How Has COVID-19 Changed Family Life and Well-Being in Korea?

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted Korean families. The economic well-being of Korean families has been threatened because many family members lost their jobs or earned reduced incomes due to the pandemic. COVID-19 substantially changed the work environment and has provided the momentum for the growth of flexible work including telecommuting in Korea, which was not commonly used before the pandemic. However, the work-from-home arrangements created an ambiguous boundary between work and family, particularly among employed mothers because childcare facilities and schools were closed during COVID-19. The postponed 2020 school year started with online schooling in April, and children in secondary schools often continued private education during the pandemic. Although COVID-19 provided an opportunity to build emotional ties for some families, many Korean families who were stuck at home experienced relational difficulties. Socioeconomic and gender inequality along with discrimination against certain groups were heightened. Our analysis of social media posts showed that childcare, schooling, and religion were important domains of family life during the pandemic. We conclude that COVID-19 has changed the meaning of home in Korea from a place to sleep to a basecamp involving numerous major activities related to work, schooling, parenting, housework, shopping, leisure, and religion. Korean families have found it challenging to spend intensive time with their family, to share gendered family responsibilities, and to support other families. Thus, we suggest that professional and policymakers develop a new service model that is more effective for the changing family climate.