Korea’s middle class is under growing stress. They are shrinking and not optimistic about their future.

The middle class, namely a two-person household with a monthly income of 1.75 million to 5.25 million won, accounted for 67.7 percent of the population in 2010, down from 75.4 percent in 1990.

Statistics Korea reports the rise of the poor class to 12.5 percent from 7.1 percent in the past two decades. About 54 percent of the 3.9 million new urbanites in the two-person households during the period fell into the lower income class. Only 1 percent moved up to middle class.