According to a new survey, Seoulites believe the cost of living is the most important economic issue for the new year.
The Seoul Institute released Monday the results of the survey on 1,200 local households that found cost of living issues were the top concern for 19.2 percent of respondents.
Another 17.3 percent cited youth unemployment and job creation followed by mortgage loans and increasing household debts at 9.8 percent.
The 2022 presidential election trailed at 8.3 percent, income polarization at 6.1 percent, and consumer sentiment and domestic business conditions at 5.7 percent.
Asked whether the economy will improve next year, respondents said they expect it to get worse, across all sectors, due to the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.