Recently, I’ve learned more about the plight of Korea’s "sampo" generation. Sampo refers to those young adults who have forgone dating, marriage and children. The Institute for Family Studies estimates that 40 percent of young Korean adults, nearly half a million people, fit this description.
This is also true in other Asian and global countries. It doesn’t bode well for birthrates, the provision of pensions, mature age social insurance downstream and many other things. But is it as bleak as many documentaries and stories claim?
Shannon Osaka, The Washington Post
Madison Colombo, Fox News
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© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
© 2026 Institute for Family Studies
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