“I make 800 million won a year, my wife 40 million ... Is it right to split the housework 50-50?” A Samsung Electronics husband’s gripe [What Do You Think?]

[Financial News] Online users roundly criticized a husband who asked whether he and his wife should split the housework equally even though he earns 20 times as much as she does.

A post titled “Even though our salaries differ by a factor of 20, should we still split the housework 50-50?” recently appeared on Blind, an anonymous online community for office workers.
A, whose profile identified him as a Samsung Electronics employee, began by saying, “My annual salary, including performance bonuses, is around 800 million won, while my wife’s is 40 million won,” and added, “We finish work at about the same time, and we’re both busy.”
He added, “I’m not trying to be sarcastic; I’m curious what women think,” and asked, “In this situation, is it right to split the housework 50-50?”
A said that he and his wife had a good relationship but differed greatly in their values. He said, “I’ve landed the opportunity of a lifetime, and I want my wife to make some sacrifices and support me, but it’s not easy,” adding, “Conversely, if my wife landed a huge opportunity, I think I’d do everything for her.”

According to A, the couple have been getting by on delivery food and packed meals for three years, and the housework keeps piling up. They looked into hiring a housekeeper but gave up after his wife said she didn’t like having a stranger coming and going from their home and touching their belongings.
A said, “Work has become extremely demanding lately as the company tries to maximize production, and they say performance evaluations will be based on overtime hours,” adding, “This is the time when I need to get promoted, and performance bonuses vary greatly depending on the evaluation.” His wife, on the other hand, says, “My job is important too,” and wants them to take turns leaving work early to do the housework. A complained, “My wife wants me to catch up on the housework even if I work overtime, or leave work on time and do it.”

Online users who read the account responded, “Why get married with that attitude?”; “Why bring salaries into dividing up the housework?”; “Everyone is tired when they get home from work. If a husband doesn’t do any housework just because he earns a little more than I do, I don’t think there’s any need to stay married”; and “I think housework should be divided according to how much time each person spends at home, rather than how much they earn.”
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