Women devoted only to housework at lowest point
More than a quarter of a million men in South Korea have taken themselves out of the labor force to care for children or do housework, government data showed Monday, in a possible sign that traditional gender roles in the country are changing.
Around 274,000 men were categorized in the first quarter as economically inactive — neither working nor looking for a job — due to child care or housework, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
The figure marked a 16.6 percent increase from a year earlier and was the highest first-quarter tally since the government began compiling related data in 2004.
The category includes not only those caring for their own children, but also those looking after grandchildren.
Separate data released by the ministry last week showed that Koreans aged 65 and older provided an estimated 5.36 trillion won ($3.47 billion) worth of unpaid child care in 2024, which officials said largely reflected grandparents caring for their grandchildren.
Monday’s data showed that 261,000 of the men were primarily engaged in housework, while 13,000 were primarily devoted to child care.
The number of female full-time homemakers still dwarfs that of their male counterparts, though the gap has narrowed substantially.
Some 6.5 million women were economically inactive because of housework or child care, the lowest first-quarter figure on record and down sharply from 7.68 million in 2013.
Men step further into homemaking roles
Many older Koreans have held rigid views about the different roles of men and women, as reflected in the significant gender gap in employment. In 2000, the employment rates for men and women stood at 73.2 percent and 50.1 percent, respectively.
The gap has steadily narrowed, with the figures reaching 76.5 percent for men and 63 percent for women in 2025.
While Korea’s female employment rate remains among the lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the data indicates that traditional gender roles may be shifting.
Korea has historically held negative views toward men doing housework, reflected in sayings such as “men should not set foot in the kitchen.”
Traditional Korean homes until the early 20th century also commonly had separate spaces based on gender roles, with men welcoming guests and preparing for work in the “sarangbang,” while women took care of housework in the “anbang.”
Officials at the Ministry of Data and Statistics said the latest findings reflect a recent trend of more men taking on homemaking roles.
Separate data from the Ministry of Personnel Management showed that more male government workers took parental leave last year than female civil servants, the first time that has happened.
While men account for 36.5 percent of parental leave users nationwide, the figures suggest that more men are participating in child care and household duties.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
