[KS] Korean childhoods: Cause for concern?

[Afostercarter at aol.com]

Dear friends and colleagues,
 
Are too many Korean children miserable, or even  sick?
 
 
Such is the thrust of two separate recent news  items
- these are just sample links; you can find many other reports  -
both of which are saddening and disquieting:
 
Korea’s children are most unhappy in OECD  nations
_http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2935776_ 
(http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2935776) 
 
 
High Autism Rate Found in South Korean  Study

_http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730804576313071019288368.h
tml_ 
(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730804576313071019288368.html) 
 
As a non-specialist, I  wonder what to make of this.
Might there be  exaggeration? If not, what is to blame?
Expert guidance would be  welcome.
 
 
Kind  regards
Aidan  FC
 
 
Aidan  Foster-Carter 
Honorary  Senior Research Fellow in Sociology & Modern Korea, Leeds 
University,  UK
 
 
PS Less publicized, if  unsurpisingly, it's grim up North as well: 
 
_http://www.juvenilejusticepanel.org/resource/items/N/G/NGOAlternativeReport
RightsontheChildDPRKCRC.pdf_ 
(http://www.juvenilejusticepanel.org/resource/items/N/G/NGOAlternativeReportRightsontheChildDPRKCRC.pdf) 
 
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