Chuseok holiday involves ancestral worship and preparing large feasts. Gettyimagebank

For divorced women, the most significant source of stress during the holidays in their married life was their former mother-in-law's question: 'When are you coming for Chuseok this year?"

A survey conducted by marriage agencies Only You and Bien Aller from Sept. 2 to 7, targeting 264 divorced men aged 35-75 and 264 divorced women aged 33-65, revealed that 28 percent of female respondents felt the most stress when their former mother-in-law asked about their Chuseok plans.

Chuseok, a major Korean holiday, involves ancestral worship and preparing large feasts, tasks that traditionally fall on women, leading to long hours of cooking, cleaning and serving, which many find exhausting and stressful, especially when visiting their in-laws.

Other stressors included "planning Chuseok with their husband" (24.2 percent), "preparing Chuseok food" (22 percent) and "hearing news about Chuseok" (18.6 percent).

For divorced men, the highest stressor was "planning Chuseok with their wife" (27.3 percent). The burden of driving to their hometown added significant stress, with 23.5 percent feeling anxious "when hearing about traffic conditions for the trip."

Men find father-in-law relationships most challenging, survey reveals

When asked about difficult family members during Chuseok, women most frequently mentioned "mother-in-law" (30.7 percent) and "sister-in-law" (27.7 percent).

For men, the most challenging relationships were with their "father-in-law" (31.1 percent) and "mother-in-law" (24.6 percent).

Were there any positive memories of the holidays? For one-third of the female respondents, the happiest moment was "when in-laws told them they could go home."

Other satisfying moments included "when in-laws reduced the burden of preparation" (24.6 percent) and "when they received special attention or care" (17 percent).

In contrast, 32.6 percent of male respondents said they felt happiest "when recognized for their abilities by their in-laws," followed by "when receiving special attention" (26.1 percent) and "when appreciation was expressed" (23.1 percent).

Commenting on the survey results, Son Dong-gyu, CEO of Only You, said, "Chuseok is one of Korea's major traditional holidays, and while the older generation tends to prioritize keeping traditions, the younger generation is less interested. It's important to respect each other's perspectives to ensure the holidays are not burdensome for anyone."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.