Koreans increasingly dine alone in the evening

According to a recent study, Koreans eat dinner with someone else only 1.7 times per week. Additionally, South Korea ranked 58th out of 147 countries in self-reported happiness scores, which measure individuals’ subjective assessment of their overall quality of life.

According to the World Happiness Report 2025, published on the 20th by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Koreans have the highest frequency of dining alone in the evening among the G20 countries. Their level of happiness also barely placed them within the top 40% of all surveyed nations.

The report highlights that "shared meals," or eating with others, is directly linked to life satisfaction. Accordingly, the high frequency of solo dinners among Koreans suggests a relatively lower level of life satisfaction. It also indicates a lack of social interaction.

Alberto Prati, a researcher at University College London (UCL), pointed to a communal dining tradition at the University of Oxford, where long wooden tables, reminiscent of those in the Harry Potter films, are placed in the student dining halls. He suggested that institutions such as workplaces and schools could encourage closer social interactions by designing their cafeterias in a similar manner.


Jeong-Soo Hong hong@donga.com