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Higher-income individuals in Korea are more likely to engage in physical activities, raising concerns about growing health disparities, according to a report released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Thursday.

A 2023 KDCA report revealed that 44.5 percent of adults met recommended walking guidelines, which call for walking at least 10 minutes per session, totaling 30 minutes or more per day, at least five days a week. Participation rates varied significantly by income level, with only 39.1 percent of the lowest-income group meeting the standard, compared to 49.2 percent of the highest-income group — a gap of over 10 percentage points.

In 2014, the gap was just 2 percentage points, with 43.7 percent of high-income earners and 41.7 percent of low-income earners meeting the standard. Disparities have since widened in other types of exercise as well. Only 48.3 percent of low-income adults met aerobic activity guidelines compared to 57.2 percent of high-income individuals, representing a discrepancy of 8.9 percentage points. For strength training, which involves exercising at least two days per week, the participation rates were 21.4 percent for the lowest-income group and 32.8 percent for the highest-income group, a gap of 11.4 percentage points.

Health experts warn that these growing disparities in exercise participation could worsen health inequities.

According to a recent study published by Korea University College of Medicine, the healthy life expectancy of Koreans in 2020 was 71.82 years. However, high-income individuals had a healthy life expectancy of 74.88 years, while low-income individuals had a significantly shorter healthy life expectancy of 66.22 years — an 8.66-year difference.

The widening gap underscores the urgent need for public health measures to address these disparities. Experts advocate for increased access to affordable fitness programs, public awareness campaigns and community-based exercise initiatives to promote physical activity among lower-income populations.

"It's essential that we create environments where everyone, regardless of income, can engage in regular exercise," a researcher at Korea University College of Medicine said. "This is not just about fitness — it's about long-term health and quality of life."

Public health officials stress that bridging these gaps is critical for improving overall health outcomes and reducing the burden on Korea's health care system.