{"id":2200869,"date":"2023-05-01T19:32:04","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T10:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2200869"},"modified":"2023-05-02T18:39:08","modified_gmt":"2023-05-02T09:39:08","slug":"graduating-from-marriage-how-elderly-korean-couples-are-reimagining-wedlock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/05\/graduating-from-marriage-how-elderly-korean-couples-are-reimagining-wedlock\/","title":{"rendered":"Graduating from marriage: How elderly Korean couples are reimagining wedlock"},"content":{"rendered":"
In the bustling heart of Seoul, Yoon Jeong-hee and Park Nam-Cheol share a beautifully furnished apartment filled with family photos and mementos of their life together. Yet behind this seemingly happy home, they lead entirely separate lives.<\/span><\/p>\n Park, a 64-year-old retiree, spends most of his days tending a garden and residing in his shipping container house in his childhood hometown of Jeonju. Meanwhile, his wife, Yoon, a 59-year-old gas meter reader, enjoys her urban life in Seoul, participating in cultural events and taking long walks on mountain trails with her friends during her time off work.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe catch up over meals sometimes, but our social circles and daily routines have completely grown apart,\u201d Park mentioned, who visits his Seoul house once or twice a month for family events. \u201cWe may not be in love anymore, but we\u2019ve found a way to make it work, and that\u2019s enough for us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n This aging South Korean couple and many others have fallen out of love but continue to stay married, navigating an unconventional marriage arrangement that reflects a broader cultural shift.<\/span><\/p>\n Influenced by societal expectations, the stigma surrounding divorce and financial considerations, older Korean couples increasingly choose to remain married while leading separate lives. This phenomenon, commonly known as \u201cGraduation from Marriage,\u201d or jolhon in Korean (\uc878\ud63c), poses a unique challenge to traditional concepts of love, commitment and family dynamics in a country where family values have been highly regarded for a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n Whether choosing cohabitation or separate housing, these couples agree to live independent lives while maintaining an amicable relationship. Older couples often embrace this arrangement after their children leave home. Unlike a simple separation, these couples have not entirely lost their emotional connection, keeping the door open for a potential return to traditional married life.<\/span><\/p>\n Family experts note that an increasing number of troubled couples are opting for this alternative to divorce.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMany clients inquire about jolhon during counseling sessions,\u201d said Choi Kang-hyun, a seasoned marriage counselor and head of the Research Institute for Married Couples\u2019 Happiness. \u201cInitially considering divorce, they ultimately settle on jolhon, wary of the legal separation process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Choi, who spent a decade as a family matter adviser at the Uijeongbu District Court, has assisted numerous couples in embracing this unorthodox arrangement, formalizing the extent of their freedom in notarized documents.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey seek assurance that promises will be upheld rather than remain empty words,\u201d he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n One factor contributing to the rise in jolhon arrangements is the increased economic independence of women. Recent <\/span>data<\/span><\/a> from Statistics Korea shows that the female employment rate in the 15-64 age group rose to 60% in 2022, marking a 10% surge over the past two decades.<\/span><\/p>\n For Yoon, who has been in a jolhon arrangement with her husband for the past four years, her financial self-sufficiency was crucial in considering this option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHad I not been able to support myself financially, I would have been hesitant to pursue this arrangement,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n