"Depression at 31%, isolation at 35%: Out-of-school youth still in the 30% range"

Among out-of-school youth, the share who experienced depression and isolation has been declining. However, more than 30% are still facing emotional difficulties.
According to the 2025 Survey on Out-of-School Youth Status released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) on the 26th, 31.1% said they had experienced depression severe enough to interrupt daily life over the past two weeks. That was slightly down from 32.5% in the previous survey in 2023, but it still remains in the 30% range.
Over the past 12 months, 16.2% said they had attempted self-harm. The survey also found that 21.1% had thought about suicide, while 7.8% had actually attempted it.
The share of youth who had taken drugs since leaving school stood at 1.2%, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous survey.
The proportion of youth with experience of isolation was 35.1%, down 7.5 percentage points from 42.6% in 2023, but still above 30%. Most reported being isolated for less than three months, at 27.1%. The main reasons for ending isolation were using support services such as the Out-of-School Youth Support Center and the Youth Counseling and Welfare Center (29.7%), feeling that they could no longer stay home all the time (22.1%), and receiving help from parents or people around them (11.1%).
The rate of youth who engaged in physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day, five days a week, rose to 14.2% from 10.8% in the previous survey. The obesity rate, however, also edged up to 18.7%.
Only 38.9% of out-of-school youth had ever received a health checkup. The most common reasons for not getting one were that it was bothersome (27.8%), they did not think it was necessary (22.4%), and the timing did not work out (11.8%).
Meanwhile, 70.7% said they had planned to prepare for the High School Equivalency Examination when they left school. Compared with the previous survey, preparation for the exam rose by 1.2 percentage points, while preparation for college entrance increased by 6.1 percentage points, suggesting growing demand for academic pathways among out-of-school youth.
At the time they left school, 54.2% of respondents said they had been given information about the Out-of-School Youth Support Center, and that figure has continued to rise.
Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung said, "Positive changes have been confirmed, including a decline in depression and isolation among out-of-school youth and an increase in physical activity. However, emotional difficulties and anxiety about their future paths are still being reported. We plan to strengthen support so that out-of-school youth can recover their mental health and systematically plan their studies and careers."

aber@fnnews.com Park Ji-young Reporter