Single parents in South Korea

In 2022 there were approximately 1.49 million households in South Korea which were headed by a single parent (that is, approximately 6.5% of populations in the country).Statista.com website, Single-Parent households South Korea 2010-2022, article by L Yoon dated October 12, 2023

These parents face a number of challenges, primarily economic, but also social. There is some government support for them, although a significant number of parents may not receive these benefits. Laws have been passed over time to provide further support for them.

Statistics The number and proportion of single-parent households increased after 2005 for several years, then declined. There were 1.37 million in 2005 (8.6%), 1.594 million in 2010 (9.2%), and 1.639 million in 2011 (9.3%). The proportion then declined to 6.5% in 2022.

Challenges Single-parent families cite economic problems as their greatest challenge.Sage Journals website, Unwed single mothers in South Korea: Increased vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, article by S Choi, S Byoun and E H Kim, dated July 23, 2020

Other challenges include family issues, interpersonal problems, managing child rearing, isolation due to a diminished social life, and dealing with grief if their partner had died. In particular, female single-parent families were found to be particularly stressed by these issues. These issues lead to health impacts. There is a high occurrence of depression and low self-esteem, caused in part by social stigmas around single parents. In particular, it has been noted that single mothers will experience more stigma and difficulties than single fathers.National Library of Medicine website, The experience of unmarried mothers raising their children in residential facilities: a phenomenological qualitative study, article by Sungjae Kim, Kyung-Sook Bang, Yeseul Jeong, Gumhee Lee, Da-Ae Shin, and Misook Kim, dated July 5, 2022 In 2009, several unwed mothers came today and established the Korean Unwed Mothers’ Families Association KUMFA.Korea Times website, Unwed mothers' charity fights discrimination, adoption agency corruption, article by Rachel Stine dated December 22, 2019 KUMFA offers practical and community support to unwed mothers.One In An Army website, March 2021 Campaign Summary

The social networks are important for dealing with these issues. However, divorced couples may experience greater difficulty in this area as they lose social connections that were through their spouse.

Government support Around 87 percent of single-parent families do not receive any government support. In 2020, the country had the highest poverty rate among single-parents in OECD countries. Yiyoon Chung website, No Good Choices: Concealing or Disclosing Single Motherhood in Korea (2021 South Korea's single-parent family support policy is based on the Single-Parent Family Support Act. The Single-Parent Family Support Act was enacted in 1989.

Laws passed in 2011 and 2013 have provided a legal framework for combatting social prejudice and discrimination against single parents. In 2011, a law was passed that allowed the continuance of government support even if their children were aged 18 or older.

Single parents in South Korea

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