No, modern South Koreans generally do not prefer sons over daughters, marking a significant shift from the past. Studies now place South Korea as a leading nation in preferring daughters, driven by changing family structures and a desire for emotional closeness, companionship, and support in old age.
Twenty-eight percent of 1,534 Korean respondents answered that they would prefer a daughter. Barely half of that, at 15 percent, would prefer a boy, while 56 percent said gender is irrelevant.
Because traditionally the son, keeps the family name, and the family line doesn't die out. The daughter, marries into another family, and takes her husband's name. Also, it used to be, and still is, in some cultures, that the eldest son, inherits everything.
The findings show that nearly three-quarters of the decline in son preference between 1991 and 2003 is attributable to normative change, and the rest to increases in the proportions of urban and educated people. South Korea is now the first Asian country to reverse the trend in rising sex ratios at birth.
Good mothers love all of their children the same. Understandably though, they are likely to be able to relate better to their daughters. Also, unless a mother is very narcissistic, her sons will probably be more demanding of her attention than her daughters.
S. Korea ranks No. 1 in the world in preferring daughters over sons
Are parents happier with sons or daughters?
For one-child families, having a daughter is shown to bring significantly more happiness to parents compared with having a son, especially when their children are over 20 years old (Lu et al., 2017).
Based on the study's questions, roughly two-thirds of the parents had a preferred child. And that favorite sibling often stayed the same over decades. There was no set of qualities that guaranteed being the golden child, but the favorites tended to be daughters and younger siblings.
As captain of the South Korean national team and English Premier League power Tottenham, Son was a household name in South Korea long before joining MLS on a record $26.5-million transfer in August.
Analysts state that South Korea's current low birth rates are caused by the country's high economic inequality, including the high cost of living, low wages for an OECD member country, lack of job opportunities, as well as rising housing unaffordability.
Women were also more likely to state that they wanted a boy (23 per cent) than a girl (16 per cent), but there is a statistically significant difference in the reporting patterns of men and women. Men are much more likely to state a desire for a son than a daughter as compared to women.
Though researchers expected to find that mothers favoured daughters and fathers favoured sons, the study found that both mothers and fathers were more likely to have a daughter as their favourite child.
The 7-7-7 rule of parenting refers to two main concepts: either spending three daily 7-minute blocks (morning, after school, bedtime) for distraction-free connection, or dividing a child's development into three 7-year phases (0-7: play, 7-14: teach, 14-21: guide) to match their needs. Both aim to strengthen the parent-child bond through intentional presence and adapting parenting styles as children grow, fostering emotional security and development.
So, how do Korean guys treat their girlfriends? Whether they're older than you or not, South Korean men will typically want to be in a protective, responsible, and respected role while in a relationship. This desire to be "Oppa" can be an amazing thing when you're in a relationship with a Korean man.
Mr. Son, as he is affectionately known here, is actually Son Heung-Min, the South Korean Tottenham football star and national hero. That he is referred to as Mr. Son is a sign of the high esteem in which he is held.
Outside of football, Son is viewed as a symbol of national pride in South Korea for his achievements, and has been listed in Forbes Korea Power Celebrity 40 since 2019, where he ranked second in 2024.
Two out of three Singaporeans have a positive impression of Korea, with football star Son Heung-min topping the list of most popular Korean figures, surpassing even BTS, according to a recent survey.
“K-pop has lost a lot of market traction in South Korea – the music is not being written to appeal to a Korean audience, but more to this homogenised, globalised audience,” says Sarah, the host of the Idol Cast podcast, who uses a pseudonym for fear of reprisal from K-pop fans.
The 4B movement is a lifestyle choice for women, rejecting four traditional expectations: marriage, childbirth, dating, and sex with men. The 4B ideology first emerged in South Korea around 2015, following the rise of 'Megalia', a radical feminist online community.
' That shows just how lightly Korean society treats sleep,” said Shin, who is also president of the Korean Society of Sleep Research (KSSM). According to a 224 KSSM report on sleep habits, Koreans sleep for an average of six hours and 58 minutes, which is 18 percent less than the OECD average.
Research has shown that girls tend to be more nurturing towards their parents than boys. However, it's not entirely accurate to say that one gender cares more than the other, as both sons and daughters have their unique ways of showing their care.
Not surprisingly for those of us who are middle children, middle children are the least likely to be favored. Daughters: Parents tend to report that they slightly favor daughters over sons (for both mothers and fathers).
A glass child is someone with a sibling who has a medical, behavioral or developmental condition that requires extra support. Our needs can often be overlooked by our parents and caregivers, who spend most of their time caring for our sibling. In this case, “glass” doesn't mean fragile.
