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