Babies, even dating, seen as luxuries

Four out of ten Koreans in their 20s and 30s are losing interest in dating, marriage or having children due to their increased financial burdens, according to a recent survey.

People in this age bracket have been dubbed the “sampo” generation in reference to their decision, due to the current economic downturn, to forego or put on hold the three things that many people would consider crucial to feeling happy and fulfilled.

Saramin, a job-searching Web portal, announced yesterday that 42.3 percent of the 2,192 people in their 20s and 30s it surveyed said “yes” when asked if they had given up one of the three aforementioned goals in the short-term due to their financial straits.

The survey took place online for six days from Jan. 25.

Of those who answered positively, job seekers claimed the largest share, followed by university students then workers. Surprisingly, given their relatively stable positions and salaries, a high percentage of employees at major conglomerates also answered in the affirmative.

Over half of the respondents said they did not plan to get married in the foreseeable future, while 49 percent said they had stopped dating and 40 percent answered that they did not intend to have children. The respondents were able to make multiple choices in the survey.

The foremost reason cited was a lack of sufficient savings, while others blamed exorbitant consumer prices and living costs, saying that these effectively canceled out their savings anyway and made it hard to make ends meet.

By Song Su-hyun [ssh@joongang.co.kr]