More than half of Korean college students believe it is difficult, if not impossible, for them to achieve success in life through their own efforts alone, a recent survey showed.

In the survey of 423 students, conducted by Albamon, a job portal website, 58 percent of respondents said self-made success is hard or impossible to accomplish in Korean society.

About 40 percent cited luck as a key factor for success, while 26.5 percent and 16.1 percent replied effort and ability are needed to succeed. Nearly 16 percent regarded marriage as a useful means to move up the social ladder.

“I think that under the current social structure, it is hard for an ordinary youngster to rise into the upper class, just relying on his or her own efforts,” said a female student surnamed Chin at Dongguk University in Seoul.

“Parents’ financial ability is essential for their children’s success because a lot of money is needed to cover increasingly expensive education costs,” said Chin, who is preparing for a state-administered examination to become a secondary school teacher.

Sounding pessimistic, she said there is no Korean figure she respects for their social achievement.

In the survey by the job portal website, 35.9 percent of respondents selected entrepreneur-turned-professor Ahn Cheol-soo, who recently emerged as a strong potential presidential candidate on the strength of his popularity with young voters, as the icon of success in Korean society.

Ahn was followed by Olympic female figure skating champion Kim Yu-na with 7.8 percent and popular entertainer Yoo Jae-suk at 6.1 percent. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and English Premier League footballer Park Ji-sung came next with 5.4 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.

Referring to the harsh reality facing them, Koreans in their 20s are often called a “generation of three abandonments” ― abandoning dating, marriage and childbirth. Invoking the term, Rep. Park Geun-hye, ruling Grand National Party’s presidential front-runner, said in a recent interview that she felt sorry for them and would try to solve the problems troubling them.

By Kim Kyung-ho (khkim@heraldcorp.com)