• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.133-160
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• 2010

This study aims to analyze marital satisfaction over the family life course and to find its determinants in Korea and Japan. The data for this study came from nationwide representative sample surveys on family in these two countries including 5,308 Korean and 4,920 Japanese men and women living with their spouses. In order to see the cultural difference and similarity in marital relations, the effects of education, income, employment, marriage gradients (normative patterns between the spouses), family stress, and quality of conjugal interactions on Korean and Japanese couples' marital satisfaction were examined. It was found that the marital satisfaction showed a U-shape pattern for both Korean and Japanese couples. In both countries husbands tend to have higher marital satisfaction than wives over the entire life course. The most important determinants of Korean and Japanese couples' marital satisfaction are good qualities of conjugal interactions including deep trust and concerns for spouse and sex life satisfaction. For Korean couples good conjugal interactions is better predictor of marital satisfaction than sex life, while for Japanese couples sex life is more important determinant of marital satisfaction.