Four-fifth of single women okay with divorce in case of unresolved marriage conflicts

It has been surveyed that women are more open-minded than their male counterparts to getting divorced. A survey of 1,324 unwed men and women aged between 20 and 44, carried out last year by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, showed that 80.9 percent of women respondents think it is better to break up with a spouse if a couple fails to resolve differences while only 64.5 percent of men find it a better choice to do so, according to the institute’s announcement on Sunday.

Compared to the same survey done in 2015, the percentage point increased by 4.1 percent and 6.6 percent for men and women, respectively. Among 11,207 married women aged between 15 and 49, 72.2 percent support the idea of getting divorced due to marital conflict.

Regarding a question over getting a divorce even if having kids, a higher percentage of women regardless of marital status - 77.4 percent of singles and 67.1 percent of married women - have said yes than single men (58.2 percent). Furthermore, more women find it okay not to get married than men respondents. Among single men and women, 45.8 percent and 69.2 percent, respectively, have answered that getting married is an optional choice or staying single is a better idea.


Gun-Hee Cho becom@donga.com