According to a report on social care from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs released on Sunday, most South Korean households fell under the category of the male-breadwinner model in which family benefits, childcare leave and childcare service were poorly provided. (Image: Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Jun. 26 (Korea Bizwire) — A new study has been published that links the traditional male-breadwinner model to the low birth rate in South Korea.
According to a report on social care from the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs released on Sunday, most South Korean households fell under the category of the male-breadwinner model in which family benefits, childcare leave and childcare service were poorly provided.
South Korea, alongside Japan, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, were among the countries where the breadwinners are primarily men. These countries have also seen low female employment and birth rates.
Women in countries struck with a low level of female labor force participation and lack of gender inequality tend to have their social status diminished, as the failure of social care on the government’s part forces women to take on both roles as traditional full-time mothers as well as workers.
A much greater burden has been placed on the shoulders of women in recent years in the face of a growing number of working couples, while many men refuse to contribute to doing housework at home, which has been found to be linked to low birth rates.
The report concluded South Korea’s low birth rate is due to a lack of labor market participation on women’s part coupled with overall gender inequality in the job market, which the report says can only be solved by achieving gender equality in both society and policy-making.
Hyunsu Yim (hyunsu@koreabizwire.com)
