The study was authored by researchers Bae Ho-joong and Han Chang-geun from Sungkyunkwan University based on an analysis of 507 women who were surveyed by the Korean Education & Employment Panel. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Apr. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — A new study has revealed that college-educated South Korean women with student loan debt are less likely to get married.
South Korean women who have a student loan to pay back are nearly 37 percent less likely to get married, according to a thesis published in the Health and Social Welfare Review, an academic journal published by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs.
Among the 507 women that were surveyed, 34.3 percent were recipients of a student loan.
When broken down by the amount of student debt, 12.6 percent owed between 7 million and 15 million won, while 12.2 percent owed less than 7 million won. The proportion of respondents who had over 15 million won in student debt accounted for 9.5 percent.
The findings show that as women moved to a higher student debt bracket, their likelihood of getting married dropped by 6.3 percent each time, drawing a link between the amount of student debt and one’s prospect of marriage.
It is worth noting that the research was completed without taking into consideration household incomes, the academic backgrounds of the respondents and their parents, as well as their first job.
When these other variables were taken into consideration, including having a decent job at a major corporation or in the public sector, the likelihood of getting married jumped by nearly 2.5 times.
“We learned that we must create decent jobs first in order to boost marriage rates. Creating decent jobs that support marriage and childbirth and help women continue to build a career is the most important thing,” the paper said.
The researchers also argued that the burden of student loans can cause a series of delays to important events in life such as moving out, giving birth, and getting married, and urged the government to take a more active stance to solve the issue.
The study was authored by researchers Bae Ho-joong and Han Chang-geun from Sungkyunkwan University based on an analysis of 507 women who were surveyed by the Korean Education & Employment Panel.
M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
