Just 1 in 4 Korean teens 'content with life'

Among the 15-year-olds in South Korea, 26.1 percent said they were satisfied with their lives, 7.7 percentage points lower than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a recent study showed.

According to the report released by the National Center for the Rights of the Child (NCRC), 22.3 percent of children reported low life satisfaction, 4.4 percentage points higher than the OECD average of 17.9 percent.

The OECD used a 10-point scale for life satisfaction and looked at the proportion of children surveyed who reported "high life satisfaction" (8-10) and "low life satisfaction" (4 or less), the center said.

"Study" was the most troubling issue for teenagers, according to a survey conducted by Statistics Korea in 2022 among 13 to 18-year-olds in Korea, with 76.2 percent of them worrying about academic issues such as grades and aptitude.

Multiple responses being allowed, and study was followed by problems with appearance, at 42.8 percent, career choice at 36.2 percent, and friends at 35.8 percent, while 27.2 percent said they were worried about their physical and mental health.