While they struggle to find jobs, many young South Koreans say they lack the time, money or emotional capacity to go on dates. The likelihood of being in a relationship increases for both employed men (31%) and women (34%) compared to unemployed men (18%) and women (27%), according to the KIHSA data.
Due to the highly-competitive nature of the job market, many young people spend their free time in cram schools to earn extra certificates or professional skills that might give them the edge in interviews with prospective bosses.
Kim Joon-hyup, the Sejong student, is just such a crammer. As well as attending college full time, every weekday evening, he attends a school 30 minutes away from his home to learn game design.
“I don’t have much time,” Kim said. “Even if I meet someone, I’d just feel sorry for not having time to invest in that person.”
