Job seekers look at job postings during a job fair at the COEX Magok Convention Center in western Seoul, South Korea, on 21 October 2025. South Korea’s prolonged weakness in youth employment is coinciding with signs of worsening health among people in their 20s and 30s, with experts warning that job insecurity and social pressure are shaping unhealthy routines on 26 January 2026. File. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
Jan. 26 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s prolonged weakness in youth employment is coinciding with signs of worsening health among people in their 20s and 30s, with experts warning that job insecurity and social pressure are shaping unhealthy routines.
A 27-year-old job seeker identified only as A said he often wakes after noon after drinking late, eats leftover takeout and drinks cola because he cannot afford or manage regular meals. He said he has no income and relies on a small allowance and rent support from his parents outside Seoul, cutting living costs by turning to cheap instant foods or skipping meals.
A said he recently went to a hospital after severe dizziness and was told he has diabetes.
Data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service showed the number of diabetes patients in their 20s and 30s rose 80% over a decade, from 87,273 in 2014 to 156,942 in 2024, the report said.
In a separate survey cited in the report, the Korea Health Promotion Institute said 44.3% of people in their 20s and 30s cited lack of time due to work and daily life as the main reason they struggled to manage their health. It also found 66.9% said income level affects health.
Another case involved a 29-year-old identified as B, who said he developed gout while preparing for a police officer exam after extreme exercise and a high-protein diet. He said he went to the gym daily, used protein supplements and drank protein shakes twice a day before being diagnosed after sudden pain in his toe.
The report said experts are concerned that amid competition over jobs and self-development, physical fitness and appearance are increasingly treated as “specifications” to manage, contributing to unbalanced diets and excessive exercise.
A Korea University sociology professor, Kim Yoon-tae, said youth health should not be framed as an individual problem alone, arguing that job preparation, unstable employment, housing burdens and social competition can shape lifestyle habits and stress levels across the population.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.
Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260127010012314
