Children's bags and clothes are displayed at a store in Seoul, in this Dec. 21, 2023, file photo. More than seven out of 10 residents in Seoul view having children as too great a burden for women, in a poll result reflecting the trend of shunning marriage and parenthood. Newsis

More than seven out of 10 residents in Seoul view childbirth as something burdensome for women, in a poll result reflecting the trend of shunning marriage and parenthood.

According to a survey released on Monday by the Korean National Council of Women, a civic group promoting women's rights, 75.8 percent of 1,000 respondents, aged between 20 and 49, said giving birth is “an onerous task for women.”

Younger people tend to see parenthood more negatively, with more than 84 percent of those in their 20s having that view, compared with 80.1 percent among those in their 30s and 65.2 percent among those in 40s.

Meanwhile, only 8.3 percent said they view having children as “a happy event.”

When asked about the expected challenges they worry about the most, 68.4 percent picked fatigue and other physical difficulties, followed by a forced career break and children's education expenses.

More than half of the respondents said women do not receive appropriate support from the government or society after becoming mothers.

Asked about which policy would help reverse the trend, 60.6 percent said more men should be able to take paternity leave, followed by the expansion of workplace childcare facilities and the extension of state-sponsored childcare services.

At 0.72, Korea's fertility rate ― the average number of children a woman has during her lifetime ― was by far the world's lowest in 2023.