Having a child outside of marriage meant one would have to carry a lifelong moral stigma, with Korean society traditionally cherishing Confucian values. As recently as a generation ago, most unmarried people with a child took extra care not to let others know that they were parents.

In a possible sign of changes in perception, the number of babies born out of wedlock has continued to increase in recent years. According to figures from Statistics Korea, the number rose for nine consecutive years from 2003 to 9,959 last year. The 2011 figure was the highest since such records began in 1981.

The number of out-of-wedlock births, which stood around 5,200 in 1989, surged above 9,000 in 1994 before falling to a record low of 4,196 in 1997. Experts note while the increase in the number of extramarital children in the early 1990s was mainly because of insufficient heed to contraception, the rise in recent years may reflect the changing perception of marriage and out-of-wedlock births. A growing sentiment and strengthened measures against illegal abortions also seem to have contributed to the recent increase.

About 2.1 percent of babies born here last year were born outside of marriage. The proportion has steadily grown, from 1 percent in 2001 to 1.5 percent in 2005 and 2 percent in 2009. The ratio is still the lowest among the 34 member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The average proportion of babies born out of wedlock in the OECD increased from 11 percent in 1980 to 36.3 percent in 2009. The proportion stood at 32.1 percent in Germany, 36.8 percent in the U.S. and 45.4 percent in Britain in 2009. More than half of newborn babies were born outside of marriage in France (52.6 percent), Sweden (54.7 percent) and Iceland (64.1 percent).

Such figures may suggest Korea remains swayed more by traditional perceptions of marriage and childbirth than Western advanced nations. But the large gap can also be interpreted as pointing to the possibility that out-of-wedlock births will continue to climb in the coming years.

With young people delaying or avoiding marriage due to economic difficulties and egoistic lifestyles, the number of families formed in unconventional ways ― such as couples in common law marriage or those in civil partnerships ― has been increasing.

This circumstance requires policymakers to work out more accommodating measures to deal with nonstandard households and out-of-wedlock births. In a country like Korea that struggles to boost the world’s lowest birthrate, it is needed to enhance support for unwed couples so that they will not opt for abortion to avoid disadvantages from having an extramarital child. A welfare system should be established to allow couples out of wedlock to be entitled for benefits in child care, health care and housing. Legal protection for children born outside of marriage should also be strengthened to stop them being discriminated against throughout their life.

These considerations may not be welcome by some conservative groups, but all Koreans should now recognize that out-of-wedlock partnerships and children have increasingly become part of our society.