Seoul, city of discontent

Korean capital ranks lowest in ’happiness’ among 10 global cities

Seoul scored the lowest among 10 major global cities in terms of its "happiness index."

According to a survey conducted by the Seoul Welfare Foundation under the Seoul city government on 100,014 people in 10 major cities, including New York, Toronto, and Tokyo, Seoul’s "happiness index" stood at 63.64 out of 100. The average index for the 10 cities was 73.17.

Stockholm ranked first with 80.08 of happiness index. it was followed by Toronto, New York, London, Paris, Berlin and Milan, while Tokyo and Beijing ranked eighth and ninth, respectively.

The index is based on analyses of a total of 11 categories such as culture, education, welfare, and bio-environment. Seoul ranked the lowest in a total of eight areas. In particular, its score in the bio-environment sector was the worst.

Regarding Seoul’s poor showing, Professor Kim Young-tae at Mokpo National University said, "Economic growth does not necessarily guarantee people’s happiness. Happiness comes when levels of satisfaction with culture and welfare get higher."

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