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Living & Surviving in Korea | |
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Families in Korea
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In traditional Korea, the typical family was large with several generations usually living together. Many children were desired for stability and security and there were often a dozen or more family members. It is customary for the head of the family to oversee all family matters and for the younger generations to follow the teachings of the elders. For this reason, filial piety has long been considered a measure of character. The head of the family was traditionally regarded as the source of authority. The head of the family issued strict instructions and other obeyed them without question. Obedience to the superior was considered natural and a most admirable virtue. It was fair in dealing with all family members. Koreans have traditionally believed that a man must first cultivate himself and manage his family properly before he can govern the nation. Men have traditionally been given the responsibility of representing, supporting and protecting the family, as well as the power to command. Order at home is maintained through obedience to superiors, that is, children obeying parents, the wife the husband, the servants the master, and so on. This Confucian decorum has dominated Korean life and way of thinking over the centuries and is still respected in all forms of human relations. Koreans still place great emphasis of filial piety to parents and ancestors, fidelity to spouse and faithfulness to friends, although loyalty to the ruler and respect for teachers appear to have more or less lost their reigning importance among the five most esteemed ethical values in traditional society. Korean fables and legends abound with episodes of filial sons and daughters as well as faithful wives who even risked their lives to prove their loyalty to family. Korean family life is changing rapidly with modernization and equalizing rights between men and women. As a result, the population of rural Korea is becoming increasingly older while the number of nuclear families increases in urban areas. According to survey conducted by and insurance company, 64% of the responding housewives stated that they would rather live alone than rely on their children. Anyway, increasing number of young couples live independently, adapting to changing ethic values and social environment.
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