Older children opt for father in parents' divorce

By Chung Hyun-chae

A growing number of the children of divorced parents are opting to live with their fathers rather than mothers, especially those in their teens, Seoul Family Court said Friday.

This is because more fathers are engaged in childcare than before, and children also consider the financial condition of each parent, it said.

When children were aged under six, mothers took custody in 91.4 percent of such cases. For families with children aged between seven and 12, however, fathers were given the custody in 18.5 percent of cases.

If children are 13 or over, fathers got custody in 30.4 percent of cases.

“Given that mothers take full charge of bringing up preschoolers in most cases, younger children need mothers rather than fathers,” the court said in the report.

Although the court takes various factors into consideration when making decisions about custody, a child’s own decision also plays a large part especially if they are older than preschoolers, it said.

As more fathers these days take part in childcare, many children feel greater empathy toward their fathers and want to live with them, a lawyer said.

“Korean society has seen a big change in its perception of fathers, and they have become more like friends to their children, distancing themselves from the patriarchal father’s image of the past,” Ryu Jeong-hun, a lawyer specializing in divorce, said.

He also said that the children aged 13 and older can assess their situation correctly and make an unbiased decision.

“I remember a child who wanted to live with his father. The child said he didn’t want his living environment including school and friends to be changed, as such things would change if he chose to live with his mother,” Ryu said.

He added that a parent’s economic capability also affects children’s preferences. “I saw some divorced women having a hard time because they couldn’t afford childcare expenses. Mothers’ and fathers’ respective economic ability could also partly affect the decision,” Ryu said.