Trust in public institutions and satisfaction with public services are important yardsticks of the quality of public governance. They reflect people’s perceptions of government competence in designing and delivering policies and services, and expectations on the behaviour of public institutions and their representatives. Although high trust in public institutions is not a necessary outcome of democratic governance, trust and satisfaction with public services facilitate effective governance, as they correlate with high rates of compliance with policies, participation in public life and social cohesion.
Korea fares above OECD average on satisfaction with public services. An estimated 74% and 75% are satisfied with the healthcare system and with administrative services, respectively, above the corresponding averages across the OECD countries (68% and 63% respectively). Satisfaction with the education system (68%) is close to the OECD average (67%).