[The Era of Singlehood] Women Choosing Egg Freezing "We Also Want to Have Children..."

③Prejudice That Unmarried Individuals Do Not Want to Have Children
"Is Marriage the Only Way to Have and Raise a Child?"
Broadcaster Sayuri's Case Inspires Courage in Women

Editor's NoteIn a world where marriage is not mandatory, encountering those who choose to remain single is no longer a strange experience. Who chooses to remain single, and why? The issue is not only society's biased views surrounding singlehood. There also exists a vague admiration toward it. We examine the pros and cons of the so-called 'single life.'

"In Korea, I think there is still an excessive association between having and raising children and marriage. If a child is born (or if one has decided to have a child), the caregivers and our society should make the best efforts to ensure the child grows up well. Does the process of the child's birth really hold that much significance?" (Kim, a 31-year-old woman who underwent egg freezing.)

Until now, women's pregnancy and childbirth have been considered appropriate only within the legal framework of 'family.' The current Framework Act on Healthy Families defines family as 'a basic unit formed by marriage, blood relations, or adoption.'

However, as various family forms such as single-person households, cohabiting couples, and same-sex couples emerge, there is a growing demand for redefining the meaning of family and for legal and institutional supplementation. The fact that the population of unmarried singles is increasing is confirmed by various indicators.

In particular, in recent years, the issue of 'single motherhood' has become a topic of discussion. The news that Sayuri, a Japanese broadcaster, gave birth as a single mother through sperm donation caused a significant stir in Korea. Sayuri's pregnancy and childbirth questioned the traditional family view that only childbirth within marriage is 'normal.' Furthermore, it challenges the stereotype that single-person households or singles do not want to have children and the discriminatory social perception toward their childbirth.

Is Sayuri the only one who holds such doubts? Do singles really not want to have children? If they do want to have children, why do they choose the difficult path instead of the safe social framework of marriage?

Kim, a 31-year-old office worker living in Seoul, underwent egg freezing in 2021. Kim is currently single. Strictly speaking, Kim is not an advocate of singlehood but has never been able to give a firm answer when thinking about the institution of marriage. Kim did not believe that a father must be present to raise a child.

"If two people love each other and have a child, that's great, and I also think that having and raising a child solely out of love for the child is a valuable act. Who gave birth, who didn't... rather than debating these things, shouldn't we focus on the process of a child enjoying basic rights and growing up happily into a respectable adult? I hope a consensus can be formed that anyone can have a child if they have the conditions and love to raise one."

The reason single women decide to freeze their eggs without immediately giving birth is related to economic burdens and concerns about career interruption due to childbirth and child-rearing. Although it is difficult to have a child right now, they may want to give birth later when economic and environmental conditions are met, so they choose egg freezing to preserve fertility.

Kim said, "I experienced how my firm values changed as I got older, so even if I have no thoughts about marriage and childbirth now, I think it could change in 5 or 10 years. If I become financially stable and achieve career success, I might gain the will or confidence to have and raise a child then."

What Is the Reality of Single Motherhood? ... Discriminatory Perceptions and Institutional Shortcomings

"Ethical and Legal Issues Need to Be Discussed"

In 2021, the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family conducted a survey of 2,000 adults aged 20 to 60 living in Seoul. Among women in their 20s to 40s, 26.2% responded that they had considered single motherhood. By age group, 32.7% of single women in their 30s and 28.4% of single women in their 40s had considered single motherhood.

Additionally, 64.2% of all respondents agreed that assisted reproductive technology should be available regardless of marital status, and 63.9% agreed with abolishing the term 'illegitimate child.'

Interest in single motherhood is growing, and cases of egg freezing are increasing, but institutional support remains insufficient. As confirmed in Sayuri's case, even if single women undergo egg freezing in Korea, there are usually no clinics that provide sperm donation, blocking the pregnancy preparation process.

While it is not illegal for single women to give birth through sperm donation, the ethical guidelines of the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology allow assisted reproductive technology only for legally married or de facto married couples, and most clinics follow these guidelines. Even if single women undergo egg freezing, without a spouse in a marriage or de facto marriage, it is difficult to officially proceed with pregnancy and childbirth.

Kim revealed, "Before undergoing egg freezing, when I visited the hospital for gynecological issues, they kept asking if I had plans to marry along with recommending egg freezing. It felt as if not being able to get pregnant after marriage would be a huge problem... That part was a bit burdensome." Although hospitals actively recommend egg freezing to single women, there is a basic atmosphere that the prerequisite for childbirth is naturally being married.

The above photo is not related to the article content. (Photo by Asia Economy DB)

Experts point out that for single women's childbirth through donated sperm to become socially active, discussions on the ethical issues surrounding it and institutional support must precede. This somewhat conflicts with the argument that women's childbirth should be guaranteed as an 'individual freedom.'

However, experts agree that for single women's childbirth to be institutionally established, careful discussion and review are needed regarding various issues that may arise, such as the rights of the born child and the protection of sperm donors.

Choi Sun-young, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, said, "The process itself (of single motherhood) involves various issues such as how to recognize bioethics, paternal rights, and maternal rights. The technical, ethical, and institutional aspects of assisted reproductive technology need to be discussed together going forward."

After Sayuri's single motherhood became a hot topic, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) announced the '4th Basic Plan for Healthy Families' in April 2021, stating that it would discuss the legal and ethical issues of single motherhood. It also planned to promote recognizing various family types, including single households, as legal families.

However, after the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, MOGEF reversed its previous stance and decided to maintain the current family definition under the Framework Act on Healthy Families. As the government's policy on family definition changed, discussions on single motherhood have also stalled.