Analysis on Change in Korean Marriage Behaviors

한국인 혼인행태 변화분석

This study aims at identifying the recent change in marriage behaviors in Korea. The data used here is the vital statistics compiled from the vital registration system of which registration form is put on one from together with the civil registration form. According to the results of this analysis, since 1970 the number of marriages has steadily increased from about 300, 000 in the former of 1970s to about 400, 000 in the latter of 1980s, appproximately coincided with the change in population size at the marriageable age span. The few exceptions that can be seen in the 1970s seem to result from the impact of social upheavals during 1950s; since the birth cohorts affected by the low fertility during the Korean war and the post-war baby-boom generations chracterized by the high fertility entered the marriage market in the 1970s. However, the marriage rate shows a little increase from around 7 in the former of 1970s to around 9 in the latter of 1980s, indicating that the marriage prevalence has been more or less inconsiderably changed during this period. It is also found that the proportion of remarriage to the total marriages has increased to around 10 per cent in 1989, while decreasing that of first marriage. This fact can be attributable to the higher prevalence of divorces and the collapsing of the Confucianism ethic which contributed to expediting the remarriage of widows. Although this proportion is insignificant compared with that of the of more developed countries, it is not difficult to say that the proportion of remarriages will continue to increase in future. The age first at first marriage(AFM) which directly affects the span exposed to the risks pregnancy has increased to the age about 28 for male and about 25 for female in recent years. However, big difference in AFM between urban and rural areas has narrowed, resultant from the increasing involuntary postponement of marriage of rural young population who have met difficulties in seeking their bride or bridegroom in rural areas characterized by the heavy out-migration of young, particularly female, population. The present study shows the reverse relationship between AFM and educational attainment; i.e, the higher the educational attainment the lower the AFM. The conditions which are taken into considerations were the class and the family in the past time but which are, educational attainment, job and personal characteristics. With regard to the age condition, in recent years the male prefers the female younger than himself on the average by 3 years and vice versa, which is reduced form 4-5 years in beginning of 1970s. The age difference bride and bridegroom tends to decrease with the educational attainment increase. This may be attributable to the fact that the persons with the higher educational attainment prefer the love marriage and hence are more likely to choose their counterparts in the about same age. The education condition is characterized by the bridegroom having the higher educational level than bride. It is also significant to note that the proportion of love marriage has increased, whereas that of traditional arranged marriage has decreased. This is true in the urban areas than the rural areas, indicating that rights as well as responsibilities for marriage have been handed over the young population from their parents. In conclusion, the change in the marriage behaviors in Korea are characterized by increasing tendency for the postponement of first marriage, higher prevalences of divorces and a result remarriages, increase of love marriages, narrowing age difference between bride and bridegroom, etc. which are the main results of rapid industrization, increase in educational and economic activity opportunities and change in the ideals of marriages during the past decades. These phenomena prevailing in Korean society would affect not only the family structure that will become less proliferiated but the population size and structure. The most important is that the changes in marriage behaviors of Koreans and their impact on the society with respect to norms, values, morals, of individual and family in the social aspect, change in population size and structure in the demograpic aspects, and economic development in the economic aspects should be integrated into the plannings towards to the future.