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Six out of 10 socially withdrawn and reclusive youth in Korea have thought about taking their own lives, according to the results of the government's first-ever nationwide survey on the topic. The study also found that 70 percent of these young people expressed a desire to escape their current isolation.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on Tuesday released the results of a survey conducted with the National Youth Policy Institute, focusing on people aged 9 to 24 nationwide. The research was conducted from January to October last year.

Socially withdrawn and reclusive youth are defined as individuals without intellectual disabilities or mental disorders who spend most of their time inside their rooms or homes, do not participate in school or work and have little to no social interaction outside their families. Those who remain in this state for more than three months are classified as socially withdrawn or reclusive.

Out of 19,160 respondents, 12.6 percent were classified as socially withdrawn and 16 percent as reclusive.

The self-reported life satisfaction score among this group was 4.76 out of 10, significantly lower than the average score of 7.35 among their peers.

By age group, 50.4 percent were between 19 and 24 years old, followed by 45.2 percent between 13 and 18 and 4.5 percent between 9 and 12. Most reported that their social withdrawal began before the age of 18.

Many in this group reported experiencing significant challenges in daily life, including mental and physical health issues. About 62.5 percent said they had contemplated suicide, while 60.6 percent felt their mental health was poor. Additionally, 48.9 percent said they were in poor physical health.

Only 25.5 percent said they maintained regular eating habits, and 56.7 percent reported their day-night cycles were reversed.

Amid these disruptions to daily life, 71.7 percent said they wanted to escape their current condition, and 55.8 percent had attempted to do so.

"The findings show the urgent need for more tailored and careful support so that these youth can restore psychological and social connections," an official from the ministry said.

Choi Hong-il, a senior researcher who led the study, said during a briefing that a nationally representative survey of all youth would be needed to obtain more accurate data on the prevalence of reclusive youth.

The ministry vowed to take a more proactive approach to identifying youth in need of help and expanding nationwide support programs.