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By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
It has taken three decades for Korea to catch up with the economic, political and social conditions of Western countries. Change within the structure of the Korean family is no exception. The economic crisis in the late 1990s was a catalyst in altering the family structure in a fundamental way.
Before the currency crisis, words and concepts such as single-mothers, middle age divorce, interracial marriage, late-marriage and having children at a later age, were unheard of to most Koreans. However, this is no longer the case. Korea has earned the ignominious honor of ranking third highest in divorce rate among the OECD countries. Korea is suddenly embracing the idea of multicultural society, thanks to the crumbling taboo on interracial marriage.
As recently as 50 to 60 years ago, the extended family was the social norm, seeing elderly grandparents die and new children coming into the world. However, three-generation families have become so rare that their new homes are on TV dramas or documentary films praising extended-family values.
Nowadays, the nuclear family is the standard. Almost all statistics consider a family of four as the norm. Many manufacturers target nuclear families.
According to the National Statistical Office, there were 15.8 million households in 2006, up 11.1 percent from five years ago. It was attributable to the increase in the number of single households.
About 55 percent of households were nuclear families, with only parents and children living together. Some 6.9 percent were three-generation families, while only 0.1 percent were four-generation families.
The majority of families now have one child _ the average number of family members is 2.88, down from 3.12 in 2000.
This is a drastic change in the family structure. In 1980, the average household numbered 4.54.
It is not just about numbers. More families have women as bread earners and single mothers are emerging as divorce is increasing.
``This is clearly a transition period for us, change between traditional values and new ideas that industrial development has brought in families. In Western countries, it took a much longer for the transition to take place, but Korea has experienced this great change in such a short period that it has caused much confusion,'' said Chung Eun-hee of the Korea Family Culture Institute.
The Asian financial crisis in 1997 hastened the change to the nuclear family model. These days, more people delay marriage and try to avoid having too many children, if any at all. The so-called IMF crisis has fundamentally changed the way of thinking about the future among many jobless young people.
Before the crisis, the traditional way of raising a family was popular _ getting married when everyone else does, and having kids whenever they want. But the wrecked household economies put all plans and dreams on hold. These days, people focus more on developing themselves to better their lives, rather than taking care of a family and its responsibilities.
Now people are getting married later than ever. According to the statistical office, the average first-time marrying age of people is 30.9 for men and 27.8 for women. This is almost an increase of a year in just five years.
Women arehaving babies later. They want a successful career and do not want pregnancy to hinder their goals. Bringing up children is harder. More women are multi-taskers, taking care of a baby, doing household chores and working. Also, the skyrocketing private education cost is causing young mothers to delay having children.
More people prefer to live without older folk, rendering the elderly isolated. Dialogue between generations also is fading. Grandchildren do not often see their grandparents and their concept of family is restricted to their parents and siblings.
Families do not necessarily symbolize happiness or strong bonds. Many bizarre homicides happen within families.
``So, what is a family? What is it to be with a family? Still, people rely on families. They still think a family is the basic unit of society. There is no society without a family that reproduces its members. Many things will change in the world, but the family's function and importance to reproduce will never change,'' Chung said.
``To me, the family is a rock steady background. You know that the members are always there for you everywhere, and stand up for you every time,'' said Lee Hyo-jin, a 28 year-old worker.
``I raised a family and became a real member of society. I learned and grew up from society, and by raising children with a good education, I made them into grown-ups and ready to create another family,'' said Choi Sun-hee, a 53 year-old housewife.
``Family is everything. Lots of things change in life, in society, but there is one truth _ family is everything for a man, and that value never dies,'' said Choi Jong-soon, a 78 year-old man. He doesn't live with his children, but he still believes that family puts both of his feet on the ground, helps him live his life.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
