[The Era of Being Single]"My Dream Is to Become a Healthy Rich Grandmother"

⑬ Preparing for 'Aging Alone' by Single 2030
Singles Gather to Study Real Estate and Financial Technology
Creating Small Groups in Single Communities

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 be single, and why? The issue is not only society's biased views surrounding singlehood. There are also vague gazes that regard it as an object of admiration. We examine the pros and cons of the so-called 'single life.'

What is the life like for those who have decided to remain single? In fact, the daily lives of single people in their 20s and 30s are similar to other young adults preparing for marriage?they go to work, spend leisure time with family, friends, and partners.

The difference is that they are preparing for a future living alone. Singles in their 20s and 30s are learning how to age gracefully into grandparents, standing firm against critical views that say, "It's fine while you're young, but you'll regret it when you're old."

For Jeong Jihyun (30), who decided to remain single, the first thing she did was buy a house. She judged that paying monthly rent only fattens the landlord’s pocket and does not allow her to save money. Without indulging in luxury or making 'Yeongkkeul' (pulling together all resources) coin investments, just living in a rented place in expensive Seoul made Jihyun feel like she was becoming destitute.

Housing policies such as subscription and loans mainly favored newlyweds and families with multiple children, but fortunately, Jihyun was a diligent office worker. She took out a 30-year mortgage and purchased a 25-pyeong apartment in the Gyeonggi area. She viewed homeownership not only as a place to live but also as an asset.

"Buying a 25-pyeong apartment for me is like declaring that I will not get married in the future. Since there are no variables like marriage or childbirth, my future is clearly drawn. Someone dreaming of marriage wouldn’t know who they’d live with or have to adjust to their partner’s needs, so they probably wouldn’t have made the decision to buy a house at this age so easily."

Jihyun decorated the largest room in her 25-pyeong apartment as an office.
[Image provided by Jihyun]

She also desperately needed her own space. Introducing herself as a 'kkin daughter' (a daughter who is squeezed out), Jihyun has painful memories of having her room taken away by her older and younger sisters during childhood. So, she enjoyed the process of configuring a three-bedroom apartment designed for a three-person household to suit a single-person household. Working from home and having recently started writing as a new hobby, Jihyun turned the largest room into an office. She says that only in her own room could she truly be herself. This recalls Virginia Woolf’s 'A Room of One’s Own.'

Then, five single friends who wanted to own homes gathered to study financial management. They called themselves the 'Big Bowl Union.' The name was inspired by a relative who scolded one member who wanted to buy a house, saying, "You need to know your bowl size!"

The Big Bowl Union members were so-called 'financial illiterates.' They thought investing in stocks would lead to massive debt and homelessness, and they believed all debt was inherently bad. Jihyun had never even taken out a student loan. Even as she was about to shed her newbie status in society, she was frustrated by not knowing how to manage money. These individuals, who once had hearts as small as soy sauce dishes, are now learning financial management with the bold ambition of "I will decide my own bowl size."

"When I actually tried to buy a house, I realized I needed to know about real estate, but at first, I knew nothing. Since it’s easy to slack off alone, I gathered friends who wanted to buy homes for actual residence to boost our motivation. Beyond just real estate, we try not to lose interest in the overall economy. Now, most members have bought houses."

'Keun Geureut Union' member Jojo (nickname) is presenting content from a real estate-related book. [Image provided by Ji-hyun]

Lonely Death? Singles Can Also Create 'Their Own Family'

Humans, as social animals, can feel lonely regardless of marital status, but isolation is indeed a fatal threat to single-person households. News of people living alone dying trapped in bathrooms due to broken doors can send chills down one’s spine. Online communities often share habits like always leaving the bathroom door open or keeping a hammer nearby.

Therefore, singles emphasize loose solidarity. It is a survival method to escape isolation. Senior singles who have lived well without marriage in a society dominated by married people, such as 'Bibi' (singles’ flight) in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, which has continued for 21 years, and 'Norumokhyanggi,' where three women in their 70s live together, have become excellent role models.

Kim (28), an office worker living in the metropolitan area, dreams of creating 'his own family.' However, the means of this union is not marriage. He is currently satisfied living alone and learning how to live solo, but someday he might live with someone compatible.

"Being single doesn’t mean you have to live alone, right? Even without marriage, you can cohabit with a partner or live with friends. You meet people who will be with you for life, not necessarily related by blood, and by living and interacting with them, you gradually become family."

[Image source=Pixabay]

There are also communities exclusively for singles. The application 'Femily' for single women operates various small groups such as 'soccer club,' 'book club,' and 'developer/coder meetups.' You can also find roommates to live with on the 'Single Mate' board.

Jihyun also made basketball friends through Femily. Several residents living nearby gathered, and a beginner basketball class started in the neighborhood. The empty basketball court and the famous line, "Basketball is played with the heart, not height," attracted their hearts. Jihyun’s dream is to someday form the '160 Basketball Team.' The membership requirement is 'women under 160 cm in height.'

Some claim that those who decide to remain single will spend a shabby and lonely old age and will eventually regret it. However, singles believe that those who have made important life decisions will not spend their later years without thorough preparation and die alone unexpectedly.

Their dream is to become healthy, wealthy, and stylish elders.