This special issue examines factors influencing quality of life in Korean society. The special issue is based on the symposium, which was organized by the Korean Association of Psychological and Social Issues on August and December 2005. A review of the literature and also contributors to the special issue draw out six important factors that influence quality of life in Korean society: (1) financial stability, (2) harmonious interpersonal relationships, (3) emotional support, (4) psychological factors, such as self- regulation and self-efficacy, (5) academic achievement, and (6) health and leisure life. Koreans believe that financial resources are necessary in maintaining quality of life, and they must be supplemented with harmonious interpersonal relations in family, school and the workplace. As people become order, the importance of self-efficacy increases in order to maintain a sense of control in their lives. In addition, academic achievement, health, and leisure life contribute to quality of life. Finally, indigenous psychological analysis provides important insights into understanding factors influencing quality of life in Korean society.
With longevity (75 years plus and still increasing) now commonly achievable, the new challenge for individuals and society is less concerned with adding more years to life, though that remains important, and more with adding lifeto years. To explore the quality of long life more fully, a concept broader than healthy ageing or active ageing is needed. For this purpose, the present article describes a framework of Positive Ageing, also known as Successful Ageing, which views the quality of long life as comprising good health, physical and cognitive functional independence, and meaningful engagement with life. Narrowly defined, it refers to old people ageing well in all these aspects. More broadly defined, it refers to ageing well from midlife on. The framework also identifiesvariables that may affect the process of ageing positively. These variables include the social-cognitive styles of control, humour and future-time perspective on the one hand, and on the other hand, resources based on finance, social network and lifestyle.
he percentage of divorce has increased rapidly even in Korea where traditionally attaches great importance to a family. However most counselors apply counseling theories and approaches developed in the West when they do counseling for Korean couple. In fact, the culture of Korea carries characteristics of relationism under the Oriental religion like Shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Therefore it is not easy to gain sufficient counseling effect in Korea with such major counseling approaches. The Korean takes a serious view of family relations between father and son, Therefore the Koran society carries on a family line, devotes their lives to the cause of education, gies precedence to the elder. In such a cultural area, it would be quite helpful for counselors to focus their attention on various roles of each rather than focus on their conflict of intimacy itself.