As the country with the highest suicide rate among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, South Korea is facing the problem of a youth mental health crisis characterised by academic stress, increasing youth unemployment, bullying, and societal stigma.
Globally known for its hyper-competitive schooling system, South Korean parents engage private tutors and send their children to cram schools, known as
hagwons, to prepare their children for college admissions. This focus on academics has not only increased the pressure among students to succeed, but has also led to a decrease in time for leisure activities, a factor associated with greater depressive symptoms among South Korean students.
In a world where countries are rebuilding their economies, South Korea’s youths continue to deal with several major factors that pose risks to their mental well-being.
School Tensions
Hostile school environments and school bullying also contribute to poor youth mental health as victims are not only more likely to develop depression and anxiety, but also more likely to suffer from low self-esteem and develop suicide ideation. This has been worsened by the advent of technology, which has led to cyberbullying.
Online, bullies are able to detach themselves emotionally from their victims as they are unable to witness their victims’ reactions, permitting bullying to take place with less hesitancy. As cyberbullying becomes prevalent due to the integral role of technology in everyday life, the number of cyberbullying victims who suffer from negative psychological impact will continue to increase as well.
Labour Mismatch
Furthermore, youth unemployment has made the issue of academic stress more acute. South Korea’s competitive labour market is facing a job-skills mismatch problem, along with a lack of opportunities in large firms. With 69.8 per cent of South Koreans between the ages of 25 and 34 having attained college degrees in 2020, the unfilled positions in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which tend to require the skills of high-school graduates, do not match the skill sets of South Korean youths.
However, despite dominating the South Korean economy, large firms with opportunities that better match the skill sets of youths only employ 14 per cent of the workforce, intensifying competition in the job market. Keenly aware of these challenges, youths feel greater pressure as they prepare to enter the job market.
Society’s Pressure
The greatest challenge facing South Korea, however, would be the societal stigma surrounding mental health which prevents youths from seeking help.
Among youths, there are concerns that disclosing their mental health status may result in job discrimination and diminished education opportunities in the future. Furthermore, as South Korea's highly collectivist and Confucianist society emphasises family ties and the notion of “face”, there are concerns that being diagnosed may be considered disgraceful for the family. Due to the possible repercussions of divulging their mental health status, youths may be reluctant to seek help.
With regards to these challenges, the South Korean government has implemented various solutions such as placing restrictions on the tuition industry; introducing the Korean Work-Learning Dual System, as well as anti-bullying programmes and a zero-tolerance policy in schools; and launching public campaigns to increase mental health awareness, community-based support and school-based support to reduce mental health stigma.
Despite the implementation of policies, there is still a long way to go for South Korea in alleviating the youth mental health crisis. This is because the success of these solutions is dependent on many factors.
Solving Factors
Firstly, the success of these solutions depends on the receptivity of stakeholders involved and how the various stakeholders work together. For instance, a curfew placed on cram schools faced opposition from hagwon owners and parents; in fact, a challenge was raised to the Constitutional Court on the basis that the curfew “violated children’s educational rights”. In addition to the lack of public support, there were also issues with compliance. Some hagwons reportedly still teach after 10.00 pm curfew. Due to the negative reception to this measure and the ongoing demand for such services, the effectiveness of a curfew in reducing academic pressure is limited.
Another instance of cooperation being essential is the Korean Work-Learning Dual System. This solution is useful in addressing the job-skill mismatch problem in the private sector, which is hindering youths from finding suitable employment. Youths who have participated in the programme have expressed learning relevant skills which could help them gain employment and thus, see their job search stresses alleviated. However, there must be a common purpose and clear communication between the government and the private sector.
Secondly, the success of solutions is not warranted over time; solutions need to be amended according to other social and economic factors to ensure their effectiveness. For instance, policies implemented to tackle bullying continue to focus heavily on school bullying despite growing concerns over cyberbullying. While the South Korean government amended the “Act on the Prevention of and Countermeasures against Violence in Schools” in 2012 to categorise cyberbullying as a form of school violence, there are few to no programmes or legislation targeting cyberbullying specifically. Therefore, it is pertinent to cater resources to addressing cyberbullying as online engagement becomes more prevalent.
Thirdly, there is a need to ensure that these solutions are accessible to all strata of society. Inequality is a growing problem across the world, and South Korea is not exempted from it. As inequality affects one’s access to resources in society, which includes resources to mental health care, actions must be taken to tackle inequality so that the effects of mental health policies trickle down to all in society, and not just the wealthy.
Finally, and most importantly, solutions must account for the unique cultural context of South Korea and deep-seated stigma surrounding mental health. More consistent and long-term efforts are needed to tackle South Korea’s conservative culture and stigma towards mental health. Being deeply entrenched, these mindsets which intensify the crisis and impede efforts to alleviate the problem will require a long time to shift.
We can be hopeful that insofar as there are consistent and community-driven efforts that target the root of the issue and make assistance available to all youth in society, we are progressing in alleviating the youth mental health crisis in South Korea.
Read the case study Improving Youth Mental Health in South Korea written by Chua Yi Ren, Constance and Jodi Bek Sujing, which was awarded the Distinguished Prize in the Case Writing Competition 2021/22 at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Access more case studies from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.