A recent report by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family reveals that over 60% of young Koreans aged 13 to 24 believe having children after marriage is no longer essential. This trend aligns with increasing skepticism toward marriage itself, with only 38.5% considering it necessary, a slight decrease from three years ago.
These findings raise concerns in a country grappling with a declining birthrate, boasting the world's lowest fertility rate at 0.72 in 2023. Experts predict this rate will dip further below 0.7 this year, posing challenges to various societal systems like education and pensions.
Interestingly, despite unconventional views on marriage and children, respondents show optimism about their quality of life, with 29.6% reporting positive changes since the previous survey in 2020. Additionally, 54.7% believe Korean society is fair, indicating a nuanced perspective on life and societal issues among the youth.