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In a survey conducted between 2013 and 2015, the average age for South Korean teenage girls in the third grade of high school to lose their virginity was **** years (based on the South Korean age system in which a new-born baby is considered as one-year-old). According to the same survey, around **** percent of females in this age bracket had ever had sexual intercourse.

Sexuality in South Korea

Many different factors have shaped the way sexuality is considered across the country. From traditional cultural norms generally accepted by the older generation, to the recent surge of liberalism and westernization – sexual education and sexual behavior have been highly debated topics among South Koreans and continue to be to this day.

Sexual education for teenagers in South Korea has become known for being problematic - not all teenage girls participated in sexual education programs as part of their schooling, and there has been some backlash on the quality of sexual education received by all students. Only half of sexually active teens stated that they always use contraception when having sex.

In 2019, South Korea decriminalized abortion – a move that was praised as moving towards a positive direction for women’s rights and health within the country. Decriminalizing pregnancy termination is particularly important for adolescents - around ** percent of teenage girls who had been pregnant reported having an abortion.