[News in Numbers] "Not Married but Gave Birth"... 4 to 5 out of 100 Are 'Children Born Out of Wedlock'

Cases of childbirth outside of marriage are increasing. In Korean society, the perception that "children are born after marriage" is strong, but recently, cases of having children outside of marriage, like actor Jung Woo-sung and model Moon Ga-bi, have increased, with about 4 to 5 out of every 100 births last year being born out of wedlock.

According to the "2023 Birth Statistics" released by Statistics Korea last August, the number of children born outside of marriage last year exceeded 10,000 for the first time, reaching 10,900. This accounts for 4.7% of all births. This means that out of every 100 children born last year, 4 to 5 were born to parents who were not married.

The number of children born outside of marriage was 9,300 in 2013, ten years ago, but decreased to 6,900 in 2020. During this period, the total number of births also declined from around 430,000 to 270,000, so the proportion of children born outside of marriage was about 2%.

However, since then, while the total number of births sharply declined, the number of children born outside of marriage has notably increased.

The total number of births steadily decreased from 272,200 in 2020, to 260,500 in 2021, 249,000 in 2022, and 230,000 in 2023. Meanwhile, the number of children born outside of marriage increased from 6,900 to 7,700, 9,800, and 10,900 during the same period, raising the proportion from 2.5% to 4.7%. This is interpreted as an increase in births within de facto relationships, such as cohabitation without legal marriage registration.

This domestic increase in children born out of wedlock has drawn attention since model Moon Ga-bi announced the birth of her son on social networking services (SNS).

Entertainment media Dispatch reported that the biological father of Moon Ga-bi's son is actor Jung Woo-sung. According to the report, the two first met at a gathering in 2022 and have since been close. They are not officially dating and have no plans to marry.

On the 22nd, Moon Ga-bi announced the birth on SNS, saying, "The news came so suddenly that I was not prepared at all, so rather than fully enjoying the joy or congratulations of pregnancy, I spent most of the pregnancy quietly under the blessings of my family." She added, "The only reason I chose to do so was for the child to be born."

She continued, "Facing the child who came into the world, I am still not a perfectly prepared mother, but regardless of my shortcomings, looking at this child who fills my heart with love just by existing, I made a vow to become a healthy mother full of love and happiness rather than perfection."

Jung Woo-sung's agency, Artist Company, stated, "The child revealed by Moon Ga-bi on SNS is indeed Jung Woo-sung's biological child," and added, "We are discussing the best way to raise the child and will take full responsibility until the end." However, they said they could not confirm any plans for marriage between the two.