[K-Women Talk] "Love and Solidarity" Every Family Is Precious

May is the month of family. With both Children's Day and Parents' Day, family-oriented events naturally increase, and household spending on gifts for children and parents rises significantly. While one might wonder if it is necessary to set aside a specific time to celebrate family, since family is always the closest and most precious relationship, the existence of such commemorative days can serve as a reminder of the importance of family. In any case, when May arrives, the value of family and love among family members is emphasized, bringing to mind the phrase "Gahwamansaseong" (家和萬事成), which used to be the most commonly framed saying in Korean households.

However, the traditional concept of family has changed significantly in recent times. The average number of family members has sharply decreased. From 5.2 members in 1970, it dropped to only 2.3 members in 2021. The four-person household, once considered the standard family model, has declined rapidly from 29.5% in 1990 to 14.7% in 2021. Instead, single-person households have increased to 33.4%, and two-person households are also on the rise. The increase in single-person households is largely influenced by aging, but it also reflects the diminishing role of family as the basic unit of social community. However, since humans are social animals, the function of family as the most fundamental unit of society remains very important, and the better the bonds within families, the fewer social problems arise. Therefore, restoring family functions is essential.

Recently, various attempts have been made to revive the role of family within communities. In 2020, the "Happy House No. 1 with Communication," selected as the recipient of the Family Harmony Award given by a major domestic corporate foundation, introduced a new form of family. It consists of nine families with 37 members who are not related by blood, school ties, or regional connections, coming together in a communal childcare arrangement to reduce the burden of child-rearing and sharing common spaces to celebrate events such as family occasions and holidays. This created a model case of a kind of social extended family.

However, our laws and systems still remain rooted in the traditional concept of family. The Civil Code defines family based on "relationships formed through marriage or blood," and the Framework Act on Healthy Families follows this definition. Narrowing the concept of family in this way alienates actual "families" who form communities with a sense of family. Couples cohabiting in their twilight years without legal marriage, or families composed only of stepmothers and children after the death of a father in remarried families, cannot be recognized as families under current law. To revive the shrinking functions of family in a low birthrate society, the scope of family must inevitably be expanded, but it is regrettable that the law does not encompass this. Of course, clear standards are necessary in cases involving legal effects such as inheritance, but from a policy perspective, a more inclusive approach is needed to expand family functions.

One urgent effort among these is to eliminate discriminatory terminology regarding family forms. Terms that fail to embrace diverse family types within the concept of a "normal family" and carry discriminatory connotations are still used without critical awareness. Expressions like "single mother household" or "illegitimate child" should now be discarded. Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said that the limits of language are the limits of the world. Using discriminatory terms about family forms can lead to discriminatory perceptions.

There are various types of families in the world, such as single-parent families, grandparent-grandchild families, and remarried families. If they embody the core values of love and solidarity, all families are precious and deserve respect.

Kim Kyung-sun, Former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.