In the past, several generations often lived together, and people believed many children were desirable for the stability and security of the family. It was not unusual for the number of people sharing one house to total a dozen people or more. In recent years, however, the move to urban areas and the popularity of new apartment-type housing have meant that newly married couples tend to live on their own, creating nuclear families, instead of sharing quarters with other family members.

Traditionally, the eldest male of a family was regarded as the source of supreme authority. All family members were expected to do what was ordered or desired by him. Strict instructions were to be obeyed without protest. It would have been unthinkable for children or grandchildren to place themselves in opposition to the wishes of their elders. Obedience to one's superior was deemed natural; in addition, filial piety in particular was viewed as the most important of all Confucian virtues. On the other hand, it was understood that the patriarch of the family would be fair in all matters relating to the discipline of family members.

The adage that a man must first seek his own development and manage his family properly before he can seek to govern others reflects the principal tenet behind the ideal of the Confucian social order. Under this system, man has traditionally been given the responsibility of representing, supporting and protecting his family. Order at home is maintained through the principle of hierarchy in which children must obey parents, the wife the husband, the servants the master. Reverence and respect for one's elders is a long-held social tradition in Korea.

There are many monuments throughout Korea commemorating loyal subjects, filial sons and faithful women. These monuments were erected as a way of honoring such people as models of society. Community service and spirit were also nurtured and promoted by the social recognition given to those who adhered to family values, the social order, loyalty, filial piety and fidelity.

The Korean people have always attached particular importance to the concept of fidelity. Widows, even if their husbands died young, were encouraged to be faithful by obediently serving her husband's parents and not remarrying. In some cases, girls whose husbands-to-be died during the engagement period were pressured not to marry. Such behavior was admired and many communities erected stone monuments recognizing these virtuous wives for displaying such loyal attributes.

The importance of filial piety was even reflected in Korean speech. The Korean language is endowed with a complicated and elaborate honorific system. Depending upon who the speaker is talking to, different word and verb usages are applied, which accurately reflect his or her social standing with regard to the listener.

In traditional Korea, the typical family was large with three or four generations usually living together. Because infant mortality was high and a big family was thought of as a blessing, having many children was desired. However, the rapid industrialization and urbanization of the country in the 1960s and 1970s were accompanied by an effective birth control drive, and the average number of children in a family has been dramatically decreased to two or less in the 1980s.

Having a long Confucian tradition under which the eldest son takes over as head of the family, a preference for sons was prevalent in Korea. To tackle the problem of male preference, the government has completely rewritten family-related laws in a way that ensures equality for sons and daughters in terms of inheritance.

Industrialization of the country has made life more hectic and complicated. Young married couples have begun to separate from their extended families and start their own homes. Now almost all families are couple-centered nuclear families.