Gangwon Province Sees Highest Resident Satisfaction and Happiness in Five Years

Gangwon Province Announces Results of 2025 Social Survey
Satisfaction with Housing, Transportation, and Childcare Up from Two Years Ago
Governor Kim Jin-tae: "We Will Actively Reflect Residents' Opinions and Address Shortcomings"

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced on December 29 that the results of the 2025 Social Survey show increased satisfaction with life and a stronger intention to remain among local residents.

Exterior view of Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government

This annual survey is conducted in cooperation with the province's 18 cities and counties to identify various social issues related to residents' quality of life and to use the findings as foundational data for policymaking.

From August 13 to September 2 this year, an in-depth survey was carried out on 15,800 households in the province, covering 37 items across seven categories: subjective well-being, population, education, labor, income and consumption, housing and transportation, and leisure.

In the subjective well-being category, both satisfaction and happiness levels showed an overall increase compared to last year.

Residents' "life satisfaction" scored 6.55 points (on a 10-point scale), up by 0.04 points from 6.51 points in 2024. "Satisfaction with local life" rose to 6.49 points, an increase of 0.10 points from 6.39 points in 2024.

"Yesterday's happiness," indicating how happy residents felt the previous day, reached 6.60 points, up 0.07 points from 6.53 points in 2024.

Notably, all three indicators recorded the highest satisfaction levels of the past five years. This positive perception is expected to lead to greater community participation and a stronger intention to remain in the region, driving positive changes throughout the local community.

In the population category, "childcare support" (38.0%) was cited most frequently as a measure to address low birth rates, while "attracting businesses" (38.0%) was the most common response for population inflow policies.

This indicates that residents expect policies to reduce the economic burden of raising children. It also confirms a strong demand for population inflow policies that fundamentally expand the local economy and job opportunities by attracting businesses, rather than simply providing job support.

The proportion of residents with a positive view of marriage was 60.1%, up 2.7% from two years ago.

In the housing and transportation category, the proportion of residents hoping to continue living in the province 10 years from now rose slightly to 70.9%, an increase of 0.7 percentage points from 2023. Satisfaction with public transportation also generally improved.

In particular, the intention to remain in the province increased with age, suggesting that an environment is being created where the elderly population can reside stably as the region enters an aging society.

Satisfaction with public transportation was highest for taxis at 3.41 points (on a 5-point scale). Satisfaction with frequently used public transportation such as taxis, trains, and buses also increased.

In the income and leisure categories, satisfaction levels rose compared to two years ago, but the rate of attendance at cultural and artistic events declined slightly.

Income satisfaction was 2.90 points (on a 5-point scale), up 0.05 points from 2.85 points in 2023. Leisure activity satisfaction was 2.88 points, up 0.02 points from 2.86 points in 2023. However, both remain below the average level (3.0 points).

The rate of attendance at cultural and artistic events fell by 1.4 percentage points to 42.0% (from 43.4% in 2023), indicating a need for more diverse programs and improved accessibility to increase residents' interest in cultural and artistic activities.

Satisfaction with the childcare environment for preschool children was 3.40 points (on a 5-point scale), and satisfaction with the public education environment for elementary, middle, and high schools was 3.05 points, up 0.24 points and 0.12 points, respectively, from two years ago.

In addition, satisfaction with working conditions among employed residents was 3.53 points, up 0.11 points from two years ago. However, the perception of sufficient local (city and county) job opportunities fell by 0.11 points to 2.38 points.

This suggests that while the working environment is improving, there remains a perception that good jobs are still lacking, highlighting the need to create more quality jobs.

Governor Kim Jin-tae stated, "It appears that the province's key policies, such as improving resident welfare and revitalizing the economy, have brought about positive changes. However, since the survey also confirmed the need to expand quality jobs for increased income and to provide more diverse cultural content for better leisure, we will actively reflect residents' opinions and supplement any shortcomings with highly effective policies."