[비즈한국] As actor Jung Woo-sung has been revealed to be the biological father of a child born to model Moon Ga-bi, discussions surrounding "out-of-wedlock births" are reigniting. With the number of children born outside of marriage in Korea exceeding 10,000 last year, some argue that out-of-wedlock births could be a potential solution to overcoming the country's low birth rate.
Out-of-wedlock births exceeded 10,000 last year… Public perception remains ‘negative’
An "out-of-wedlock child" refers to a child born outside of a marital relationship. According to Statistics Korea, there were 10,900 such births in 2023. Looking at the year-by-year data, the number of out-of-wedlock births has increased for four consecutive years: 6,900 in 2020, 7,700 in 2021, 9,800 in 2022, and 10,900 in 2023. The proportion of out-of-wedlock births among total births is also rising. Over the past decade, this percentage has more than doubled from 2.1% in 2013 to 4.7% last year.
Despite this trend, perception toward out-of-wedlock children remains outdated. According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family’s "2023 Study on Family Realities," the agreement rate for the statement "I agree with having a child without marriage" was 20.0%. While this is a 6.7 percentage point increase from the previous survey, it remains the second-lowest among all categories. In contrast, the item with the highest agreement rate was "I agree with living as a single person without marriage" at 47.4%. This item also saw the largest increase compared to the previous survey, rising by 13.4%.
The gender gap in responses regarding the item "I agree with having a child without marriage" was significantly smaller compared to other items. By age group, the agreement rate was highest among those in their "20s" at 56.6%, and the agreement rate decreased as age increased. For those "70 or older," the agreement rate was only 13.2%. The low agreement rate is due to the fact that the institution of "marriage" still functions as a crucial factor in defining "family" for Koreans. In the same survey, when asked about the "definition" of family, respondents cited blood ties (87.4%) and legal connections (83.1%) as their top priorities.
Evaluating the "positive impact" of out-of-wedlock births… Will new discussions on "family forms" begin?
Under current law, only the biological mother can register the birth of an out-of-wedlock child. If the biological father completes the "recognition" process—an act acknowledging the child as his own—the father’s name is added to the child’s family relation register. This allows the mother to claim child support, and the child gains the status of an heir to the biological father. Given that Jung Woo-sung’s side stated through paternity verification that he "will take full responsibility for the child until the end," many observe that it is highly likely Jung will be registered on the child’s family register through this "recognition" process.
Some suggest that, following this incident, Jung has had a positive impact on the conversation surrounding "out-of-wedlock births," fueled by the sentiment that "there is no problem as long as you take responsibility for raising the child." The argument is that this has become a starting point for discussing new forms of family, including those formed by "out-of-wedlock births." However, as it is known that Jung and Moon experienced conflict regarding child-rearing and marriage, there is also strong counter-argument that the situation cannot be viewed purely in a positive light if Moon was forced into an "out-of-wedlock birth" involuntarily.
Meanwhile, the relatively high "out-of-wedlock birth rates" in other countries and the systems they have introduced are being re-examined. According to OECD statistics, unlike Korea, which has consistently remained in the single digits since statistics were first collected, major Western countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany have recorded rates between 30% and 40%. In France, as of 2022, 65.2% of births occur outside of marriage, making them more common than births within marriage. Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway also have out-of-wedlock birth rates exceeding 50%.
These countries also rank high in total fertility rates. Experts evaluate that the policies introduced by these nations regarding "family" and "childbirth" have been effective. For instance, France introduced the "Civil Solidarity Pact" (PACS) in 1999, which guarantees cohabitation relationships—whether heterosexual or same-sex—at a level comparable to marriage. Sweden enacted the "Family Law" in 1969, which recognizes the status of children and provides welfare regardless of marital status.