DOI: 10.3886/icpsr37214
title: Korean General Social Survey (KGSS): Cumulative File, 2003-2016
title: Archival Version

description: The Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) is the Korean version of the General Social Survey (GSS), closely replicating the original GSS of the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The KGSS comprises four parts: The first part includes replicating core questions that cover the core content of Korean society. The second part is the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) module, which is a cross-national survey of 45 countries from all over the world. The third part is the East Asian Social Survey (EASS) module. The EASS is a joint survey of four East Asian countries (Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan) conducting a GSS-type social survey. The last part contains modules proposed by researchers. This data collection is the cumulative version of the previous 13 years of survey data from 2003 to 2016 (not including 2015). Respondents were asked for their opinions about Korean society, economic conditions, government performance, politics and political conditions. Additional questions were asked regarding the health care system, respondents' health behaviors, human rights, attitudes toward aging and the elderly, household composition, household income, education, occupation, environmental issues, international migration and so on. Demographic information collected includes age, sex, education level, household income, employment status, religious preference, political party affiliation, and political philosophy.
description: The weight variable, FINALWT, with six implied decimal places has been included and must be used in any analysis.
description: Response Rates: 66 percent (1,315) in 2003; 66 percent (1,312) in 2004;
65 percent (1,613) in 2005; 64 percent (1,605) in 2006;
57 percent (1,431) in 2007; 60 percent (1,507) in 2008;
64 percent (1,599) in 2009; 65 percent (1,576) in 2010;
61 percent (1,535) in 2011; 56 percent (1,396) in 2012;
52 percent (1,294) in 2013; 55 percent (1,370) in 2014;
47 percent (1,051) in 2016;
description: The KGSS samples men and women aged 18 and over nationwide based on the multi-stage area probability sampling method. It is conducted by a person-to-person interview. 
<em>2003 - 2014</em>
The KGSS population consists of non-institutionalized residents in Korea who are 18 years of age or older and who can communicate in Korean. The sample size of the first (2003) and the second (2004) surveys was 2,000 but it was increased to 2,500 with the third (2005) survey to reduce standard errors and increase effective sample sizes. Between 2003 and 2005, data from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety was utilized instead of constructing sampling frames of households. The sample was selected using a multi-stage area probability sampling method. 
<em>2016</em>
The 2016 KGSS population consists of non-institutionalized residents in Korea who are 18 years of age or older and who can communicate in Korean. The researchers directly selected the required number of persons if a well-defined list of all adult persons was available. If such list was not available, a set of potential respondents was selected in four stages utilizing an area probability sampling method. The first three stages select the required number of households. The fourth stage selects an eligible person from each selected household. 
For more detailed sampling information, please see PI's 2003-2016 KGSS Cumulative Codebook.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Korean General Social Survey (KGSS): Cumulative File, 2003-2016
description: All national populace aged 18 years or older residing in households in South Korea. Smallest Geographic Unit: State
description: face-to-face interviewMore information about Korean General Social Surveys can be found on the Survey Research Center (Sungkyunkwan University) website.