President Lee Jae Myung calls for discussion on recognizing diverse family forms — Korea Herald
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for a broader discussion on recognizing diverse forms of families. During an event presenting the government’s demographic strategy, he questioned the practice of calling families formed through marriage between a man and a woman “normal.” This was reported by Korea Herald.
Lee proposed discussing the extent to which society should recognize and accept other forms of families. According to a Hankook Research survey conducted in May, most respondents described 10 of the 13 proposed family types as “normal.” At the same time, alternative families, same-sex families, and families of couples living together without marriage received less than 50% support. In the study, the word “normal” was used to examine public views, rather than to evaluate families.
Attitudes toward families with unmarried parents
The share of respondents accepting families with unmarried mothers increased from 56% in 2022 to 60% this year. For unmarried fathers, the figure rose from 54% to 59%. The lowest level of acceptance among those surveyed was recorded for same-sex families, at 28%.
Kim Min Jung, president of the Korean Association of Unmarried Mothers’ Families, said attitudes toward unmarried mothers and fathers are improving, but some families still regard their circumstances as a cause for shame. According to her, further changes are needed so that parents and their children do not face discrimination in schools and society.
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Partnerships outside marriage
In South Korea, family ties have traditionally been defined by blood relations and marriage. At the same time, the growing number of single-person households has intensified calls to recognize relationships based on cohabitation and mutual care. In 2025, the country had 8.24 million such households, or 36.6% of all households; nearly 30% of people living alone were aged 65 or older.
An April report by the National Assembly Research Service highlighted risks of social isolation and gaps in care for older people living alone. The document called for changes to legislation to protect caregiving relationships outside marriage and blood ties, including in matters of medical care and housing.
The Hankook Research survey showed that 42% of respondents considered alternative families “normal” — people who run a household together without blood, marital, or adoptive ties. The share of those who disagreed with this definition decreased from 48% in 2022 to 41% this year. In 2023, the first bill on life partnerships was introduced to the National Assembly, but it was not adopted before the previous parliament’s term ended in May 2024, after which the document was rejected.
