Many Long-Married Couples Still Don't Own Their Home

Less than half of all couples who have been married for a decade can afford to buy their own home, according to a study based on the latest census data.

Statistics Korea on Tuesday said only 48.3 percent of couples who have been married for 10 years have their own homes.

Only 26.1 percent of couples married less than a year bought their own home, and the proportion was still a mere 66.7 percent even for couples who have been married for over 30 years.

The proportion of couples who live in "jeonse" or Korean-style deposit lease homes stands at 50.1 percent for those who have been married for less than a year, 29.3 percent for those who have been married for 10 years and 14.8 percent for those who have been married for 30 years.

Couples in Seoul, which has the most expensive real estate in the nation, have a particularly tough time buying a home. Only 29.2 percent of couples in Seoul who have been married for less than 10 years own their homes, the lowest in the country, while 52.8 percent were living in jeonse homes, the highest.

Gwangju boasted the highest proportion (52.3 percent) of couples who have been married for 10 years with their own homes, followed by Ulsan (51.3 percent).

Meanwhile, as more and more couples live apart due to work or get divorced, the proportion of single-parent households rose from 7.4 percent in 1995 to 9.2 percent in 2010.

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