Koreans Suffer Highest Stress Levels: Survey

Four out of five Koreans face a daily battle with stress, a recent poll suggests. The survey conducted jointly by AP and the market research firm Ipsos interviewed 1,000 adults from Korea, the U.S., England, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Italy, Mexico and Spain. Koreans were at the top of the heap, with 81 percent reporting that they were stressed on a daily basis.   Australia came next with 77 percent, followed by Canada, the U.K. and France (76 percent), the U.S. and Germany (75 percent), Italy (73 percent), Spain (61 percent) and laid-back Mexico (45 percent).   According to the results published Wednesday, 33 percent of Koreans cited work as the main cause of stress, while 28 percent named household finances. AP pointed to the growing pains and instability accompanying Korea’s rapid growth as a contributing factor. Koreans are also exposed to stress early on, spending hours in crammers after school to prepare for the highly competitive university entrance exams that have a major influence on later life, including marriage and employment, the news agency said.   AP added that finding suitable employment is difficult even for college graduates as unemployment rises, while sky-rocketing housing costs add more stress to Korean life.   (englishnews@chosun.com )