Most South Korean men aspire to be active playmates for their children but are often unable to fulfill that role due to work obligations, a recent survey revealed Sunday.
The government-affiliated Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association surveyed 418 fathers with children aged 18 and younger last month. Participants were asked what activities they had expected to excel at as fathers before they had children and what they believe they actually do best now that they are parents.
Before becoming fathers, 44.3 percent of respondents said they believed “playing with the children” would be their strongest area. That was followed by 13.4 percent who chose “education (guidance and discipline),” 11.7 percent who said “cooking,” and 10.5 percent who selected “physical activities (with children).”
However, after becoming parents, 22.5 percent said they were most engaged in “cleaning, washing dishes and chores other than child care.” While “playing with the children” remained relatively high at 21.1 percent, this figure was significantly lower than the pre-childbirth expectations.
When asked about the most difficult aspects of child care, 32.1 percent cited “education.” That was followed by 19.6 percent who said “cooking,” 17.7 percent who chose “playing,” and 10.5 percent who picked “putting them to bed.”
Regarding the kind of father they believed they were becoming, 19.4 percent said “a friend-like father,” followed by 14 percent who chose “a father who plays well with children,” and 9.9 percent who picked “a father who spends a lot of time with his children.”
In contrast, when asked to describe the father they turned out to be, “a busy father” was the top answer at 15.1 percent. That was followed by “a father who only has time on weekends” (8.3 percent), “a tired father” (7 percent), “an exhausted father” (6.5 percent) and “a disciplining father” (5.4 percent).
When asked about the reasons for the gap between their ideal and actual roles, respondents cited issues such as “my busy job makes it difficult to focus on child care,” “child care is even more difficult than I thought,” and “a lack of time off prevents me from being relaxed.”
The survey also asked what kind of support would help them better participate in child care. “Financial support” topped the list at 33.5 percent, followed by 28.5 percent who said they needed policies such as paternity leave.
Although an increasing number of men in South Korea are using paternity leave, data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor in October showed that only 36.8 percent of eligible men actually took advantage of the benefit. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions released a statement last year indicating that male workers face discrimination when trying to use paternity leave, based on a survey of 1,700 men who had taken such leave.
Among those surveyed, 94 percent said parental leave helped ease conflicts with their spouses over household chores, and 92.8 percent said it improved communication with their partners. However, 27.4 percent expressed concern about the impact paternity leave could have on their careers, while 22.5 percent said there are still negative perceptions about men taking leave for child care.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
