Family Structure and Relations

This paper aims to evaluate how the Korean family fares in terms of its quality of life. Specifically, it examines the perceived quality of relationships among family members in relation to the objective conditions of family life, and the decision-making process that takes place therein. According to National Census data, family size is becoming smaller, and the divorce rate is increasing, while the marriage rate is decreasing. The nuclear two-parent family has changed little in its relative size, while the incidence or size of the three-generation extended family has continued to decrease. At the same time, there has been a sharp increase in single-person households. According to a recent survey of college students, Korean families, despite the widely held notion of a hierarchical Confucian influence, enjoy a liberal and flexible family environment in everyday life. Such a family atmosphere, together with a large family income, is found to contribute to greater qualities of family life, involving such elements as love, caring, recognition, and acceptance.