"Why Give to Remarried but Not Unmarried? Youths Stirred by 1 Million Won Marriage Support Fund"

Age and Income Irrelevant... Remarried Couples Also Eligible
The Era of 8.24 Million Single-Person Households; Rising Demand for Single Welfare

The government’s decision to pay 1 million won in cash to couples who register their marriage starting next year has drawn mixed reactions among young people. Single, unmarried youths are protesting, calling it blatant discrimination along the life cycle, whereas engaged couples welcome the plan as meaningful relief amid soaring living costs.

Image created by AI to aid in understanding the article. Photo by Dongmin Seo, The Asia Business Daily

According to next year’s budget proposal approved by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on September 1, the family policy budget was drastically expanded to 1.5044 trillion won, accounting for 71% of the total 2.1191 trillion won. The core of the policy lies in the ‘Marriage Support Fund,’ which will directly provide 1 million won in cash—500,000 won per person—to couples who register their marriage on or after January 1 next year, regardless of age or income. This direct cash benefit replaces the previous, now-expired marriage tax credits, and aims to alleviate the initial financial burden on newlyweds through tangible support.

"Get left out of welfare if you don’t get married": Growing frustration among unmarried young adults

However, the moment the new scheme was announced, debates over fairness erupted online. Because eligibility is limited strictly to couples who officially register their marriage, young adults who are single or have chosen not to marry are now entirely excluded from this welfare benefit simply due to their marital status. Critics point out that the pressures of surging housing and living costs are the same for everyone, yet government support remains focused solely on traditional marriage arrangements.

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This sense of unfairness has been amplified due to concerns about those remarrying. While the marriage support fund is intended as a one-time benefit per lifetime, it will also be available to anyone who divorces by the end of this year and re-registers a new marriage after January 1 next year. Reports that those who already benefitted from the now-abolished marriage tax credits in the past could receive this new support again if they remarry next year has only deepened a sense of disillusionment among many.

On the other hand, couples who are about to get married or who have just gotten married are welcoming the changes. For households facing skyrocketing wedding and housing costs, even a modest amount of direct cash is seen as a meaningful financial relief. Some, however, lament the timing of the initiative, saying, “It’s frustrating that we already registered our marriage this year,” and wondering if they should wait until next year to make their marriage official.

Private companies are launching bold ‘unmarried welfare’ benefits

As government policy remains concentrated on traditional marital households, private companies are in fact rapidly expanding benefits targeting their single and unmarried employees. The biggest disparities felt by workers stem from policies around financial gifts during life events and leave entitlements.

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Until recently, marriage congratulatory allowances, honeymoon leave, and educational support funds were only offered to married employees. In practice, LG Uplus grants employees who officially declare they are unmarried both 100% of their base salary and paid leave. SK Securities, KB Securities, and others have also introduced congratulatory payments for those choosing to remain unmarried.

Some companies go so far as to arrange matchmaking services themselves. In Japan, approximately 1,500 companies and organizations—including Toyota Motor—are providing dedicated matching services as part of their welfare schemes for unmarried employees. In April last year, Japanese credit card company Orient Corporation, where over 40% of employees are unmarried, launched its own matchmaking app. Since then, 176 staff members have used the service, and 17 of them have entered actual relationships.

Single-person households at risk: Are they still ‘families’?

Image created by AI to aid understanding of the article. Photo by Dongmin Seo, The Asia Business Daily

In fact, statistics show that as of the end of last year, the number of single-person households reached a record high of 8,244,000, accounting for 36.6% of all households. The proportion of one-person households has steadily increased from 27.2% in 2015.

With nearly half of young adults choosing to live alone, many argue that stable living conditions should be provided regardless of household type.

The government, acknowledging these trends, has announced plans to restructure its current vulnerable and crisis family support programs into a ‘Family for All’ initiative, broadening eligibility from couples to all family types.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.