According to a new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, married couples in South Korea more often report an absence of sexual activity than couples in the US. At the same time, in both countries age and personal motivations are linked to intimate life in a similar way. The work was carried out by Hyunbin Moon and Yonghun Kim of Yonsei University (South Korea).
Physical intimacy is considered an important part of well-being in marriage: regular sexual activity is usually associated with greater relationship satisfaction and better health. Conversely, its absence often accompanies emotional distance and lower life satisfaction. According to previous estimates, about 15.6% of married couples in the US report no sex, while in East Asian countries this figure ranges from 42 to 55%.
However, there have been few comparative cross-country studies: past work defined sexual inactivity differently (for example, using different periods of absence of intimacy), and married and unmarried people were combined into one group. The authors of the new work used the same survey and a single definition in both countries. The analysis included from 3,364 to 5,270 people depending on the variables tested - these were married people over 19 who passed attention checks.
Sexual inactivity was measured with one direct question: how many times a month on average the respondent had sexual intercourse with their spouse. Data were collected anonymously online in 2021-2022, and one of the partners was surveyed rather than the couple as a whole. Then, using statistical models, they tested how demographic and psychological indicators predict the probability of reporting zero sexual activity.
It turned out that with age the share reporting no sex grows in both countries, but in Korea it was higher in all age groups. People with so-called promotion orientation - a mindset toward growth, achieving goals and obtaining positive results - less often reported an absence of intimacy in both the US and Korea. But prevention orientation (the desire to avoid losses and fulfill duties) did not statistically significantly predict inactivity in either country.
Time for communication was associated with a lower probability of no sex in both countries, but in South Korea this link turned out to be noticeably stronger. The researchers suggest that the long working day in Korea limits opportunities for spouses to be together, so any shared time is especially important. Family income correlated with inactivity differently: in the US higher income was more strongly associated with an absence of problems with intimacy than in Korea.
Some links appeared only in the Korean sample: women, people with a doctorate and those who often suppressed emotions more often reported no sex. However, the statistical interaction between countries for emotion suppression was not significant, so this difference should be treated with caution.
The authors emphasize limitations. The study design is cross-sectional (data collected at a single point in time), so a causal relationship cannot be established: it is unknown whether communication reduces sexual activity or its absence reduces communication. The surveys rely on self-reports, and memory errors and social desirability are possible. The work covers only two countries. Finally, the question concerned only sexual intercourse, without taking into account other forms of intimacy, and average monthly frequency does not allow distinguishing temporary breaks (illness, stress, travel) from chronic absence of intimate life.