South Korea’s younger generation is increasingly associating marriage and parenthood with fear and anxiety, a new analysis has revealed. According to the study, which examined posts from the Blind online community, a large majority of marriage-related posts expressed negative emotions such as “sadness,” “fear,” or “abomination.” Specifically, 32.3 percent of posts conveyed sadness, 24.6 percent showed fear, and 10.2 percent expressed disgust. Only 9.3 percent of posts displayed happiness about marriage.
The sentiment around childbirth and childrearing reflected similar concerns. The analysis found that over 60 percent of childbirth-related posts carried negative emotions, with 23.8 percent categorized as “abomination,” followed by “fear” at 21.3 percent and “sadness” at 15.3 percent. Almost 70 percent of posts related to childrearing also expressed these feelings.
The study, conducted by the Korean Peninsula Population Institute for the Future (KPPIF), examined around 50,000 posts from 2017 to 2023 regarding marriage, childbirth, and childrearing. It reveals a concerning trend, despite the government’s ongoing efforts to reverse the nation’s declining birth rate.
The analysis identified significant concerns surrounding finances, with nearly 30 percent of marriage-related posts mentioning “money,” and 13.2 percent of posts about childbirth discussing financial support. These concerns highlight the economic challenges facing young people, contributing to their negative perceptions of family life.
Although South Korea’s fertility rate showed a slight rebound in 2024, rising from 0.72 to 0.75 children per woman, experts caution that the increase may be temporary. The higher birth rate may be attributed to a base effect following the COVID-19 pandemic, making it uncertain whether the trend will persist.
Yoo Hye-jeong, Director of the Population Research Center at KPPIF, emphasized the need for more effective policies that address financial difficulties and work-family balance for young people. She stressed that such efforts are crucial if the current rebound in birth rates is to continue.
The government’s concerns are further supported by a survey conducted by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, which revealed that only 63.1 percent of people aged 19 to 34 were willing to marry in 2024, a 12 percentage point drop from two years ago. Additionally, the number of those interested in having children also declined by 4 percentage points to 59.3 percent.
In response to these challenges, South Korea’s government has introduced new support measures for young married couples and those considering marriage. One of the key initiatives is providing priority boarding passes at airports for families with three or more children. The government also plans to offer affordable public housing for newlywed couples and those with a newborn child.
Furthermore, a new pilot program set to launch in May will involve senior citizens helping with school and kindergarten drop-offs to alleviate the childcare worker shortage.
South Korea continues to struggle with both an extremely low birth rate and a rapidly aging population. In December 2024, over 20 percent of the population was aged 65 or older, officially marking South Korea’s transition into a superaged society.
Stay tuned to The Asia Review for further updates on this story.
