Tradition May Be Preventing Equality In South Korean Homes
The number of women in the workforce has risen in South Korea in the past years.
Despite this increase, equality in the household still has yet to be fully achieved — one major problem may be tradition.
Men from parts of South Korea with a strong preference for male children are reportedly more inclined to leave all the household chores to their wives, according to a study by Lee Chul-hee, an economist at Seoul National University.
The men who are raised in the “traditional” male-centric home are more likely to veer away from household chores as they’re more accustomed to associating those tasks with women, according to the Korean news outlet Chosun.
For the study, Lee reportedly looked at men born in the early to mid-1990s, a time period when the preference for male babies was still stronger. He reportedly compared the hours of household chores done by young men from parts of Korea with a high proportion of male children and those from more egalitarian parts of the country.
The women married to the men from male-centered areas of the country reportedly did an average of 34 more minutes of household chores compared to other women. There are hopes that this will change soon.
“The results show that the rising status of women in the workforce does not always lead to increased equality at home," Lee said.
“Since the mid-1990s, the traditional preference for male children began to ease, so the gender inequality issue should be resolved rather quickly."
Women in South Korea have been making a significant difference in the economy. Many have made a business by finding out what the South Korean society lacks, including inventing certain products garnered specifically towards the needs of women.
One example is Gwen Lee, an English teacher who earns $500,000 a year teaching to 1,000 people a month in classrooms and to 200,000 people online, according to BBC News. She is so high in demand that she reportedly gets inquires from China.
“The moment I stand in front of all the students in my class, I feel confident and sometimes I feel comfortable,” explained Lee.
