Pop culture sheds more light on singles

A scene from SBS's "My Ugly Duckling" / Korea Times file

One of the first agents to detect social change in Korea may well be popular culture creators. As more Koreans live alone as they opt to put off marriage, more reality TV programs are concocting a mix of content reflecting this social tendency.

Single households are estimated to account for 27 percent of all households in the nation, according to 2015 Statistics Korea numbers.

Following in the footsteps of "I Live Alone," an MBC program on single celebrities' lives, various programs have sprung up and are enjoying good ratings. "My Ugly Duckling," an SBS program that also gives viewers a glimpse into popular stars' lives, features such celebrities as singers Kim Gun-mo and Tony Ahn, the latter of the now defunct K-pop idol group H.O.T. "Outrageous Cohabitation," another MBC reality TV show, will feature emcee Kim Gu-ra living with actor Kim Min-jong and actress Han Eun-jung doing the same with singer K. Will.

But while these single stars' homes, which come in all sizes, are neat and pleasantly decorated, those of real-life singles are not always so. Jeong Ha-rim, 28, lives in a 13.2-square-meter room in the Nakseongdae area in southern Seoul. Jeong, who has been working at online shopping mall Qoo10 for the past year, defied her parents' wishes by moving out to Seoul from Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

"Even though (the room) is small, I relish this freedom, economically and spatially," she said. "Also, when I watch the shows, I can experience (their lifestyles) indirectly through their various hobbies or the trips they take." A downside of living alone is cutting down her entertainment budget.

While at times she wonders just how much of what's shown on TV is real, she still finds herself immersed in the shows.

"I think I am watching a lot of TV, as I cannot afford to do anything else," Jeong said.

Her colleague, Pahk Hyon-dok, 35, has seen a few episodes but does not watch the shows regularly.

"I think these programs that feature these popular and single celebrities rest on the assumption they are either homeowners or can comfortably rent a (nice) place. For many young people, including those in my age group, that is not the reality," he said.

Originally from the southeastern city of Busan, Pahk has been living in a similarly sized room in Sillim-dong, southern Seoul, since college. He pays a monthly rent of 350,000 won and put down 1 million won as a deposit. He has accumulated too much stuff in the small room over the past nine years, but he's used to the cramped quarters because he still needs to keep his living costs down.

He thinks the number of single households will continue to rise. "One reason is that young people cannot (afford to) buy a home, and that means they may continue to put off marriage," he said.

Seok Hee-sook, 47, has her own apartment and car. But as an arts therapist who lives on her own, her earnings differ month to month, so she relies on her parents to provide her basic food and other necessities.

"When I look at these shows, living alone for celebs means the same thing: eating alone and doing things alone," Seok said. She does not necessarily envy the celebrities, because she does pursue training and hobbies. "I dip into my savings and my parents' wallets at times, but I live simply within my means and don't have expensive hobbies such as golfing."

A doctor who is in her 30s and who requested anonymity is unmarried but lives in Seoul with her boyfriend who is from abroad. For her, the most challenging part of deciding to live like this was her parents' objections, not rent or security.

"My parents' objections were based on the assumption women living alone face such prejudices as being perceived as dirty or spoiled," the doctor said, referring to the conservative values still adhered to in the largely Confucian Korean society. She added, "There is also a saying that the best girlfriend is a girlfriend living alone."

She does not watch the shows, but their popularity may well make people more accepting of single female households. "More adults living independently may also mean mature adults," she said.

"Korean society is definitely seeing a diverse type of households: single households, single-parent households and others. But in a way, the conservative values held by the older generation in this aging society do not seem to rest too well with those of the young generation," said Kwak Keum-joo, professor of psychology at Seoul National University, explaining the bias single female households may face.

"But true independence may mean economic and mental independence, ability to align your actions with beliefs," Kwak said.

President Moon Jae-in has pledged to help the young generation of single households, that is, mainly those in their 20s who live on their own, saying the country will be a family for young singles. Moon said he would include those who are single, those who are cohabiting, and women in the eligibility for public rental housing, which is currently available for the median four-member households.

However, none of the above singles said they took into consideration the presidential candidates' pledges for single households when they cast their votes on May 9.

"Once again, for many young people, who will invariably go through a phase where they will live alone, housing will be important," Pahk said.

"Instead of providing support for housing or rent, I wish the policymakers would crack down on the construction or remodeling of rooms down to a size too small for anyone to live in, for that rental income," he said.

Life as a single person: Jeong Ha-rim, left, and Pahk Hyon-dok, two single salaried workers at online shopping mall Qoo10. / Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-soo