[Born in '58, Sunja] Still Shouldering 'Housework'... Expectation for Generational Change

Women Baby Boomer Report #1
Unpaid Household Labor Valuation: Women in Their 50s at 67 Trillion KRW, 2.9 Times That of Men
Still High but Reduced Compared to 3.6 Times in 2004
From Next Year, Domestic Workers Will Also Receive Legal Protection…Social Insurance and Severance Pay Guaranteed

Ms. Sunja: A fictional persona created to provide a more three-dimensional explanation of women born between 1955 and 1963, representing a vague collection of images associated with this birth cohort and one of the most common female names of that era. Although from an earlier generation, the character played by actress Youn Yuh-jung in the film "Minari," who portrayed a mother’s sacrifice, was also named Kim Sunja.

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyun-jung (Sejong), Lee Hyun-joo, Son Sun-hee (Sejong)] The women baby boomer generation has tirelessly navigated the harsh realities of life but has not been left with even a single ‘career certificate.’ For over half a century, they existed merely as a generation of compliance and icons of unfortunate sacrifice. These colorless and odorless women, who had no political preferences and did not challenge state affairs, are now undergoing a quiet transformation. While everyone’s attention is on the MZ generation, the new protagonists of the world, Asia Economy shines a spotlight on the 3.6 million Kim Sunjas.

The burden of ‘household labor’ that weighed heavily on middle-aged and elderly women in Korea is expected to gradually lighten starting with the baby boomer generation. As they enter the 50s and 60s age groups, perceptions of role-sharing between men and women regarding so-called ‘household chores’ such as laundry, cooking, and cleaning are undergoing change. Additionally, legal protections for domestic workers, who have not been properly recognized, will be fully implemented starting next year.

According to Statistics Korea’s ‘Household Production Satellite Account (valuation of unpaid household labor)’ released on the 17th, the valuation of unpaid household labor for women in their 50s was 67.207 trillion KRW (as of 2019), which is 2.9 times the 22.82 trillion KRW valuation for men in the same age group. This statistic is based on the average daily time from the Time Use Survey conducted every five years by Statistics Korea, which estimates the value of unpaid household labor such as laundry, cooking, cleaning, pet or plant care, reading to children, and conversations within families without market transactions.

Although the burden of household labor remains unevenly distributed between men and women, the degree of imbalance has noticeably eased over time. In the 2004 survey, women in their 50s (20.765 trillion KRW) performed 3.6 times more household labor than men (5.772 trillion KRW) in the same age group. This ratio has significantly decreased over the past 15 years.

Of course, compared to younger generations, the burden of household labor remains concentrated on women as age increases. For those aged 15 to 29, the valuation of unpaid household labor for women was 26.958 trillion KRW, approximately 2.1 times that of men (12.915 trillion KRW).

With the entry of ‘Ms. Sunja’ into the elderly population, the 60s age group among the upper baby boomer generation became the age group performing the most household labor in 2019. Until now, the main household labor providers were those in their 30s and 40s, who were heavily involved in childcare activities. The emergence of the ‘young grandmother’ has broken this conventional notion. Of the total economic value of unpaid household labor in 2019 (490.9 trillion KRW), those aged 60 and above accounted for 135.61 trillion KRW, or 27.5% of the total. This is the first time in 15 years that this age group has surpassed the 30-39 age group, which had been the primary household labor providers. However, as indicated by the satellite account title, this economic value is not used as a real-world indicator. Whether this value can be exchanged for currency depends on social awareness and legal and institutional reforms.

It is also positive that the rights of domestic workers, mainly middle-aged and elderly women, are expanding. From next year, domestic workers will be covered under the Labor Standards Act and the Minimum Wage Act, and social insurance such as employment insurance and industrial accident insurance will be applied, allowing them to prepare for risks such as unemployment or industrial accidents. The ‘Act on the Improvement of Employment of Domestic Workers,’ which passed the National Assembly plenary session, is currently in the preparation phase and is scheduled for full enforcement in June next year.

Domestic workers, formerly called ‘housekeepers’ or ‘maids,’ have until now been excluded from the Labor Standards Act and thus fell into a blind spot regarding labor laws and social insurance. However, with the enactment of this related law, they will be guaranteed minimum wage, social insurance, severance pay, paid annual leave, and other rights. They will also enter into written service contracts covering service types and hours, usage fees, and liability for damages. In simple terms, this means that ‘documents’ will be prepared to ensure their rightful rights and wages.