"Do I really have to visit my in-laws for the holidays?" Top reason daughters-in-law don't want to go: 'mother-in-law'

[Financial News] Visiting their husband's family remains a major source of stress for many married women. In a recent survey, mothers-in-law were most frequently cited as the person who makes these visits uncomfortable.
January, which includes the Lunar New Year holidays, turned out to be the month with the highest number of divorce filings in a year. According to Statistics Korea's "2024 Marriage and Divorce Statistics," there were 91,151 divorces last year. By month, January accounted for 8.7% of all cases, the highest share, with May and July recording the same proportion.
By duration of marriage, couples married for 5 to 9 years had the highest share of divorces at 18.0%. They were followed by those married 4 years or less (16.7%) and those married 30 years or more (16.6%).
For married women, the biggest source of conflict around the holiday season was the pressure to visit their in-laws.
In a survey of 403 married women nationwide conducted by the couples counseling and education institute Duo Life Consulting, 58.1% of respondents said that "visiting my in-laws is difficult and uncomfortable." When asked who makes these visits burdensome, 41.8% pointed to their mother-in-law, the most common answer, followed by sisters-in-law at 21.2%.
Another survey by the remarriage-focused matchmaking firms Only U and Bienarae, conducted among 518 divorced men and women nationwide, also showed that holidays often trigger marital conflict. Female respondents cited "meeting my husband's family" (29.3%) as their biggest source of stress during the holidays, while male respondents said "coordinating schedules with my wife" (30.5%) was their greatest burden.
sms@fnnews.com Reporter Sung Min-seo Reporter