South Korea considers its very low birth rate a problem of“national emergency” and multiplies the incentives to procreate, but an influencer on the contrary praises the delights of single life.
In her peaceful home in the South Korean countryside, Seen Aromi practices yoga, sleeps in and encourages her more than 200,000 YouTube subscribers to feel no guilt about enjoying their solo lives.
“Not getting married is my greatest achievement”the 37-year-old told AFP, adding that she had never considered becoming a ” Good “ wife or mother as the purpose of his life.
It is said to be a “disaster” that women do not have children in South Korea, she said, because the country has the lowest birth rate in the world and a rapidly aging population.
“But when I think about the potential downsides to not having children, I don’t see any.”.
She wrote about her joy in escaping society’s expectations and enjoying her single life in a book, “I can’t help but live well alone”which was an unexpected success.
YouTuber Seen Aromi in her kitchen at home in Gyeonggi-do province on May 29, 2024 in South Korea / ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
Briefly topping the sales charts in South Korea, it attracted enthusiasm not only from other single women in their thirties, but also from an older generation, particularly widows and divorcees.
In her book, she rejoices in having “the freedom to be as lazy (as she) wants” without being criticized. “While some people get married because they don’t like being alone, others choose not to meet anyone simply because they like to lounge around.”she wrote.
Symbols of success
Many young Koreans are forgoing marriage and children, experts say, partly for economic reasons, amid stagnant growth, soaring property prices in Seoul and intense competition for top jobs.
YouTuber Seen Aromi with her personal trainer at a gym in Gyeonggi-do province on May 29, 2024 in South Korea / ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
Others argue that broader cultural factors are at play.
South Korea remains a socially conservative country where single parenthood is frowned upon, same-sex marriage is not recognized, and married women often end up leaving the workforce. They spend an average of 3.5 times more time per day on housework and childcare than their male partners.
“Traditional expectations about the roles of men and women in the family sphere, as well as gender tensions, are certainly linked to the current low birth rate”Hyeyoung Woo, a sociology professor at the University of Portland, told AFP.
For the YouTuber, giving up the symbols of success – an apartment in Seoul, a well-paying job, a loving partner – allowed her to find genuine happiness.
“I’ve never worked for a big conglomerate, I don’t live in the city, and I’ve never been married.”she explains to AFP.
She describes her experience living in Seoul as a miserable time, with exhausting commutes and stressful work.
After living abroad for years, working jobs ranging from hotel cleaner to meat packer at a chicken factory, and posting videos online about her life, she returned to South Korea and settled in a rural town.
YouTuber Seen Aromi works on her computer at home in Gyeonggi-do province on May 29, 2024 in South Korea / ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
She renovated an old family home and moved in, and ran her YouTube channel, which eventually had more than 200,000 subscribers.
Her videos cover topics as diverse as solo living, travel, fitness and yoga.
A single YouTube video now earns her five times more than she earned per month working in Seoul, and she can “to lead a much more independent life, which is extremely satisfying”she says.
– Attacks –
However, his social media posts praising the single life have drawn attacks.
YouTuber Seen Aromi during a yoga session at a studio in Gyeonggi-do province on May 29, 2024 in South Korea / ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
Some netizens counter that Seen Aromi must actually be lonely or call her “selfish” for not getting married.
She says she has had several fulfilling relationships, but that her independence and lifestyle are her top priority.
The success of her book shows that you can “be the best at something even if you lead an atypical life,” she says.
Most couples who have children do so because it makes them happy, and people who live alone also make choices for their happiness, which should be respected, she believes.
While others have children, the fulfilled single woman says she is proud of her contributions by having “spawned two YouTube channels and a book”.
