Saturday 19 November 2011

High Divorce Rates In Korea



I find the presentation on Divorce Rate rather hard to agree with. Divorce rate cannot be considered out of context. High divorce rate does not mean the breakdown of social mores, nor does low divorce rate indicate a morally steadfast society. I do not have the figures on marriage on Korea and other countries, but it is probably safe to assume that a higher proportion of Koreans get married than people in the countries mentioned, where marriage is considered more `optional' than compulsory compared to Korea. .

The message is simple: marriage is compulsory. Not getting married means some can never become a full human being. After the age of 30, some of my Korean friends get bombarded with questions concerning their marriage plans almost on a daily basis, from acquaintances to people they’ve have met for only a few seconds. If someone expresses disinterest in the topic, the response is an immediate look of disbelief and subsequent condemnation, and on several occasions, their sexual orientation is obliquely questioned. But why is marriage compulsory? And does this kind of belief contribute to the rising divorce rate? Many of my female friends have expressed concerns on the need to get married before the age of 30, and the frequency of or request for blind dates increase with age and desperation. To avoid being left behind, it is not common to see people rushing into marriage with someone they barely know but with matching credentials.

Being the single one out is no trivial matter in Korean society where collective ideal still reigns at large. As the presenters mentioned, even when a couple feel that the marriage is a source of pain rather than happiness, divorce should not be on the agenda. I think this plays a major role for the rise in divorce rate and it’s something that I find difficult to understand.

3 comments:

  1. Yes, I'm also surprised that I've heard so much that modern women are more focus on their career and work, but I found out that so many women still think that getting married before 30 is best. And sadly, I think one reason of it..is sooooo many people think women who are over 30 are out of consider when it comes to getting married. ridiculous. Still in Korea, although people think women should have their career and should study like men, but don't cross the age of 30!

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  2. I agree. I was having the same thoughts and a professor from U.S. told me americans do have negative feeling about divorce rather than consider them as a possible choice like what to eat for lunch. Still, I think the divorce rate strongly reflects how much social stigma the society has. Less the divorce, stronger the stigma I assume, it is an environment where the natural behavior of humans find it harder to be revealed.

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  3. I want to marry when I meet someone whom I'm going to love for the rest of my life, but if I could not meet that person, I would not marry even though my parents oppose. Honestly, I'm a litte scared how people think and consider me if I don't marry, and live alone over 30. But, I think that it's more important to act up to my belief.

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