- Headline: "Sex and Marriage in Sweden: Free Sex Within a Strictly Ordered System"
- Source: Kyunghyang Shinmun
- Date of Publication: December 12, 1975
- Summary:
In Sweden, marriage is broadly classified into two categories: legal marriage and common-law partnerships. With comprehensive policies in place to support unwed mothers and children born out of wedlock, the country has effectively mitigated the negative consequences often associated with free sex [free love or casual relationships]. Unlike in many other countries, including Korea, where youth sex crimes are a growing concern, such incidents are rare in Sweden.
When an unwed woman gives birth, she spends four months in a hospital before and after delivery, with all expenses covered by the state. One of the most striking aspects of Sweden’s system is the role of government support. Each expectant unwed mother is assigned a professional social worker, employed by the state, who provides assistance from childbirth through child-rearing. This worker also takes responsibility for addressing the child's legal, social, and financial needs.
Another remarkable feature of Sweden’s approach is the attitude of extended families. Grandparents and other relatives raise children born outside of marriage with the same warmth and care as any other child, without discrimination. Because of these extensive government measures, although many children are born as a result of free sex [casual relationships], there is no stigma attached to them and the concept of illegitimacy is practically nonexistent. They grow up with confidence and without feelings of inferiority, making illegitimacy a non-issue in Swedish society. Had South Korea followed Sweden’s example by eliminating discrimination against children born out of wedlock and implementing comprehensive government support measures, countless children would not have been separated from their birth families through adoption. However, South Korean society has continued to frame unwed motherhood as a consequence of sexual misconduct, equating the children of unwed mothers with orphans and reinforcing adoption-centered policies. CLICK the article below to view the original scanned article as it appeared in print, complete with text and images, on the Naver News Library, which archives Korean newspapers from the 1920s to the 1990s. For easier reading, click “텍스트 보기” (View text) in the top right corner to open a text-only window.
Note: Articles are in Korean, and English translations are not provided in the library. The English summary and translation of this article is provided by UMI4AA.
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