Rise in out-of-wedlock births in spotlight after Jung Woo-sung's baby news

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Rise in out-of-wedlock births in spotlight after Jung Woo-sung's baby news

Published: 26 Nov. 2024, 07:00

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Actor Jung Woo-sung, left, and model Moon Ga-bi [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The news of actor Jung Woo-sung welcoming a child with model Moon Ga-bi outside of marriage has taken the Korean public by surprise, fueling a broader debate on whether marriage should remain a prerequisite for parenthood.

In fact, the number of out-of-wedlock births in Korea has been steadily increasing, according to recent data.

Last year, these births surpassed 10,000 for the first time, marking a record high. According to a report by Statistics Korea in August, 10,900 babies were born outside of marriage in 2023, accounting for 4.7 percent of the country’s total 230,000 newborns. This means that one in 20 babies were born to unmarried parents.

Out-of-wedlock births have risen over the past three years, climbing from 7,700 in 2021 to 9,800 in 2022 and reaching 10,900 in 2023. Historically, these births accounted for just over 2 percent of the total but began to increase in 2020, reaching 2.5 percent that year, 2.9 percent in 2021 and 3.9 percent in 2022.

The evolving perception of marriage and parenthood is also reflected in recent survey data.

A 2024 survey by Statistics Korea reveals that 42.8 percent of respondents in their 20s said they had no problem with people having children without being married, a significant increase from 30.3 percent in 2014. Meanwhile, the percentage of respondents in their 20s who believe marriage is necessary or desirable when having children dropped from 51.2 percent in 2014 to 39.7 percent in 2024.

The shift in perception, along with the rising number of children born outside of marriage, also raises important considerations, such as legal status and child support. According to legal experts, the father’s acknowledgment of the child is essential.

“The father needs to acknowledge the child; otherwise, a legal complaint can be filed,” Kim Shin-hye, an attorney at Law Firm HK, told the JoongAng Ilbo, the Korea JoongAng Daily's affiliate.

“An extramarital child is entitled to the same inheritance rights as a child born within marriage if acknowledged,” Kim added.

If the child wishes to use the father’s surname, this would also be possible once the father acknowledges paternity. The acknowledgment would result in the child being legally registered on the father’s family relationship certificate.

“Since Jung has confirmed he is the biological father, it seems likely he will acknowledge the child,” Kim said.

Child support is another consideration.

“Negotiation should come first,” said Yang So-young, head attorney at Soongin Law Firm. “If no agreement is reached, child support will be determined by the court based on its payment guidelines.”

According to the Seoul Family Court’s child support table, for parents with a combined income of 1.2 million won ($856.6) or more per month, both custodial and noncustodial parents are required to contribute around 2.2 million won monthly in total for children aged 0 to 2.

Model Moon Ga-bi revealed that she had given birth to a child on Nov. 22 through an Instagram post. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Jung’s agency, Artist Company, said that he and Moon are discussing the best child care arrangements but declined to confirm other details, such as the baby’s birth date, the nature of their relationship or marriage plans.

Moon, who has largely stayed out of the public eye recently, announced on Instagram on Friday that she had given birth. However, she did not mention Jung or any details about marriage in her post.

Following local news media outlet Dispatch’s report on Sunday, the 51-year-old Jung confirmed that he is the biological father of Moon’s baby. According to Dispatch, Jung and Moon were never officially in a relationship and have no plans to marry.

Moon debuted in 2017 through a variety show called “Attraction TV” (translated) on the cable television channel OnStyle. She has since made appearances in other variety shows like OnStyle’s “Get it beauty” (2006-21) and SBS’s “Law of the Jungle” (2011-21).

Jung is best known for starring in films like “12.12: The Day” (2023), “The King” (2017), “Asura: The City of Madness” (2016) and “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” (2008).

BY CHAE HYE-SON, CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]