Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on South Korean citizens’ behavioral changes

This study analyzed the behavioral changes in individuals in South Korea due to restrictions on going out during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined the state of the psychological changes. We examined attributes such as age and gender, place of residence, characteristics of the residential environment, and of the communities they came into contact with, which are considered to be the factors responsible for psychological changes in individuals. The results of the analysis of the psychological changes showed that the differences were more significant for attributes such as age and gender than for spatial characteristics such as residential area and type of residence. In addition, depression was found to be greater in specific gender and age groups. In particular, those in their 20s were found to be more depressed than those in their 30s and 40s, even though they are less prone to getting infected with COVID-19 as compared to older adults. Through the findings of this study, we have obtained materials and factors that should be taken into account while preparing policies to counteract future waves of COVID-19.