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The number of Korean men staying home with no intention of finding work has hit an all-time high.

According to the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Sunday, the number of men who are voluntarily unemployed reached 1.03 million at the end of last year, up 4.8 percent from a year earlier. The figure was the highest since the statistical office began compiling data in 2003.

``More women and the elderly have entered the labor market over the past year, taking low-paying jobs in the service sector. But men, tend to have high job expectations, decided to voluntarily remain jobless,'' he said.

The number of people who are willing to get a job but failed to find one for over a year decreased 2.6 percent from the year before to 122,000 last year. The number of men who gave up seeking jobs jumped 6.2 percent to 75,000, while that of women dropped 14.5 percent to 47,000.

My brother sent me the above news.  It's a sad reality behind the seemingly marvelous economic figures of Korea we read in the Taiwan media.
 
Traditionally in Korean society men and women have distinct roles.  Being a breadearner is what defines the identity of most Korean men.  However, after the financial crisis of late 1990's many rules of the Korean corporations, such as pay and position based on seniority, had to be scrapped.  Quite a few middle-age men lost their jobs as well as their identities.  Some chose to commit suicide.  Others became despondent because in an economy dominated by the chaebols, there were relatively few opportunities to succeed as entrepreneurs.  
 
Their wives, therefore, had to re-enter the job market just to make the ends meet for their families.  Since neither they nor the society have ever thought it would be necessary to work outside the home after marriage in the past, they generally get low-paying service jobs due to the lack of professional skills and experiences.         
 
 
 
 
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