Little Progress Made in Improving Quality of Living

South Korea can't shake off its notoriety for working hours. According to the OECD Fact Book 2008, the country remained at the top of the list for the number of working hours in 2006. South Koreans worked an average of 2,357 hours that year, the longest of the 30 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The OECD report reminds us that South Korea's rapid economic growth has so far been at the sacrifice of its hardworking people. Unionized Korean workers have long been portrayed as militant for their struggles for better wages and working conditions, but looking deeper into the stark reality, one can easily understand that unionists are not militant. Rather, they are loaded with too much work and frequent overtime.

South Korea took the 23rd place on the OECD list of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) at $23,038, far lower than the OECD average of $31,468. The statistics indicate that South Korean workers are not rich despite their long working hours. In other words, they are unable to enjoy a better quality of living than their counterparts in many other countries. The average number of working hours for OECD states was estimated at 1,777.

In conclusion, South Koreans work 580 hours longer than average per year, while they earn $8,430 less than the OECD average. They have a long way to go before they realize their dream of joining the ranks of rich people in the world. The country's per capita healthcare spending amounts to $1,149, landing it in 26th place. Spending on cultural and leisure activities accounts for 4.5 percent of GDP, ranking it 27th.

What's more serious is the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The middle class has crumbled since the 1997-98 financial crisis. About 8.4 million people, or 37 percent of the total workforce, are non-regular workers who are suffering from discrimination in terms of wages and working conditions. A non-regular worker protection law took effect last year, but it is not enough to guarantee equal opportunity. Last year the government disclosed a plan to improve people's quality of living to that enjoyed by the world's top 10 countries by 2030.

No one believes the country can achieve the goal because the government is long on words but short on action. Lawmakers and politicians shout the empty slogan of better living quality ahead of every election. They promise to create more jobs, revive the economy, and increase education and welfare spending.

People are under growing financial pressure due to soaring spending on their children's education, especially private tutoring, and skyrocketing housing prices. It is imperative for policymakers to take real action to help people enjoy better lives. What is the use of raising economic growth rate to 6 or 7 percent without improving the living standard?