South Korean children have climbed into the top tier among advanced economies in academic skills, but their rankings in mental and physical health have fallen, a UNICEF analysis showed. Their academic ranking rose to third from 11th, while their overall well-being ranking stood at 27th among 37 countries.
The Korean Committee for UNICEF released the findings at a news conference at the National Assembly communications building on the 10th, based on the Report Card series published by the UNICEF Innocenti research office.
The Innocenti office publishes the Report Card, which examines health, education and other areas for children in advanced economies, including members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union. The latest analysis compared Report Card 16, published in 2020, with Report Card 20, released in May this year.
Korean children's academic ranking climbed eight places to third from 11th. Their physical health ranking, by contrast, dropped 17 places to 30th from 13th. Their mental health ranking held at 34th, unchanged from the earlier report. As a result, their overall well-being ranking fell six places to 27th from 21st.
The committee also cited figures underscoring the severity of the mental health problem. The suicide rate among Korean adolescents was 10.33 per 100,000 people, the fifth highest among 42 countries. Suicide has been the leading cause of death among Korean children and adolescents for 14 consecutive years.
The Korean Committee for UNICEF said children need an environment that looks after their mental and physical health as well as their academic achievement, and it proposed a set of policy measures. It called for legal and institutional groundwork to build a child-friendly environment at the national level, along with a multilayered mental health support system spanning prevention, detection, intervention and recovery. It also proposed steps to guarantee children's right to play and rest, together with sufficient physical activity.
