"'Younger and More Educated' Individuals Show Higher Acceptance of Homosexuality"

2020 Social Indicators of Korea

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] Six out of ten Koreans feel a sense of distance toward homosexuals. However, it was found that 'the younger and more educated' tend to be relatively more accepting of homosexuals.

According to the '2020 Social Indicators of Korea' released by Statistics Korea on the 25th, 57.0% of Koreans last year responded that they could not accept homosexuals as any relation such as their spouse, friend, coworker, or neighbor. By gender, women showed a slightly higher percentage at 57.7% compared to men at 56.3%.

Looking at education levels, those with 'elementary school or below' had the highest sense of distance toward homosexuals at 70.0%, followed by 'middle school graduates' at 63.7%, 'high school graduates' at 56.7%, and 'college graduates or above' at 53.6%. In other words, the higher the education level, the less rejection there is toward homosexuals.

By age group, people in their 20s (ages 19-29) had the lowest sense of distance toward homosexuals at 47.6%. They were the only age group where less than half responded that they felt distance toward homosexuals. The elderly aged 60 and above had the highest sense of distance at 64.7%, followed by those in their 50s at 57.4%, 30s at 55.4%, and 40s at 54.8%.

The sense of distance toward ex-convicts showed a similar pattern, but unlike with homosexuals, there was a significant difference by gender. While 66.4% of men reported feeling distance toward ex-convicts, 72.4% of women reported feeling such distance.

The sense of distance toward ex-convicts was over 60% across all age groups. It was lowest among young people in their 20s at 64.9% and highest among the elderly aged 60 and above at 72.0%. By education level, 'college graduates or above' showed the lowest sense of distance at 53.6%, while 'elementary school or below' had the highest at 74.6%.

Meanwhile, the proportion of Koreans who responded that they were 'satisfied with their lives' last year increased by 0.9% from the previous year to 61.6%. The 'life satisfaction' indicator had declined for the first time in six years since the related survey began in 2013, but it rebounded slightly this year.

However, the proportion of people feeling socially isolated recorded 22.3%, increasing for the second consecutive year following last year. Women feel more socially isolated than men, and by age group, the elderly aged 60 and above feel the most severe social isolation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.