More South Korean women opt to stay single
SEOUL : More South Korean women are staying away from marriages,
opting to remain single, according to a study.
And among those who are married, more are choosing to stay childless.
Traditional attitudes toward family and marriages are changing rapidly
in South Korea.
A recent survey conducted by Ewha University - an elite all-women's
college in Seoul - reflected a shift in priorities.
Instead of marriage, more women now prefer to work towards social
achievements and successful careers.
Last year, the number of marriages countrywide fell to its lowest
level in more than three decades, while the nation's divorce rate
hit a record high.
Of the 200 women surveyed, more than a third said they had no plans
to tie the knot.
College student Choi Yoo Ri said: "In the past, it was compulsory
for women to get married. But times have changed and these days, we
have a choice to stay single if we want to."
For decades, Korean women's role has been mainly at home and even
if they work, would be expected to quit after becoming a wife and
mother.
But with more women entering the workforce and rising up the career
ladder, they are reluctant to give it all up.
"If I have a job, and I am satisfied with what I am doing, I
don't think it is necessary to get married," said Park In Ae,
a college student.
And 33 percent of those surveyed said that even if they were to marry,
there're no plans to raise a family.
The main reasons cited were economic difficulties and a lack of good
baby-care centres in the country.
College student Kim Yeon Hwa said: "If I had a kid, who would
look after the child? The baby-care centres are no good, and that's
why many women want to emigrate overseas."
Sociologists are not surprised by the results of the study, as they
say South Korea has joined the ranks of other Asian countries like
Japan and Singapore, where the demographics show a similar trend.
And with an aging population and falling birth rates seen as worrying
trends, some countries have gone so far as offering cash and tax incentives
to encourage couples to marry and have babies.
So, it may be a matter of time before South Korea, too, starts to
relook into its pro-family policies. - CNA