Increasing number of South Korean women won't marry or have babies

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In this country, women are expected to be the cheerleaders of the men," says Yun-hwa.

More than that, she says, there's a tendency for married women to take the role of care-provider in the families they marry into.

"There's a lot of instances when even if a woman has a job, when she marries and has children, the child-rearing part is almost completely her responsibility," she says. "And she's also asked to take care of her in-laws if they get sick."

The average South Korean man spends 45 minutes a day on unpaid work like childcare, according to figures from the OECD, while women spend five times that.

"My personality isn't fit for that sort of supportive role," says Yun-hwa. "I'm busy with my own life."

It's not just that she is not interested in marriage, though. She doesn't even want boyfriends. One reason for that is the risk of becoming a victim of revenge porn, which she says is a "big issue" in Korea. But she's also concerned about domestic violence.

The Korean Institute of Criminology published the results of a survey last year in which 80% of men questioned admitted to having been abusive towards romantic partners.

When I ask Yun-hwa how men see women in South Korea, she has a one-word answer: "Slave."

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I start chatting to two women in their 60s enjoying the stream-side park that runs through central Seoul. One tells me she has three daughters in their 40s, but none has had children.

"I try to instil patriotism and duty to the country with the kids, and of course I would love to see them continuing the line," she says. "But their decision is not to do that."

"There should be that sense of duty to the country," her friend chips in. "We're very worried about the low fertility rate here."

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freya
Despite growing up in a culture where females are treated like animals they were unwilling to normalize it, maintained the perspective to recognize it and the perseverance to avoid it.