A Seoul resident 1) in her 40s who lives alone sees herself in the same position for the next decade.

"I enjoy the freedom that the single lifestyle allows," she said.

A report published by KB Financial Group's research institute shows four out of 10 single-person households believe they will continue to live alone for the next 10 years, indicating that one-person households are becoming the " 2) new normal" in society.

It is based on a survey of 2,000 people, aged between 25 and 59, living alone in Seoul and other large cities nationwide.

Data from Statistics Korea shows there were 5.62 million single households as of 2017. They 3) accounted for 28.6 percent of all households. This is an increase from 27.2 percent in 2015.

"The number of single-person households will continue to grow due to an increase in the percentage of unmarried people," the report said.

This is 4) backed by 38 percent of survey respondents who forecasted that they would continue to live alone for the next 10 years. This is a 3.5 5) percentage point rise from the figure a year earlier.

Those who wished to live alone stated their preference for this lifestyle was because they 6) were comfortable living by themselves. Others cited that they had no intention to 7) get married or remarry, or that they believed they would not be able to find a spouse.

Six out of the 10 said they were satisfied with their lifestyles.

They enjoyed the freedom of choice and lifestyle, as well as time they could spend alone.

However, they were concerned about the ability to support themselves. Male respondents were also worried about loneliness, food and health.

Female respondents were most concerned about safety.

The respondents said they spent two out of five weekdays engaging in hobbies or other forms of activities for entertainment.

Male respondents mostly played computer games or watched movies, and female respondents met with friends or went shopping.

The survey also showed 80 percent of single-person households were on social media and that 60 percent of them 8) logged onto social media platforms more than once a day. This included people in their 50s.

The most widely used platforms were YouTube, 9) followed by Instagram and Facebook.

Among the respondents, 10.6 percent had 10) companion animals. The largest number had dogs, followed by cats.

By Kim Bo-Eun

Published: 2019-06-23

Source: The Korea Times

 <Word& Expression>
 1) in one’s 20s/30s/40s: 20/30/40대에
 2) new normal: 시대 변화에 따라 새롭게 부상하는 표준
 3) account for: 차지하다, 설명하다
 4) back: 뒷받침하다, 지지하다
 5) percentage point: 두 백분율과의 산술적 차이를 나타낼 때 쓰는 단위
 6) be comfortable ~ing: ~하는 것이 편하다, 능숙하다
 7) get married: 결혼하다
 8) log onto: ~에 접속하다
 9) followed by: 뒤이어
 10) companion animal: 반려동물