The traditional belief in Korean society that children should support their parents is weakening, a survey conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs showed. Only about 1 in 5 respondents said children should provide such support.

In the 2025 survey of 7,300 households, 47.6 percent said they opposed the idea, while just 3.15 percent strongly supported it. Overall, the share of those opposed was more than twice those in favor.

Opposition was high across income groups. Among both low- and middle-income households, only around 20 percent supported the idea of supporting parents, while roughly half said they were against it.

The findings reflect a steady shift in attitudes toward filial responsibility. In 2007, more than 52 percent said children should support their parents, compared with 24.3 percent who disagreed. Since 2013, when opposition first exceeded support, the gap has continued to widen, with support falling to around 20 percent in recent years.


don@heraldcorp.com