South Korea is one of the few countries that give parents and legal guardians such rights for the purpose of educating children. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Korea Bizwire) – Just over 6 out of 10 South Korean parents see no need for corporal punishment of children, a poll showed Wednesday.
According to the welfare ministry’s 2018 survey on 4,039 households with kids or teens, 60.7 percent of the respondents said spanking is “never or not” necessary to properly discipline.
Another 37.8 percent replied physical punishment is necessary, with a mere 1.5 percent seeing an absolute need.
About 40 percent of two-parent households believe physical punishment is necessary, with the comparable figure reaching slightly over 35 percent for single-parent or grandparent families.
However, 96.4 percent of the surveyed answered they never or seldom resort to corporate punishment to discipline their offspring.
The survey comes as South Korea is seeking to ban parents from administering corporal punishment on their children as part of efforts to enhance minors’ rights.
In May, the welfare ministry said it will push to revise the country’s civil law to exclude physical punishment from disciplinary actions that parents can take against their children.
South Korea is one of the few countries that give parents and legal guardians such rights for the purpose of educating children. South Korea has a long tradition of adults using corporal punishment to discipline younger people.
(Yonhap)
