Last year, a young man's story posted on an online community garnered significant attention. He had to give up university due to his family's financial situation and now works at a factory during the day and does delivery part-time at night to make ends meet. While some comments offered encouragement like "Opportunities will come if you work hard," many others expressed concern, stating, "It's a reality difficult to escape with effort alone." Doesn't this story reflect not just an individual's hardship, but also the deep-seated income inequality and difficulty of social mobility prevalent throughout Korean society? According to the report 'Rising income inequality across half of global population and socioecological implications,' published by the Stockholm Resilience Centre on March 11, 2026, 46-59% of the global population is experiencing increasing income inequality. Analyzing global subnational Gini coefficients and per capita Gross National Income (GNI) data based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) from 1990 to 2023, the report found that while inequality gaps between countries are gradually narrowing, disparities within countries are actually deepening. This signifies not merely a gap between developed and developing nations, but an accelerating economic polarization among citizens within each country. South Korea also presents a similar case. In our society, economic inequality is prominent among the youth and elderly, with the collapse of the middle class and widening gaps between income brackets being continuously observed. Factors such as real estate ownership, disparities in educational opportunities, and polarization in the job market are intricately combined, leading to the entrenchment of intergenerational and inter-class inequality. This inequality not only restricts individual economic freedom but also has severe repercussions on overall societal health and mobility. Experts warn about the significant impact of income inequality on social mobility. A study published in Oxford Academic, titled 'The paradox of inequality that isn't: rising economic inequality depresses and polarizes citizens' belief in meritocracy,' analyzed survey data from 39 advanced capitalist democracies over 30 years. It concluded that as income inequality increases, citizens lose faith in 'meritocracy,' which ultimately erodes trust in social solidarity and fairness. What's more noteworthy is that this study revealed that increasing inequality not only weakens belief in meritocracy but also spreads skepticism among citizens, intensifying the polarization of attitudes. South Korea, in particular, is considered a country with a strong belief in meritocracy, especially regarding university admissions and employment. However, growing skepticism throughout society may be attributed to recent excessive competition and a stagnant income structure. If the social perception that academic background, family background, and connections have a greater impact on success spreads, the dream of social mobility through effort will inevitably become more distant. This aligns with the data patterns analyzed by the Oxford study across 39 countries over 30 years, demonstrating that Korean society is not an exception to this global trend. If trust in meritocracy collapses, members of society become preoccupied with maintaining vested interests rather than fair competition, ultimately leading to a vicious cycle that degrades the overall dynamism and innovative capacity of society. Furthermore, the impact of inequality on health cannot be ignored. A study published in Frontiers, titled 'Economic Vulnerability or Social Inequality? A Global Comparative Analysis of Their Relative Impact on Chronic Kidney Disease Burden,' analyzed panel data from 68 countries from 1990 to 2023. It found that structural social inequality (measured by the Palma ratio), rather than mere economic vulnerability, significantly increases the likelihood of health problems, including Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). This implies that it is not simply the presence or absence of wealth, but the unequal environment itself that directly harms health. The fact that children growing up in unequal environments may experience higher psychological and physical burdens offers significant implications for South Korea. If access to healthcare and preventive health management vary significantly based on economic background, health disparities will be reproduced across generations, further entrenching inequality. If the right to a healthy life is determined by income level, this expands beyond a simple economic issue to one of human rights and social justice. Regarding these issues, some critical voices suggest, "If effort alone cannot change things, hasn't our society already failed?" However, I would like to pose the opposite question: If deepening inequality cannot be resolved, would ceasing efforts be the solution? The International Labour Organization (ILO) report, 'Converging Patterns
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