A growing number of younger Koreans prioritise work over traditional life goals such as marriage or parenthood, a new survey shows. The Presidential Committee for National Cohesion released the report on Monday, highlighting changing values among Koreans aged 25 to 44. Researchers collected responses from 2,690 participants in an online survey held from January 31 to February 14. When asked about life priorities, 38.1 percent placed work first, far ahead of other categories. This shift underscores how younger Koreans prioritise work even when balancing personal and family roles.
Following work, 23.1 percent of respondents listed personal life, including leisure and self-development, as most important. Romantic partnerships came next at 22 percent, while children ranked lowest at 16.8 percent. Women gave slightly more importance to personal life than to partnerships, while men showed the opposite trend. Still, both groups placed children at the bottom, with nearly identical results between genders. The data confirms that younger Koreans prioritise work regardless of gender or marital status.
Even among parents, work remained the top priority, including for women with children. Only women in their early 40s placed children higher than other factors. Meanwhile, 78 percent of all respondents said work is essential simply to make a living. They viewed employment as an unavoidable part of adult life in South Korea. This widespread perspective further explains why younger Koreans prioritise work over building families or raising children.
The survey also revealed strong support for shifting gender roles in households and the workplace. Around 80 percent of women and 70 percent of men supported greater female participation in the workforce. Additionally, 70 percent of men and 80 percent of women welcomed men taking on more domestic responsibilities. These views were especially prominent in dual-income families where men contributed more actively at home. Together, these findings reflect a broad social acceptance of changing gender norms in Korea.
The committee concluded that traditional policy frameworks are no longer aligned with public attitudes. Officials urged the government to stop assuming women serve primarily as full-time homemakers. Instead, they recommended stronger support for working women and shared parenting responsibilities. The report suggested these cultural shifts require new approaches to work-life balance and family support. As younger Koreans prioritise work and challenge outdated models, policies must evolve to meet their changing realities.
