• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.27-55
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• 2008

This paper tries to introduce most recent trends of Korean family policies during Roh, Moo Hyun Government of March 2003-February 2008. Focusing on the gender perspectives, discussions are, for heuristic purposes, centered around three major family issues in S. Korea, one of the most dynamically changing societies in the world: 1) the abolishment of male-centered traditional Family Registry System('the hoju') and the launching of brand-new Family Record Book of five different versions for individual from January 2008; 2) the application of Framework Act On Healthy Homes, a first formal measure to step in various forms of family break-ups these days; and 3) the emergence of Multi-Cultural Family Protection Act, thanks to a massive volume of international marriage migrants from overseas. It can be said that all these family policies are the result of rapidly changing socio-demographic trends into an aging society since 1990s. These trends include late/no marriage with low birth rates, high divorce(and thus remarriage) rates, breakdown of male-breadwinner family model and increase of dual-income family, and a sudden increment of international marriage particularly in rural areas. All in all, overall trends of Korean family life these days that have been taking place so far would provide an excellent exemplary how to deal with an unprecedented societal challenges with the brand-new family policies.