A society is certain to lose vitality and remain stagnant, if not go backward, if its members believe that they cannot move to a higher social status whatever efforts they may make. Such pessimism is gripping Korea, as evidenced by a survey recently conducted by Statistics Korea.

According to the 2011 social survey of 17,000 households throughout the nation, almost half the Korean people believe they belong to the working class and six in 10 believe they cannot improve their social and economic status no matter how hard they may try.

It should not come as a surprise if can-do spirit, which has made it possible for Korea to write its rags-to-riches success story, is becoming a rare commodity in the nation. The percentage of people that are turning pessimistic about their future is growing at an alarming rate.

In 2009, 48.1 percent of the respondents said they were denied access to social upward mobility. The rate has gained more than 10 points to reach 58.7 percent now. Those who believe they belong to the working class accounted for 45.3 percent of the respondents, up 2.9 points from two years ago.

The pessimism is based on not just the gloomy economic outlook but actual decreases in individual incomes. According to the survey, 25.2 percent of the respondents said their incomes are lower than a year ago. They outnumbered those who said they were earning more now (18.1 percent). Again, those who said their debt had increased outnumbered those who said their debt has declined.

“Squeezed middle,” selected by the compilers of the Oxford English Dictionary as 2011’s Word of the Year, aptly applies to Korea. Two years ago, 54.9 percent believed they belonged to the middle class. Now the percentage has dropped by 2.1 points to 52.8 percent. The middle class has been seriously affected by soaring consumer prices and housing costs, declining employment opportunities and many other economic woes.

All these findings are symptoms of the deepening social ills the Korean society is afflicted with. There may not be magic cures, but Korea will have to strive to restore self-confidence by leveling the playing field, providing greater welfare benefits for the underprivileged, promoting income redistribution and make other efforts.

It goes without saying that the political community and the government must play the leading roles in facilitating upward mobility for all members of society.