Did you know that in Korea, women keep their last names even after they get married? This is different from many other countries where women typically take their husband’s surname after marriage. I became curious about why this is the case, so I did a bit of research to explore the reasons behind it. Let’s dive into what I found!
Historical Background
In the Korean language, there are different expressions used for "getting married" depending on the gender. For men, the phrase is "장가가다", while for women, it's "시집가다" or "시집오다". Interestingly, you don’t hear men saying "장가오다" which suggests that traditionally, marriage in Korea was seen as women moving from one home to another.
Historically, when parents arranged marriages, the man would often live with the woman’s family for a while. Once the woman was considered mature enough, the couple would move to the man’s house. This cultural practice likely influenced the use of verbs like "가다"(to go) or "오다"(to come) when describing marriage.
Some argue that Korean women keep their last names because, historically, women held equal authority to men in some respects. It’s true that from ancient times through to the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, Korean women have always kept their surnames. But does this really reflect women’s authority?
Comparing Neighboring Countries
So, how does this compare with other Confucian-influenced countries like Japan and China?
In Japan, a law from 1898 during the Meiji era required all families to use the surname of the head of the household. Today, Japanese can choose either the husband’s or wife’s last name, but in reality, most women still take their husband’s surname.
In China, Confucian and patriarchal values also influenced naming customs. In 1929, a law stated that a wife should add her husband's surname to her own. But in 1950, China revised its marriage laws, granting couples the right to keep their own last names.
Unlike Japan and China, Korea has no such legal stipulation about changing surnames. Historically, it was simply accepted that women would keep their last names, and this has continued into modern times.
Is It About Respect or Discrimination?
Some believe that Korean women keep their last names out of respect for women’s independence. On the other hand, some argue that it was because women were seen as less important, and thus couldn’t take the same surname as their husbands. So, which perspective is correct?
Anthropologists and historians don’t have a definitive answer on the connection between surnames and women’s authority. However, there is a theory that Korea’s strong emphasis on family lineage played a role. Since family bloodlines were so important, it made sense to let daughters keep the family name even after marriage. This idea seems quite convincing to me.
➤ In short, Korean women keeping their surnames isn’t necessarily a reflection of women’s authority or lack of it. Rather, it reflects Korea’s deep cultural emphasis on maintaining family lineage. What do you think?
It’s hard to say which approach is right or wrong. I think sharing a last name after marriage might strengthen the sense of family unity. On the other hand, not changing your name is convenient since it avoids the hassle of legal paperwork. Either way, it’s interesting to see how different cultures handle marriage and family names in their own unique ways.
