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Only one in ten Koreans would take in parents

May 9, 2014

According to a recent survey, only one in ten in Korea would take in their aging parents.

Times have changed. Even in Korea, only one in ten would take in their aging parents.

Nine in ten Koreans would prefer to to live separately from their parents, according to a recent survey by the Planned Population Federation of Korea.

The feeling is mutual for the parents, as 76.7 percent said they would refuse in the future even if their own children wanted to live with them.

The survey, conducted over five days in April, questioned 1,466 married men and women in Korea.

Of them, 44.6 percent said it would be better to live separately, and 44.4 percent said it would be plausible only for economically well-off people. Meanwhile, 7.8% answered that it’s the responsibility of the first born son to take in aging parents, followed by sons (2.7 percent) and daughters (0.5%)

In addition, Sixty one percent of survey takers said they give their parents money on birthdays and holidays, while 28.6 percent said they send their parents money regularly.

Of those 28.6 percent, over half — 54.5 percent — said they give “allowances” to both families.

“This study shows that our culture of sacrifice and devotion has crumbled,” said Federation President Son Sook-mi. “The government needs to set up an infrastructure and a system for the elderly society to give them stability.”