in Korea of the 7.8 million women in
their 30s and 40s 17.1 76 percent or 1.3
8 million are single now in the 21st
century marriage is no longer a
necessity but rather an option and many
women choose to remain single yet there
is not enough social security for them
creating a blind spot of the structural
system let's learn more about the issue
and what needs to be done to improve the
current conditions
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chum and me is a 41 year old florist who
dreamed that becoming a good wife and
wise mother as a child like the majority
of people she thought she had to get
married and form a family when she was
younger but her perspective has changed
a lot
I gained a genuine passion and desire
for my career in my early 30s
therefore I naturally focused more on my
work than romantic relationships and
time passed very quickly Jonah is not
the only one who chooses to remain
unmarried many women in their 30s and
40s do too according to the National
Statistical Office 1 million three
hundred eighty four thousand forty seven
women in their 30s and 40s were single
as of 2015 and that figure is more than
twice that of ten years ago the drastic
jump largely resulted from women's
increased labor force participation also
Korea remains a patriarchal society
marriage is not only a union of two
lovers but of families which I found
very burdensome I wasn't sure if I could
take care of all the things that occur
in my husband's family while pursuing my
career
currently 40% of female workers have
irregular jobs and earn about 1500 u.s.
dollars per month on average indeed the
low income has a negative influence on
housing stability the majority of single
women live alone in the residential
environments vary depending on economic
status naturally there are concerns
about women being targets of sexual
assault and other crimes especially for
those living in poorer areas as it is
clear that the number of violent crimes
against women has been increasing
recently a recent survey conducted by
the Seoul Metropolitan Government on
women in their 40s and 50s living alone
only thirty six point nine percent
responded that they were preparing for
old age also eighty one point two
percent of them answered that they were
unable to prepare for the later years
because they couldn't afford to do so
but there's barely any governmental
support for them 39 year old Kim Hyunjoo
works for the cooperative society of an
animal hospital in Seoul and she
mentioned that Korean single women are
stuck in the blind spot of social
welfare more than anything the biggest
fear comes from the fact that there are
many structural limits if they suffer
from any diseases if I needed medical
surgery only my direct family members
are eligible to sign the consent form I
currently live with my friend who is
single as well but she would not be
eligible to sign the form
even if my life depended on it as a cat
owner Kim formed a gathering of fellow
single women with animal companions the
best thing about this gathering is that
they have good neighbors to rely on in
times of emergency who also have the
same interest and concerns
there are certain hardships we
experience because we chose to remain
unmarried we share those things relate
to one another and get healed along the
way outside the welfare system single
women have to find their own means to
secure their futures and they're calling
on a change in the family-centered
social policies because the taxes that
mophir policies and even the medical
insurance system are designed for
families they alienate unmarried women
and single person households therefore
our society needs to find ways to
embrace and support them rather than
merely trying to treat the symptoms for
marriage
to be truly an option for both genders
the general perception towards singles
should be transformed along with new
practical policies to meet their needs
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