A Comprehensive Study of Happiness and Quality of Life in Korea (Ⅱ)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to comprehensively analyze happiness and quality of life in Koreans. In 2020, the second year of this 3-year research project, we analyze the effects of life-cycle experiences and the response of individuals and institutions on happiness. In order to achieve the policy goals of improving quality of life and promoting happiness, it is necessary to understand the relationship between fulfillment of needs, unsatisfaction, and satisfaction. So this study focuses on the conditions and circumstances of happiness. To achieve the above-mentioned research objectives, this study conducted data collection and analysis in three ways. First, the 2020 Happiness and Quality of Life Survey of Koreans was conducted to examine the perception and actual condition of people's happiness and quality of life. The survey following the 2019 survey added questions about the conditions and importance of happiness, the fulfillment of need, the balance of work and life, the use of time for the elderly, and the flourishing. Second, in-depth interviews were conducted and the results were analyzed to grasp the path of risk experience and the effect of institutional response on individual happiness and life satisfaction. Third, interviews were conducted with people in two Latin American countries so that we could compare and analyze the quality of happiness in the perception of the Korean people. Following a 2019 study of two Northern European countries, the population of two Latin American countries (Mexico, Costa Rica) was surveyed in 2020. The main findings are as follows: First, the factors Koreans identified as important for happiness varied across the life cycle. Second, a survey using the day reconstruction method for the elderly confirmed that the more isolated older adults become, the less happy they are. Third, we analysed the characteristics of happiness in our country. The low life satisfaction level of the elderly is accompanied by a negative assessment of the sufficient conditions for happiness as they grow older. Fourth, we found in this study that the Flourishing Index (FI) could be used for happiness research, as it has an edge over the life satisfaction scale when it comes to the concept of multidimensional happiness. Fifth, in order to promote happiness, it is necessary to expand welfare, and to more accurately respond to people’s various needs. Sixth, happiness is not only based on political and economic conditions. It is closely related to socio-cultural composition, and expectations for society's role in satisfying happiness are growing in our society. Based on the results of the ideal analysis, this study derived the following implications for promoting happiness in Korean society. In Korean society, the need to respond through the welfare system is increasing. Ensuring a minimum level of these needs selectively is unlikely to result in an increase in happiness. When welfare is expanded to a level that guarantees freedom to make life choices, the happiness of our society will increase.