"Spending 1 Million Won a Month Just to Breathe": Ramen Every Day in a Tiny Room... "Escaping Reality Through Dopamine" [University Students in Crisis] ⑥

Monthly Rent, Utility Bills, and Food: Nearly 1 Million Won Just to Get By
Debt Piling Up Even Before Employment... 5% of Youth Isolated in Seclusion
Experts: "Practical Economics and Community Education Must Be Strengthened"

#. A one-room apartment in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. This cramped single room is all that Dongguk University student Son (27) has. The security deposit is 10 million won. Nearly 1 million won goes out every month just for rent, maintenance fees, and food. For a job seeker who has been on a leave of absence for more than two years, this is a massive shackle. Son confessed, "I took out a 3 million won personal loan and also received a living expense loan from the Korea Student Aid Foundation," adding, "I thought debt would be a last resort, but it has already piled up to 30 million won."

Son eats nothing but instant noodles in his room every day. He once got swept up in the world of cryptocurrency, dreaming of a quick windfall. It was during a strong bull market. He scraped together borrowed money and put in 5 million won. At one point, he made 2 million won in just ten days. He said, "The dopamine rush made me lose touch with reality. I realized too late that easy money is easily spent, but whenever things get tough, ads like 'Make a shell account, get 30 million won' catch my eye."

#. For Noh (24), a student at Sookmyung Women's University, daily life is filled not with dreams but with 'work for survival.' Her one-room apartment near the school requires a 10 million won deposit and 500,000 won in monthly rent. In search of a slightly cheaper place, she moved across the Han River to Sillim-dong. The tiny space, less than 13 square meters (about 4 pyeong), got no sunlight at all. After about a year, she felt her emotions becoming as dark as the room itself and decided to move to a youth safe housing unit using a jeonse loan.

While her living conditions improved, millions of won in debt weighed her down. She took out an additional living expense loan to pay a down payment on her contract. To cover living costs, she works four part-time jobs, each for 40 hours a week. She once applied for a Korean language teaching position and ended up with a shell phone account in her name and received debt collection documents. Still, whenever her situation becomes desperate, she finds herself walking a tightrope. Noh sighed, "I'm scared, but there are many times when I consider high-paying part-time jobs."

The mental health of college students pushed to the edge is flashing a warning signal. The crushing cost of housing and student loans is forcing students into isolation even before they can step out into society. As finding a job becomes increasingly difficult, the urge to give up also grows. Experts point out that a future filled with despair rather than dreams makes young people more vulnerable to the dangerous temptations of gambling, cryptocurrency speculation, illegal high-paying part-time jobs, and drug abuse.

According to a report titled "Determinants and Estimated Socioeconomic Costs of Youth Seclusion," released in February 2026 by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and the Korea Economic Research Institute, the number of reclusive youths in Korea was estimated at 538,000 in 2024, accounting for 5.2% of all young people. Reclusive youth refer to those aged 19 to 34 who, without reasons such as pregnancy, childbirth, or disability, rarely leave their home or room. Given that Korea's college enrollment rate reached 73.6% in 2024, it is estimated that a significant portion of reclusive youth are either university students or graduates.

Among reclusive youth, the employment rate stood at 36.9%, just half of the 72.2% employment rate among non-reclusive youth. It is interpreted that job search frustration at an age when young people should be entering the labor market is a key driver of youth seclusion.

These findings are largely consistent with the results of the 2023 survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the first nationwide survey on reclusive youth, which found a rate of 4.5%. At the time, 45.5% cited "difficulty finding a job" as the reason for their isolation or seclusion. Notably, 28.5% had been living in seclusion for over five years.

If economic burdens accelerate the social isolation of young people, the likelihood of them being exposed to quick-money schemes and other forms of deviance increases. Experts believe that fundamentally, there is a need for practical economic education to mitigate the side effects of capitalism.

Professor Cho Sang-sik of Dongguk University's Department of Education diagnosed, "Because of uncertainty about the future, quick-money mindsets have become widespread and a vicious cycle continues." He said, "In Korea, the focus is on competitive education like entrance exams and private tutoring, while economic education is only offered as extracurricular content. Not only should economic education be generalized as part of college general studies, but there also needs to be education to reduce the side effects of capitalism from the earlier elementary and secondary levels."

Some have also argued for a community-based educational approach. Professor Park Seunghee of Sungkyunkwan University's Department of Social Welfare stated, "Youth isolation is not simply an economic issue but a tragedy involving the destruction of community caused by the expansion of capitalism." She added, "Korea's education system is overly focused on functional skills. As we enter the era of artificial intelligence (AI), there needs to be more education that fosters a sense of community."

※ If you have concerns such as depression that are difficult to talk about, or if a family member or acquaintance is experiencing such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour counseling from an expert via the suicide prevention hotline at ☎109 or through the suicide prevention SNS counseling service 'Madeleine'.