‘Not a bowl of rice, but tender loving care’: from aborting girls to preferring daughters in South Korea

South Korea is the first country to shift from strong son preference preferring daughters. This paper examines factors associated with daughter preference, using data 2012 General Social Survey, a nationally-representative survey of 1,379 people. The outcome variable was derived question, 'If you were have one child, which would like - son, daughter, or no preference?' Multinomial logistic regression used examine association between reported child gender and several social cultural variables. 43 per cent respondents preferred daughters, 36 sons, 21 indifferent. probability daughters over sons increased exposure Korea's transformations (younger, more educated, urban residents); among those less vested in traditional patriarchal norms (women, non-Buddhists, conservative views on roles). Other studies find increasing intergenerational support parents longer an agrarian society where aging depend financially sons. Today people can save for retirement national health insurance. However, live need companionship care they feel provide than