Kim Tae-heum "So that children can be born without the burden of marriage"
Some strong opposition... Legalization and social consensus needed
'Saenghwal Dongbanja Law' proposed in the 21st National Assembly but discarded
As the population crisis worsens daily due to low birth rates and aging, a local government head has proposed adopting the 'registered cohabitation' system introduced in France. This means discussing systems previously considered 'premature,' such as cohabitation and a four-day workweek. It is expected that various alternatives like these will be widely discussed in local areas where the population crisis is more severe than in the metropolitan area.
On the 10th, Kim Tae-heum, Governor of Chungnam Province, proposed the introduction of the French-style registered cohabitation system at the Policy Conference of the Korea Association of Governors, where 12 governors from across the country gathered. Governor Kim emphasized that the non-marital birth rate in France reaches 62.2%, stating, "Non-marital couples should be granted the same tax and welfare benefits as married couples so that they can have children without the burden of marriage."
France enacted the Civil Solidarity Pact (PACS) in 1999 as a measure against low birth rates, recognizing non-marital cohabitation. Two adults over 18 can enter into a cohabitation contract and register it at the local city hall of their residence, receiving legal benefits similar to those of married couples in childbirth, childcare, and taxation. In 2023, France's total fertility rate was 1.68, which is 2.3 times higher than South Korea's 0.72.
What is noteworthy is that 'cohabitation,' mainly an agenda of the progressive camp, came from the mouth of a governor belonging to a conservative party. This is the result of the realization that the current population crisis cannot be overcome without groundbreaking proposals that break the existing framework. Governor Kim also adopted the four-day workweek, another policy considered progressive. Since July this year, Chungnam has introduced a 'four-day workweek' for employees raising children under the age of two, the first public sector implementation.
Unlike welfare policies that local governments can implement, registered cohabitation requires legislation and social consensus to be enacted. It is known that the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy reviewed the introduction of registered cohabitation at the end of last year, but religious groups strongly opposed it, arguing that it could destroy family values. Since overseas cohabitation systems can apply to same-sex couples as well as opposite-sex couples, the public debate process in South Korea, which does not legally recognize same-sex marriage, will need to be even more intense regarding the form of introduction.
Related bills have also been proposed in the National Assembly but were discarded due to the expiration of the term. The 'Life Partner Act,' proposed by Yong Hye-in of the Basic Income Party and Jang Hye-young, former member of the Justice Party, guarantees by law relationships where people share livelihood and residence regardless of legal marriage or blood relations. The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee stated in its review report on Yong's bill, "There is a long-standing aspect that legal status and rights are granted to families established through marriage under the current legal system, which confers special rights to marriage and family. Social consensus will be necessary to grant life partners legal status similar to families established through marriage."
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