The perception that supporting one’s parents is solely the responsibility of their children has significantly weakened. Analysts note a clear trend in which the duty of care, once centered on the family, is increasingly shifting to the state and society.

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According to the 20th Korea Welfare Panel Survey by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs released on March 9, only 20.63% of respondents agreed that children should be solely responsible for supporting their parents. The survey was conducted on 7,300 households nationwide. Respondents’ perceptions were measured on a five-point scale from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree" and then recategorized for analysis.

The analysis found that 47.59% of respondents opposed the view that supporting parents is solely the responsibility of children—more than twice as high as those in favor. Neutral responses accounted for 31.78%. Looking at the details, only 3.15% "strongly agreed," while the combined proportion of those who "disagreed" (39.47%) and "strongly disagreed" (8.12%) was close to half of all respondents.

This shift in perception was observed across all economic groups, regardless of household financial circumstances. The agreement rate was 20.66% among low-income households and 20.63% among general households, showing virtually no difference. Similarly, the opposition rate was 49.17% among low-income households and 47.37% among general households, indicating a clear trend across all groups to reject the notion that the responsibility for supporting parents falls entirely on children.

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The magnitude of this change is even more pronounced when compared to the past. In the first survey conducted in 2007, 52.6% agreed that children should support their parents, making it the majority view, while only 24.3% opposed. However, the proportions flipped for the first time in the 2013 survey, and the gap has continued to widen since. The agreement rate dropped from the 30% range in 2016 and 2019 to the low 20% range, and by 2025 it had fallen to around 20%.

This shift in family caregiving perceptions is also evident in childrearing. Regarding the statement that mothers should care for their children at home, 34.12% of respondents opposed, edging out the 33.83% in favor. However, some differences were found by income level: among low-income households, 39.06% supported mothers providing direct care, compared to 33.11% among general households. This result is interpreted as reflecting differences in access to childcare services and labor market conditions based on economic status.

The public’s preferred direction for welfare policy is also shifting toward universal welfare. More respondents opposed (39.81%) than supported (33.36%) the idea that welfare should be provided only selectively to the poor. In particular, preference for universal welfare was relatively high among general households at 41.65%. In contrast, support for selective welfare among low-income households was 38.96%, suggesting that actual prospects of receiving welfare benefits influence these views to some extent.

However, there was a clear consensus that the state responsibility should be strengthened across all social classes in the fields of healthcare and basic childcare. 70.50% of the public opposed the idea of reducing national health insurance and expanding private medical insurance. Only 9.38% supported it.

Experts analyze that, amid low birthrates and an aging population, perceptions are shifting toward the state and society sharing the responsibility for care that was once concentrated on families. Accordingly, strengthening public care systems is expected to become a key task for future welfare policy.