South Koreans are tightening their belts due to the Middle East conflict.

The majority of South Koreans are feeling the economic pressure stemming from the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

People buy fruit at a market in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo credit: Yonhap/VNA)

On May 19, the Media Research Center of the Korea Journalism Foundation released a report titled "Information on the Middle East Conflict and Public Perception of the Economic Situation," which showed that the majority of South Koreans are clearly feeling the economic pressure from the prolonged crisis in the Middle East, amidst rising oil prices and living costs leading to widespread austerity measures.

According to a report by the Korea Media Research Center, cited by a TTXVN correspondent in Seoul, based on the results of a survey conducted last month among 1,000 adults aged 20-60 across South Korea, 77.8% of respondents said they felt anxious when accessing information related to the Middle East conflict.

Of those surveyed, the biggest cause of anxiety was concern over rising oil prices and escalating inflation, accounting for 96.6%, followed by the risk of economic decline at 94.2%. Notably, the percentage of people concerned about South Korea's national defense and security issues was only 67.4%, indicating that the majority of the population now views the Middle East crisis primarily as a direct impact on their economic lives rather than a military threat.

The survey also revealed that 88.2% of respondents said they were genuinely feeling the burden of rising living costs, while 72.8% admitted to changing their spending habits due to the economic situation. The most significant cuts were in eating out (43.6%), travel (43.2%), and using a personal vehicle (41.2%). This trend reflects a growing desire to save money amidst rising fuel and commodity prices.

Furthermore, 77.8% of survey participants expressed concern about potential disruptions to the supply of medical supplies and essential goods. However, only 12.7% reported stockpiling more goods than usual, indicating that anxiety has not yet led to widespread panic buying. According to the report, the tendency to stockpile goods is more prevalent among those who regularly access information through social media, online communities, and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

Regarding the South Korean government's response measures, citizens expressed a high level of support for direct price stabilization policies. Specifically, 88.4% supported fuel tax cuts and 86.3% agreed with measures to control oil prices.

In addition, the majority of respondents believe that the most important role of the media in the current crisis is to verify misinformation and prevent false rumors related to the conflict and the economic situation.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/nguoi-dan-han-quoc-that-lung-buoc-bung-vi-xung-dot-trung-dong-20260519151301770.htm