"Don't Want Marriage, Hate Childbirth Even More" Young People Choosing Single Life, What Do You Think? [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

20s and 30s Half Say "Will Never Marry or Likely Not to Marry"
Some Choose 'Cohabitation' as an Alternative to Marriage
Experts Say "Influenced by Individualism and Economic Issues"

On July 19th, at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, prospective grooms and brides are looking at wedding dresses at the 54th Wedex Korea Wedding Fair. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] [Editor's Note] How is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we share the joys and sorrows unique to 'youth.'

"I'm happy without getting married, so why should I?", "Even if I get married, I have no intention of having children."

Recently, the number of people in their 20s and 30s who have given up not only marriage but also childbirth due to economic burdens and individualism is increasing. Some young people have chosen cohabitation as an alternative to marriage, but social views on this are still unfavorable, causing stress. Experts emphasize the need for active government support for marriage and childbirth.

On the 6th, Saramin surveyed 1,600 people in their 20s and 30s about their 'thoughts on marriage and childbirth,' and more than half of the respondents, 53.9%, answered negatively about marriage. Among the negative responses, 47.9% said 'there is a high possibility I will not marry,' and 6% said 'I will never marry.'

Kim Mo (25), a college student who identified as a 'non-marriage advocate,' said, "I'm busy with my life now, so I wonder if I really need to get married," adding, "If I start working, I will be even busier, and I don't think I will have time to care for someone."

He continued, "Unlike dating, marriage requires considering many aspects," and added, "My family's financial situation is not very comfortable, so I think I would lose confidence."

There are also many opinions that even if they marry, they will not have children. In the same survey, 80.9% of respondents said they felt 'burdened' about having children. The most common reason was 'income is too low to raise children' (28.1%).

Following that were reasons such as ▲ wanting to live a life for themselves (19.9%) ▲ feeling unable to provide enough for children (18.6%) ▲ not wanting to raise children under Korea's fierce competition and education system (12.8%) ▲ concerns about career interruption (10.5%) ▲ physical difficulty (5.6%).

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Office worker Lee Mo (30) also said, "I have no intention of getting married, and even if I do, I don't want to have children."

He said, "If you have children, education and childcare costs are high. These become burdens," adding, "I don't know if I can buy everything my child wants. In a situation without enough financial leeway, I wonder if I can really make my child happy. Without this certainty, I think not having children is the answer."

There are quite a few young people like Lee who have given up on childbirth. According to the 'July Population Trends' announced by Statistics Korea last month, the number of births in July was 23,067, down 8.5% from a year earlier. This is the lowest number for July since Statistics Korea began compiling monthly birth statistics in 1981.

Given this situation, some young people who feel burdened by marriage and childbirth have chosen cohabitation as an alternative. This choice was made due to psychological reasons of not wanting to be responsible for someone and economic issues.

Another office worker, Oh Mo (28), said, "I really want to rely on someone, but I dislike having to worry about things like the in-laws if I get married," adding, "Even if I like someone, I want to cohabit with less burden rather than getting married and being deeply entangled."

However, social views on cohabitation are not favorable. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on 253 people who are cohabiting or have experience cohabiting, 51% of respondents said they had experienced discrimination due to others' negative prejudice or unfavorable views.

Among them, 70% experienced negative views such as being seen as sexually promiscuous, immoral, or irresponsible.

Experts analyzed that individualism and economic issues have influenced the trend of non-marriage among young people.

Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University said, "Nowadays, individualism is strong, and many young people want to enjoy living alone. There are costs to enjoying one's life, and having children makes it unmanageable," adding, "Also, raising children requires a lot of childcare expenses, which is a big economic burden. Moreover, young people are struggling with various issues such as housing prices, so they choose not to have children."

She continued, "The willingness to have children tends to increase when people are economically stable," and pointed out, "Unless active policies on childbirth support and childcare systems are created, the birth rate will not rebound."