The sample error rate is ±2.5% points from the confidence level. A more detailed result can be found on the public poll page at www.dongA.com.

jameshuh@donga.com