Many South Koreans Choose to Cohabit; Here’s Why

Jakarta — CNBC Indonesia reports that public attitudes in South Korea toward relationships and marriage are changing. Where couples living together before marriage were once seen as flouting social norms, more South Koreans now regard cohabitation as a reasonable and realistic step for some couples.

Embrain, a South Korean research firm, conducted a survey in March involving 1,050 single men and women aged 19 to 49 nationwide. The survey found that 79.4% of respondents said living together as part of marriage preparation is acceptable.

Many young Koreans now view living together before marriage as a way to test compatibility, including daily habits, patterns of communication, financial management, and approaches to conflict. They believe the lived experience can reduce the risk of divorce due to incompatibility after marriage.

The survey shows rising support for the idea that “living together before marriage is wiser than rushing into marriage.”

The Korea Times reports that approval for that statement has continued to rise, from 54.6% in 2018, to 62.7% in 2021, and 67.0% in 2026.

The form of cohabitation most socially accepted is “cohabiting with the intention to marry,” supported by 60.9% of respondents, up from 55% in 2021 and down to 44.7% in 2026. Similarly, support for recognising cohabitation as a legitimate family form, akin to practices in some other countries, also declined—50.4% in 2021 and 44.9% in 2026.

Although 74.8% agreed that society needs to be more accepting of diverse family forms including unmarried couples and single parents, many still believe that institutional recognition requires further social debate.

However, South Korean society has not yet fully accepted the concept of cohabitation without marriage as a substitute for the formal family institution. Many still support marriage as the most ideal and stable form of relationship.

Support for granting equal legal status to married and cohabiting couples has declined in recent years. The phenomenon has also contributed to rising births outside marriage in South Korea.

According to the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy, the share of births outside marriage approached 6% in 2024. More than 80% of people in their 20s and 30s responded positively toward cohabitation outside marriage.

Experts forecast that both cohabitation and births outside marriage will continue to rise in Korea. They argue that although social acceptance is increasing, lingering prejudices remain, so further discussion and policy reforms are needed, particularly regarding childcare, legal protections, and support systems for children born outside wedlock.