The number of students who had no problem with cohabitation before marriage also rose, from 30.9 percent in 2012 to 67 percent. Regarding pre-marital sexual relations, 30.7 percent were of the opinion that “it’s perfectly possible”. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — Marriage is no longer considered a must in the minds of most students at postsecondary institutions, a survey has found
A total of 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students at two- and four-year institutions and graduate schools nationwide participated in the survey, which was commissioned by the Campus Evangelization Network and conducted by JI&COM Research.
Among the respondents, 61.9 percent agreed with the statement “it’s ok to get married or not get married”. Compared to the responses to the same statement in 2012, the number of students with an ambivalent attitude towards settling down increased by 18.1 percentage points.
The two most commonly given reasons for avoiding tying the knot were “to live free without being constrained” and “because of financial difficulties”.
Among men, 49.2 percent picked “because of financial difficulties”, while 50.9 percent of women chose “to live free without being constrained”, providing a glimpse into each gender’s perception of married life.
The number of students who had no problem with cohabitation before marriage also rose, from 30.9 percent in 2012 to 67 percent. Regarding pre-marital sexual relations, 30.7 percent were of the opinion that “it’s perfectly possible”.
Compared to the responses to the same statement in 2012, the number of students with an ambivalent attitude towards settling down increased by 18.1 percentage points. (Image: Yonhap)
The survey also asked students questions about employment. Approximately one third of the survey respondents revealed that they were balancing both school and a part-time job, 10.8 percent more than in 2012.
The average earnings by an undergraduate from his or her part-time job were 600,000 won per month.
At 61 percent, the biggest concern among the students surveyed was “field of study/career and employment problems”, while 20.4 percent said “financial difficulties”.
An overwhelming majority of 78.1 percent said that job prep was a source of stress. In 2012, 59.8 percent answered the same.
“Acquiring certificates/qualifications” and “learning a foreign language” were the two major areas in which students focused their energies for job prep.
S.B.W. (sbw266@koreabizwire.com)
