Study: The Majority Of South Korean Young People Have A Negative View On Marriage

JAKARTA - The younger generation of South Korea is increasingly worried about marriage, child birth, and child care due to the social and economic challenges they face. This was revealed in a recent study released by the Korean Peninsula Population Research Institute (KPPIF) last week.

Based on an analysis of 50,000 anonymous uploads on the young worker community platform, Blind, from the end of 2017 to November 2024, it was found that the majority of the young Korean generation had a negative attitude towards marriage. A total of 32.3% of uploads expressed feelings of sadness, 24.6% were afraid, and 10.2% were disgust at marriage. Only 9.3% expressed happiness related to marriage.

Similar trends were also found in attitudes towards child birth and care. More than 60% of posts related to birth are negative, with details of 23.8% expressing disgust, 21.3% feeling scared, and 15.3% feeling sad. Meanwhile, 70% of posts related to parenting also showed negative sentiment.

KPPIF experts consider that the anxiety of the young Korean generation reflects the country's deep social and economic concerns. The study found that the word money appeared in 30% of wedding-related posts and 13.2% of posts about having children.

This indicates that financial factors are a major barrier for the younger generation of Korea to marry and build families.

This study was released to coincide with the slight increase in birth rates in South Korea after years of decline. However, KPPIF warns that this trend may only be temporary due to post-pandemic effects, given that negative perceptions of marriage and family are still high.

A separate survey conducted by the Government Policy Coordination Office of 15,000 people aged 19-34 years also showed similar results. The number of respondents who want to get married in 2024 is 12% lower than two years ago, while the number of those who want to have children has decreased by 4%.

In response to these findings, South Korean President Choi Sang-mok announced a series of new policies to support young couples and those looking to get married.

Some of these policies include:

- Priority of boarding a plane for families with three children or more while traveling abroad. - Couples who are newly married and families with new children are given priority in purchasing social housing.

Program trials in the Seoul metropolitan area, where 5,000 seniors will help take children to school to address the growing demand for child care services.

This policy aims to ease the economic and social burden faced by the young Korean pair, as well as encourage an increase in the birth rate in the country. However, its effectiveness still needs to be tested over time.