[The Era of Non-Marriage] The Reason Why That Man and That Woman Have No Choice but to Remain Unmarried

⑮Economic Hardships Hinder Marriage
Cultural Challenges in Childbirth and Parenting Also Discourage Marriage
Diagnosing Low Birthrate Causes Must Come First, Solutions Need Review

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 the societal prejudices surrounding singlehood. There is also a vague admiration directed at it. We examine the pros and cons of the so-called 'single life.'

Some voluntarily choose to remain single because they do not agree with the institution of marriage, but there are also those who cannot or hesitate to marry due to their personal circumstances and various reasons.

Recently, a male local government employee A, who holds a Grade 9 public servant position, became a hot topic online after his pay slip was revealed. The net amount A received was 1,970,000 KRW. Although the total salary was 2,717,000 KRW, after deducting about 700,000 KRW for taxes and other expenses, the actual amount he takes home is significantly reduced.

After subtracting monthly rent, utility bills, mobile phone charges, and pension savings, A has only 500,000 KRW left to spend freely. A said, "Even with dual incomes, it wouldn't be easy, so marriage is a concern." A's complaint came in the context of advocating for a public servant salary increase, but it reflects the recent reality where it is difficult to marry on earned income alone.

Among the reasons young people want to marry but cannot, economic difficulties are a major factor. The income earned alone makes it difficult to solve housing issues such as 'owning a home,' and even if they take out loans to buy a house, repaying them is not easy.

According to a survey on 'Marriage and Childbirth Perceptions' conducted by Embrain Trend Monitor targeting 1,000 adult men and women, the biggest barriers making marriage difficult in reality were the difficulty of securing housing (57.0%, multiple responses allowed) and the lack of financial stability (41.4%). Also, 9 out of 10 respondents (89.6%) perceived that 'in our country, it is hard to marry without money.'

For women, career interruptions due to marriage and childbirth and the burden of childcare were significant concerns. A woman in her 30s, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed unfairness about workplace cultures that frown upon or make it difficult to take parental leave. She works in the advertising and marketing industry.

She said, "Since I want to have a baby, when choosing a company to transfer to, I consider places where parental leave is available and where I can continue my career after childbirth. But when I look at welfare policies in marketing and advertising companies, it's hard to find the term 'parental leave'."

The fatigue from family relationships, which heats up online every holiday season, is another reason why deciding to marry is not easy.

She said, "Marriage is not just between two people, so I worry about possible conflicts between families. Of course, there have always been family-related issues in the past, but honestly, I wonder if marriage is worth it to this extent." She added, "Besides these problems, there are so many difficulties before marriage can happen, and I don't think I have the energy to endure even greater challenges."

"A Marriage Culture That Demands Great Sacrifice... Ultimately Leading to Low Birthrates"

Author Kwon Gi-dung diagnosed the increasing rate of singlehood among young people in his book by stating, "Our country's marriage and family culture demand too many sacrifices compared to living alone."

The younger generation, who delay marriage due to the cost of housing, find it difficult to plan for multiple children due to concerns about education expenses and retirement after marriage, Kwon explains.

Kwon said, "Because there are many sacrifices to be made with marriage, the population delaying marriage or choosing to remain single is gradually increasing," adding, "This trend ultimately leads to low birthrates."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

To address the low birthrate issue, one of the most urgent national challenges, the government has announced various policies. The Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy plans to expand support for multi-child families from three children to two children and increase assistance. They also announced plans to introduce a foreign domestic helper system to reduce childcare and household burdens.

However, it is questionable whether such measures can fundamentally stop young people's reluctance to marry. A 30-year-old single person, Mr. Gukmo, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "Policies focusing on birth rates are out of order," and questioned, "Instead of bringing in cheap foreign domestic helpers, shouldn't the priority be creating an environment where I can raise my own child properly?"

Mr. Gukmo said, "My younger sibling is scheduled to give birth to a second child this August and will soon quit their job," adding, "The priority is to create a workplace atmosphere where maternity leave and parental leave can be taken without worry, and an environment where childbirth can happen without feeling pressured."

Author Kwon Gi-dung pointed out that the reason why the trillions of won invested in low birthrate policies have not achieved significant results is that "they focused only on the end result of low birthrates rather than solving the fundamental problems," and said, "They neglected why low birthrates occurred and only obsessed over increasing the birth rate itself. Even if 80 trillion or 800 trillion won is invested this way, it will be difficult to make progress."

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