Single motherhood and the birth rate

Korea ranks 217th out of 222 countries in birth rate with a Korean woman giving birth to an average of 1.23 children. Poor youths give up relationships, marriage and childbirth while more career women are staying single out of fear of an interruption in their careers and child rearing. According to a recent report released by the Korea Development Institute, the country`s leading state-run think tank, social prejudice against cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births is the main cause of Korea’s super low birth rate. Such prejudice is common in Confucian countries with low birth rates.

In Europe, women started to marry late or not at all as they grew more educated and employed. The birth rate on the continent did not plummet, however. As different forms of family such as living single or cohabitation became more common and gender roles were readjusted, giving birth outside of marriage has been accepted in Europe. In contrast, Asian countries still hold on to traditional values that see cohabitation or out-of-wedlock births as immoral. Out-of-wedlock births represent 40 to 60 percent of all births in European countries, which have an average birth rate of more than 1.7, but less than 2 percent in Asian countries, including Korea.

After out-of-wedlock births accounted for more than half of all births, France removed a law that discriminated against single mothers in 2006. Regardless of marital status, French couples receive financial support depending on the number of children. Single moms without income receive about 1.2 million won (1,060 U.S. dollars) per month. This is why France leads Europe in the fertility rate with 1.96 children per woman, up from 1.63 in the 1990s. Korea gives single moms under age 25 only 100,000 won (88.2 dollars) for childcare and 24,000 won (21.1 dollars) for medical treatment per month.

In 2009, Korea`s Presidential Council for Future and Vision aimed at increasing the national birth rate by recognizing more family types such as single moms aside from traditional couples. Though the government cannot encourage cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births to increase the birth rate, all children should be born with blessings and grow up under the protection of society. A type of family should not cause discrimination or disadvantage. A family is “destiny” but also determined by “choice.” A blood relationship is not the prerequisite for a happy family. A saying growing more common nowadays is “Your child and my child had a quarrel but our child stopped them.” They are family because you love them.

Editorial Writer Lee Hyeong-sam (hans@donga.com)