Majority of 20s, 30s Wish to Emigrate

Seven out of every ten adults in their 20s and 30s want to emigrate to another country, according to a recent study conducted by the marriage information company Piery.

After surveying 572 clients over the phone, it found that 72.1 percent are thinking of relocating.

When asked to explain their motivation, 42.3 percent said it would be for their children`s education, 31.4 percent cited the present unemployment problems in Korea and 19.7 percent are fed up with the political and social turmoil, results showed.

In addition, 32.7 percent said they would like to move to Canada, 30.5 percent wanted to immigrate to the United States, 23.9 percent named Australia and 8.9 percent hope to live in Central or South America.

Canada proved a popular destination because of its favorable living conditions and lenient immigration policies, representatives said.

However, only 10.1 percent of the 380 people who named Canada said they are thinking of moving within the next year. One quarter said they are considering immigrating within the next three years, 30.8 percent answered between the next three to five years, and the largest number of correspondents or 33.3 percent said they are considering relocating more than five years from now.

"More and more singles who are thinking of immigrating are looking to marry someone who is also considering relocating because they want to get married in Korea before moving to another country," a representative from Piery said.