More young Koreans choose to leave the nest

Young adults seek financial, personal independence

By Lee Hyo-jin

Park Yu-hui, 25, an office worker, lives alone in Jongno District in central Seoul. She moved out from her parents' house located in Incheon, a port city west of Seoul, to a 17-square-meter studio apartment in July as soon as she found a job.

As her workplace is located in Seongdong District of Seoul, saving time on the daily commute was one of the major reasons she moved out, but it was not the only one.

"Now that I have a full-time job with a stable income, I wanted to lead an independent life without receiving any financial support from my parents. I also wanted to spend my free time after work in peace in my own space," Park told The Korea Times.

Getting a bank loan to finance a 120 million won ($102,000) "jeonse" deposit (home rental based on large deposits) was not an easy decision, but Park says "it was worth it."

"On top of the freedom of having full control of my life, I feel very comfortable as I can decorate and make my home how I want, and invite friends over whenever I want. And having the whole place to myself, privacy is guaranteed without having to go into my own room."

Moving out from a parents' house is an important milestone in the transition to adulthood. In Korea, other than those who had to leave their parents' home in the provinces to resettle in metropolitan areas for studying or working, many young people used to choose to live with their parents until marriage.

The term "kangaroo tribe" ― describing a kangaroo that is late to leave its mother's pouch ― has been widely used to describe these unmarried men and women who chose to stay economically dependent on their parents until their late 30s.

But in recent years, more young adults have been opting to leave the nest before marriage, including those whose parents don't live so far away.

According to Statistics Korea, as of 2020, over 1.26 million people in their 20s were living alone, a 43 percent surge from about 887,000 in 2015. The upswing in the 20-something population living alone is notable considering that the increase rate of overall one-person households in all age groups stood at 27 percent during the same period.

Currently, single-person households in their 20s account for nearly 20 percent of the total one-person households nationwide.

"I moved out from my parents' house in 2019, and I think it was one of the best decisions I made that year," said an office worker surnamed Lee living in Songdo, Incheon. The 28-year-old used to live with her parents in Gangseo District in western Seoul.

Apartment buildings in Seoul are seen in this Aug. 22 photo. Yonhap

She says the 200 million won jeonse loan for the studio apartment, along with living expenses and utility bills, don't feel like a big burden compared with the freedom she can enjoy at her home.

"When I lived with my parents, in addition to the stress from work, I often felt stressed at home when I got into conflicts with them. Also, I sometimes felt that they interfered in my personal life," Lee said.

Kim So-hyun, a 27-year-old office worker in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, who is living with her parents, is currently looking for a jeonse apartment to move into, although her workplace is located only 20 minutes away from their home.

"Even though I live with my parents and a younger sister, I don't spend much time with them as I frequently hang out with my friends in the evenings and during weekends. We already have separate lives under one roof," she said.

Experts explain the rise in people in their 20s choosing to live alone reflects their willingness to be accepted as an independent individual not only in the workplace but also within their family.

"Unlike in the past when marriage was widely considered as a major step to be accepted as an independent member of the society, nowadays, getting a job and a stable income means they are ready to become an independent individual," said Koo Jeong-woo, a professor of sociology at Sungkyunkwan University.

Lee Byung-hoon, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University, said, "For the young generation, saving daily commute times and using their spare time for themselves could be a more important value than maintaining a close relationship with their parents and fulfilling their role as a member of the family."

Real-estate experts point out that such a phenomenon should be taken into consideration in the government's housing policies, which are currently focused on households traditionally considered "typical" comprising of parents and unmarried children.

"Currently, unmarried people in their 20s are in a very difficult position in terms of obtaining their own house, or moving to a bigger house other than micro apartments," Seo Jin-hyung, head of the Korea Real Estate Society, told The Korea Times. "In addition to relatively low assets, they are virtually excluded from housing benefits provided by the government."

Seo believes that the authorities should devise supply plans based on the growing demand of one-person households, given that the recent rise in young people living alone is expected to continue.

"Micro-apartments and studio apartments should not be the only options as a long-term living environment for younger people," he said.