‘Back to normal’, ‘peaceful life’ among South Koreans’ top wishes for 2025: Survey

SEOUL - Nearly a quarter of people in South Korea who posted their New Year’s wishes online cited hopes for a “peaceful everyday life”, said a trading platform on Jan 8, as political turmoil from recent martial law and a long-running medical strike continue to scorch locals.

Between Dec 31, 2024, and Jan 5, Karrot Market, a popular online trading platform for second-hand items, invited users to post what they wish to accomplish in 2025.

The most popular answer was “health”, picked by 45.5 per cent of respondents. That was followed by “peaceful everyday life” at 24.2 per cent, and “happiness” at 23.5 per cent.

“There were particularly a lot of users this year wanting things to go back to normal, as they wrap up a year marred by a series of issues,” an official from the platform was quoted as saying.

South Korea in recent weeks has been thrown into political turbulence after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s much-disputed

martial law declaration

on Dec 3, 2024. He is under investigation for insurrection and power abuse charges concerning allegedly illegal orders to his military commanders during the state of martial law, and a special counsel Bill for his insurrection charge was to be put to a vote at the National Assembly on Jan 8.

The ruling party and opposition have been butting heads over his investigation and arrest, the warrant for which was

renewed on Jan 7

after last week’s initial arrest attempt was thwarted due to resistance from the Presidential Security Service. Rallies calling for Mr Yoon’s arrest, as well as by those against it, have been held near the presidential residence in Seoul in recent weeks.

Another matter ailing Koreans is a medical staff shortage sparked by the ongoing stand-off between the government and doctors over a government reform plan to expand medical staffing in the country.

A survey released on Jan 7 showed that 70 per cent of respondents had

grown weary of the stand-off,

which has continued since February 2024. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK