The economically inactive population in South Korea who want to start working within a year has hit a record high amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to Statistics Korea on Thursday, among those categorized as economically inactive, three-point-99 million said as of August that they want to be employed or launch their own business within a year. 

That is up by 87-thousand from a year earlier and marks the highest since the agency began collating related data in 2016.

The economically inactive population refers to people aged 15 and older who are capable of working but choose not to. 

Those in their 20s made up for the biggest chunk of the economically inactive population seeking to become economically active within a year at one-point-22 million, followed by those in their 60s at 832-thousand.