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Video Description

Type: KIHASA Policy Featurette

Topic: The Reality of Single-Parent Families: Shouldering Livelihood and Child-Rearing Alone

Original video: [KIHASA Special] "Not Alone, But Together: Supporting the Lives of Single-Parent Families through Policy"

Related Research Monograph: “Time and Economic Resources of Single-Parent Families and Policies” by Lee Ayoung

https://repository.kihasa.re.kr/handle/201002/47363

Transcript

News Anchor:

Low birth rates are one of the most serious issues facing our society...

Narration:

According to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on February 26, 2025, Korea’s total fertility rate rose slightly to 0.75 in 2024; however, it remains the lowest among OECD member nations. Meanwhile, the share of households consisting of married couples with children declined significantly, falling from 57.8% in 2000 to 41.9% in 2024. The continued decline in the child population, coupled with the diversification of family structures, underscores the urgent need for new approaches to childcare and family support. Against this backdrop of declining birth rates, the decline in the number of single-parent families with unmarried children has slowed and even begun to reverse. Many of these families face significant economic hardship, and child poverty rates remain considerably higher among single-parent families than in two-parent households.

Professor Park Mi-jin:

This reflects a reality where, due to insufficient care infrastructure, single parents must shoulder the dual burden of earning a living and raising their children on their own. These challenges create significant barriers to entry in the formal labor market. Even when they attain employment, they often experience career interruptions or are relegated to unstable positions.