Around 18 percent of South Korean teens are at high risk of being addicted to smartphones or the internet, according to a recent government survey.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family conducted the survey released on Sunday on some one-point-three million fourth, seventh and tenth graders nationwide regarding Internet and smartphone use.

About 228-thousand students, or 18 percent, were found to be in danger of overdependence on either of the two. One out of five to six students experience withdrawal or struggles to control themselves in regards to smartphones or the internet.

This year, the number of students who can't lead normal lives and need professional help has particularly increased. Seventh graders were especially vulnerable, accounting for 40 percent of all those at risk of developing a smartphone or internet addiction.

Younger students in elementary school are also increasingly at risk due to wider use of smartphones. 

The ministry said the prolonged pandemic with extended online classes has led students to spend more time surfing online. It plans to provide support through counseling, medical treatment and in educating parents so they can offer guidance at home.