Chapter 9: Father Involvement in South Korea

The above quote reflects one of the diverse perspectives of fathers in contemporary South Korean¹ society, that range from fathers who think their only role is to financially support their families to those who attempt to be involved in various aspects of their children’s lives. This father has two toddlers and although he expressed his idea regarding the kind of father he wants to be, during an interview for the present study he also seemed nervous about its responsibilities. Traditionally influenced by Confucian teachings, the roles and relationships among family members are being redefined during recent decades due to socioeconomic, political, and cultural changes. Currently the shape of Korean families is being transformed with respect to the time of family formation, structure, and size; and such changes play a role in redefining parenting roles and responsibilities.