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The typical family pattern in Korean villages has been described
commonly as a patrilineally extended family, that is, parents and
son's families (that of the eldest son in particular) living together
under one roof. The family connection is still the basic and most important unit in Korea. Of the five relationships described by Confucius -
① Between ruler and subject there is loyalty
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In today's industrialized urban setting, the family designates a
much smaller unit, a breadwinner husband, a homemaker wife and two
children, which is becoming increasingly prevalent among the Korean
urban middle class. The father is traditionally the respected and unquestioned head of the family, and he rules with almost absolute power if he so desires. He has full responsibility for all family affairs. Even nowadays people say father's authority is getting smaller but still father bears the responsibility for family's livelihood. And he has the right of decision for all family's affairs. The mother is often said that, according to the Confucian norm known as "the way of three followings' (samjongido), a woman has to obey and follow three males in her life, her father in childhood, her husband when married and her son when widowed. But modern Korean women are endowed with substantial control of their husband's income and expected to perform a more extensive role in the management of household income and property. It's told " A family has no future once a wrong woman steps in." Women also take almost exclusive charge of their children's education. Family succession is through the male line, according to primogeniture. It is the first son who is expected to remain with the family to care for the parents in their old age and to inherit the ancestral ceremonies. Therefore, the first son enjoyed special treatment as the successor while the other sons married and established separate households of their own. Once established, the families of the younger brothers, which are referred to as 'small house' (chagunjip), maintain special relationships with the eldest brother's family, referred to as the 'big house' (kunjip), where brothers and their family members regularly meet to perform rituals and ceremonies. The daughters on the other hand marry into their husbands' families and thus do not form part of the patrilineal group of their brothers after marriage. In their natal family, the married daughters are considered 'outsiders' (ch'ulgaoein) who belong to other lineage's and hence have no right in the matters of their natal family. Although an equal inheritance law has been in force since 1991, if the property is divided during the parents' lifetime, the first son is usually given a larger share than the other sons and sons in general are given more than daughters. Also many people still believe that the status of a family depends upon the first son. No matter how successful the younger sons are, if the first son who is in the main line of succession does not do well, the family is considered to be in decline. |
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