Seoul's average is 3.8 times higher… 'Gangnam 3 districts' children's mental health at critical risk

A serious warning has been issued regarding the mental health of children under the age of 9 living in the Gangnam 3 districts (Gangnam, Seocho, Songpa) in Seoul.

According to data received on the 25th from the National Assembly Education Committee member Jin Sun-mi, who is affiliated with the Democratic Party, the number of health insurance claims related to depression and anxiety disorders among children under 9 living in the Gangnam 3 districts has increased more than threefold over the past five years.

The number of claims, which was 1,037 in 2020, rose to 1,612 in 2021, 2,188 in 2022, and 2,797 in 2023. Last year, it skyrocketed to 3,309, marking a 3.19 times increase over five years. The cumulative number of claims reached a staggering 10,943.

In particular, as of last year, Songpa District accounted for 1,442 claims, Gangnam District 1,045 claims, and Seocho District 822 claims. The average number of claims in the Gangnam 3 districts was 1,103, which is approximately 3.8 times higher than the average of 291 claims in Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts.

For reference, the number of health insurance claims for depression and anxiety disorders among children under 9 nationwide increased from 15,407 to 32,601 during the same period, indicating that the increase in the Gangnam 3 districts significantly surpasses the national average.

The data from the health insurance review and assessment service is based on completed examinations of health insurance statements during that period, classifying depressive episodes (F32) and recurrent depressive disorders (F33) as 'depression', and phobic anxiety disorders (F40) and other anxiety disorders (F41) as 'anxiety disorders'.

The concentration of English language kindergartens is also 'overwhelming'… Concerns over excessive learning stress

Concerns have been raised that the high mental health issues among children in the Gangnam 3 districts are closely related to the overheating of private education.

According to the 'Current Status of English Language Kindergartens' for young children submitted to Jin's office by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, as of last year, there were a total of 240 English language kindergartens for young children in Seoul, averaging 9.6 per autonomous district. However, the Gangnam 3 districts alone had 59 of these establishments—25 in Gangnam, 21 in Songpa, and 13 in Seocho—resulting in an average of 19.6, which is more than double the Seoul average.

Jin Sun-mi stated, "Children are suffering due to excessive learning burdens and competitive stress during a time when their physical and emotional development should be taking place." She emphasized the need for the Ministry of Education to create comprehensive measures, including a survey of private education practices for young children, to protect the mental health of children from the overheating phenomenon of early precocious learning, such as the '4-year-old examination'.

Image source: Reference photos for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank, unrelated reference photos / gettyimagesbank