[Unmarried Era] From Park Bo-gum and IU to Jang Hye-young and Kim Kyu-jin

(20) Negative Comments Reflecting South Korean Society's Perception of Non-Marriage
Respect for Others' Lives... The First Step Toward a Better World
Non-Marriage as a Social Reality, Now an Era of Coexistence

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 also exists a vague admiration towards it. This series diagnoses the pros and cons of the so-called 'single life.'

Would actors Park Bo-gum or IU change their views on singlehood if they proposed marriage? The [Single Era] project began with this provocative question, reflecting the perceptions of the general public. The possibility of a famous celebrity, admired from afar, proposing to oneself might be close to zero.

Yet, the reason for posing this question was to take the first step in breaking the societal prejudices surrounding singlehood. The idea is to show that thoughts on singlehood are not fixed and unchanging beliefs but personal choices that can vary depending on circumstances.

What if someone who declared singlehood later chooses to marry? Shouldn't we respect that choice? After all, life choices ultimately depend on individual judgment...

The second [Single Era] project, titled 'Only professional baseball cannot be changed,' reflects this context. Professional baseball fans reportedly maintain their 'favorite team' for life once chosen; the question is whether singlehood is similar.

The [Single Era] project was conceived in December last year and took several months of preparation before the first installment was published in March this year. This project embodies over half a year of thoughtful consideration from conception to completion.

Singlehood has already become a part of our society. However, society still tends to treat singlehood as someone else's story. Even though there are many single individuals around, singlehood is viewed as a decision made by special people. The process of men and women growing older, marrying, having children, seeing grandchildren, and ending their lives is not a universal experience for everyone.

It is not difficult to meet people in their 20s, 30s, or even 40s and beyond who have not married or have no intention to marry. Each has different stories, but those who have never married or have given up on the idea?how well does our society understand them? Are they truly the main cause of the declining birthrate? Are they selfish people who only think of themselves? Perhaps such perceptions also reflect the societal prejudices we hold.

Throughout the 20 installments of the [Single Era] project, we continuously posed questions. We also considered whether we were packaging singlehood as an object of vague admiration. Therefore, we delved deeply into the real struggles and pains experienced by single individuals. In the process, we met many people.

Middle-aged men living single lives, young single women who are well-prepared and thinking about the future, socially (legally) single individuals with same-sex partners, and even lawmakers considering support for single parenthood. From singlehood experts to ordinary people and politicians, we were able to hear valuable opinions from diverse voices. We examined the misunderstandings and barriers regarding singlehood in our society, as well as the difficult challenges that remain.

Lively Romance / Photo by MBC

The [Single Era] project is a small step toward a somewhat better world. If this step continues and enriches the soil for a world of coexistence, wouldn't that itself be meaningful?

In that sense, we looked into public evaluations of the [Single Era] project and the societal perceptions contained within them. These opinions?sometimes painful, regrettable, unfair, and perhaps even sharply critical?may be our reality and part of the process of taking the next step forward.

"In times when we must do whatever it takes to have children, this is the right thing to do!" ([Single Era] Episode 7, Congratulatory money and special leave for unmarried employees)

"Even elementary school students know that a nation needs citizens to exist; we should give more support to married people with children." ([Single Era] Episode 12, 20 million won welfare gap between married and single employees)

"Are you only thinking about women's rights and not about the children to be born?" ([Single Era] Episode 19, Interview with Assemblywoman Jang Hye-young on 'Single Parenthood Support Act')

Interview_Jang Hye-young, Justice Party Member. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

In an era where 80% of young people are unmarried, various comments appeared under articles on portal sites during the serialization of the [Single Era] project. While there were a few positive comments, most were negative remarks viewing singlehood unfavorably. Reading these negative comments carefully reveals the negative societal perspectives on singlehood.

"It's not that they choose not to marry; they just can't. Let's speak properly." This was one of the comments under the first article of the [Single Era] series. It is a typical example of the perspective that views those who choose 'involuntary singlehood' as incompetent individuals. Comments agreeing with statements like "Marriage is a luxury good" or "Only people like DiCaprio can be single" also appeared in succession. However, such views do not align with the recent perspective that marriage is a 'personal free choice.'

Even in Episodes 7 and 12, which covered the recent trend of companies giving congratulatory money and special leave to single employees, many comments expressed concern, questioning whether companies were encouraging singlehood.

Comments included: "Companies going against low birthrate policies," "They'll later try to take maternity leave without having children," "Singles live the best lives but are doing strange things," and "Singles and DINKs should be ashamed."

During the process of writing these articles, single individuals were reluctant to appear in the media, and this provides a clue as to why. Perhaps the 'low birthrate' they worry about so much stems from a societal atmosphere that links personal choices of marriage and childbirth to the nation's future.

Articles on 'single parenthood' in Episodes 3, 17, and 19 also attracted significant attention. The interview with Justice Party Assemblywoman Jang Hye-young, who proposed the 'Single Parenthood Support Act,' received comments such as "Are children toys?" and "What crime did children raised without fathers commit?" The article in Episode 17, which mentioned that France's single parenthood rate exceeds 60%, drew comments like "Is French society good? Families are breaking down, culture is regressing, and social order is collapsing."

Despite societal negative views, single individuals are already gathering in small groups to prepare for the future. Episodes 13 and 18 covered real estate and financial investment communities of single people.

"It may seem possible now because you're healthy at 30, but if even one person gets sick, you'll be calling 'Mom,'" "It's really hard to live even with family, so while hobbies with others might offer temporary comfort, that's all it is" ... Negative comments appeared as usual.

Episode 14, which dealt with middle-aged singles in their 40s, also received comments like "Most singles around me drown their loneliness in alcohol. Try marrying and having children; your perspective will change." The shadow of prejudice against singles was deeper and darker than expected.

The view that one day singles will regret their choice is a form of easily predicting and defining others' futures. A society where the keyword 'empathy' becomes unfamiliar is unfortunate for everyone. We need to look at the world with a more open mind and reflect on those around us.

The era of singlehood is a reality that has come close to us, and the future we will experience cannot be stopped by negative comments...

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