'Men from North Gyeongsang Province least helpful in housework'

By Kim Se-jeong

In the old days under Korea’s patriarchal system, people used to say men should not enter the kitchen, as cooking ― as well as other household chores ― was women’s work.

That has changed to some extent, and many men do more housework than before. But a survey showed that the old way of thinking may be stronger among men from North Gyeongsang Province, as they are the least helpful husbands, and that attitude has been affected by a culture where people prefer sons to daughters.

According to the survey by Professor Lee Chul-hee at Seoul National University released Friday, women with husbands from North Gyeongsang Province spend 65 minutes more doing housework each day than those married to men from Incheon, and more than women in any other part of the country.

North Gyeongsang Province has long had a high sex-ratio imbalance at birth. For example, the ratio in 1990 was 131 boys born for every 100 girls. In Incheon that year, the ratio was 112 boys for every 100 girls.

That huge imbalance mostly resulted from the development of ultrasound technology in the 1980s, as fetal sex identification became available. Those with a high preference for sons aborted female fetuses, although such abortions were illegal.

“In conclusion, women married to men with more traditional gender norms, or those born in places with a higher sex ratio imbalance at birth, spend more time on housework,” Lee said.

The survey results drew support from women married to men from North Gyeongsang Province.

“This might have been why my husband was so reluctant to help me cook and wash the dishes,” Han Ah-reum, 33, a resident of Seoul said. “He always condescends when in the kitchen, and we quarrel about this a lot.”

Her husband, however, disagreed with the survey.

“I wouldn’t give credit to this. I do help as much as I can. This makes me and other men from my province look bad,” he said, asking not to be named.