Koreans see home as sanctuary for peace, solitude, rather than family fun: survey

When South Koreans think of the ideal home, they envision it to be a sanctuary for relaxation and peace, favoring personal solitude over family bonding time, according to a global survey by Ikea.

According to the Swedish furniture giant’s annual Ikea Life at Home Report 2023, released globally last week, 58 percent of the respondents of Korean nationality consider their ideal home to be a place where they can relax and unwind comfortably, a figure notably higher than the global average of 43 percent. Also, 40 percent of Korean respondents -- compared to a global average of 30 percent -- felt that spending time alone was the greatest pleasure of being at home.

The survey further revealed that people of Korean nationality prefer protecting their “privacy” in a personal space for recharging, rather than “being together” and forming relationships with others at home.

While 33 percent of respondents worldwide on average believe that laughing with the people they live with brings joy to life at home, only 14 percent of Korean national respondents shared this sentiment. Also, while 22 percent of respondents globally on average feel a sense of accomplishment from teaching their children or grandchildren at home, only eight percent of Korean respondents expressed the same sentiment.

The results also indicated that Korean nationals prefer to enjoy their leisure time at home quietly, focusing on “doing less,” rather than engaging in activities such as work, hobbies or organizing things at home.

Twenty-eight percent of Korean respondents mentioned “naps” as the element that brings them the most pleasure in living at home, a figure that surpasses the global survey result of 20 percent.

Overall, the satisfaction Korean nationals have with their home lives was relatively lower, compared to that of people from other countries.

While 60 percent of all respondents globally felt positive about their lives at home, only 43 percent of Korean respondents shared this sentiment, ranking the second-lowest among the surveyed countries.

Ikea Korea noted that Korean nationals seem to experience a constant conflict between pursuing a "healthy and sustainable life" for their well-being and the planet, and leading a "cost-efficient life" that prioritizes managing expenses and finances.

Notably, 35 percent of the respondents of Korean nationality considered sustainable living to be the most important aspect of their home life. On the other hand, 32 percent expressed that household finances and disposable income were their primary concerns when living at home.

The annual report was based on data collected from 37,428 people across 38 countries. Ikea has been publishing the report annually since 2013.