During her college years, Chang Ji-young once dreamed of becoming an unmarried mom voluntarily in protest against the unfair prejudice towards them here.

However, two years ago, when the 34-year-old former business consultant became pregnant by her former boyfriend, she first considered getting married to him.

"Facing the reality was totally different from vaguely assuming it," said Chang, who is currently raising her daughter alone after her boyfriend didn't keep the marriage promise.

Her parents and brother tried to persuade her to get an abortion or to give up the baby for adoption. But she resisted and her family turned their backs on her and the child.

Until then, she was confident about the future because she had 10 years of overseas working experiences as well as fluency in English.

"I felt frustrated most when my expectations were shattered," she said.

"During a job interview, they asked why I raise the child alone and who the father is. In Korean society, it's impossible to avoid such questions, even though they are extremely private matters. Then, all I got was rejections."

Chang is one of the Korean unwed moms who must endure a lifetime of poverty and disgrace after deciding to raise their children alone.

According to the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, about 6,000 to 10,000 babies are born out of wedlock every year in Korea.

They accounted for 1.6 percent of the total births, the lowest level among OECD member states.

While Japan has the second lowest 2.1 percent, the figures in the United States and France are 38.5 percent and 50.4 percent, respectively.

>> Part 2 >> Part 3