Korea traditionally had a family structure called an extended-stem [authoritarian] family in which family members included all of their grandparents, aunts, and uncles in number and size. In traditional society the role structure was strictly divided by gender and age. After the virtues of Confucianism were imported from China, Korea valued the high patriarchal family structure; the main purpose of marriage traditionally was to continue the family lineage by obtaining a male heir. Filial piety, which served as an ideology to maintain his traditional family model, was a virtuous characteristic; it was believed that it was the order's duty not to dishonor the name of the ancestors because the descendants believed in punishing unfilial behavior and looking after the honorable. The eldest son had the greatest responsibility as he was always the protagonist of the rituals in which they honored the ancestors and took care of his parents after they reached old age while his wife had the role of producing all the important male heirs. The role of women was limited to the domestic sphere, which sometimes entailed sacrifices for the family. Overall, the traditional family system was seen as an unequal relationship in which the son obeyed the father. However, among other factors including modernization and industrialization, the Asian financial crisis also known as the “IMF era” in 1997 particularly accelerated the change in the economic situation. a very short period from extended stem family mode to nuclear family mode. Before the crisis hit, it was popular to follow the family structure in a traditional way. Then, the IMF substantially changed its mind and opinion about the future. However, people have started to focus more on improving and developing themselves for a better life rather than taking care of family and its responsibilities, after the slumping economies put their plans and dreams on hold. Nowadays it is rare to find three-generation families; it is usually made up of family members of only two generations. Statistics show that most families have only one child and that more and more women have taken on the role of bread earners; the number of single-mother families is increasing. Unlike how in the past the nuclear family was perceived as a sign of difficulty and disadvantage, the contemporary concept of the nuclear family is generally considered the result of the choice to give meaning to privacy, of the desire not to let one's privacy be intruded by others..