Gender ministry deepens efforts to embrace diverse forms of family

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Chung Young-ai speaks during a press conference on the 2021-2025 Basic Plan for a Healthy Family Policy, at Government Complex Seoul, April 27. Yonhap

By Lee Hyo-jin

The social perception of the definition of family is rapidly changing in Korea.

Once frowned upon, unmarried couples living together have become widely accepted. Also, the percentage of one-person households accounts for nearly one-third of the total number of households in the country, according to government data.

However, the Civil Law defines "family" as based on marriage, childbirth or adoption. Other types, such as couples and roommates who live together, as well as single-person households, are not legally recognized, making them ineligible for some government programs and benefits.

In this regard, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is seeking to expand the definition of family to include those who are in diverse relationships based on closeness and care for each other.

In April, the ministry introduced its 2021-2025 Basic Plan for a Healthy Family Policy, which aims to establish an environment in which all families are respected, without being discriminated against or being excluded from government policies.

The ministry is making continuous efforts to implement its five-year-plan by gathering opinions from the public on how to structure related policies.

In order to better understand the needs of unmarried couples living together, the gender ministry, along with the Korean Women's Development Institute (KWDI), conducted a survey of 3,007 individuals aged between 19 and 70 who are living with their partners but are not married, or have done so before. The survey was conducted in October 2020, and released on Sept. 15 of this year.

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Of the respondents, 63 percent said that they were satisfied with their relationships with their partners, which was 6 percentage points higher than the percentage of people satisfied with their relationships with their legal spouses, found in another survey conducted earlier that year.

As for the benefits of cohabitation, when multiple answers were allowed, nearly 89 percent of the respondents said that they felt a sense of emotional bonding and stability, followed by those who cited living cost savings (83 percent), less pressure to have a baby than in a legal marriage (75 percent) and less pressure to attend each other's family events and gatherings (72 percent).

A 28-year-old woman surnamed Jeong, who has been living with her boyfriend for over three years, said, "For me, the pros of living together outweigh the cons."

"We began to live together to save money and spend more time together. It's a big cost-saving because we share the rent, utilities and grocery expenses," Jeong told The Korea Times. "It's also very comforting to have someone waiting for me at home after work, and I feel much safer than living alone."

But there were downsides. Couples cohabiting without marriage often face social prejudice and are excluded from government policies.

Regarding difficulties related to cohabitation, when multiple answers were allowed, 50 percent of the respondents in the survey said they have been excluded in a number of state policies such as housing benefits and housing loans, while 50 percent said that they had experienced negative views from other people. Other answers included "not being recognized as a legal guardian for their partner."

Releasing the report, the gender ministry held a forum, Sept.15, to analyze the survey results and gather opinions on what improvements should be made to reflect the needs of cohabiting couples.

Kim Young-ran, a researcher at the Korean Women's Development Institute (KDWI), speaks during a forum on government policies on cohabitating couples, organized by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the KDWI, Sept. 15. Screenshot from YouTube

"It is notable that respondents in their 40s and 50s actively chose cohabitation as they did not want to be bound to a formal marriage, while younger people in their 20s and 30s viewed cohabiting as a step toward marriage," Kim Young-ran, a researcher at the KWDI who led the survey, said during the forum.

"But regardless of age, couples living together while not being married regard each other as spouses. However, as they aren't recognized as legal guardians, they often face difficulties in various situations, such as raising a child together, in the case of a medical emergency or in the event of death," she said.

Experts believe that the government should introduce measures similar to the civil partnership acts implemented in several European countries, so that cohabiting couples can be guaranteed basic protections within the legal boundaries.

Kim Young-jung, a researcher at the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family, said, "The best way legally to protect unmarried cohabiting couples is to establish a civil partnership system by law."

She stated that laws and systems should be improved in order to change social perception and to recognize unconventional forms of family as natural.

"We can take PACS ('Le pacte civil de solidarite,' a civil partnership contract) in France for example," said Song Hyo-jin, a researcher at KWDI. "Similar measures are needed here to include unmarried couples into the definition of family, so that they are not alienated from medical services or other welfare programs."

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