It seems that silence is golden for most married couples, with many husbands and wives spending only a fraction of time talking to each other.

According to a survey released yesterday by the Planned Population Federation of Korea, one out of three married couples, or 38.4 percent of couples surveyed, said they chat for less than 30 minutes per day.

The research institute surveyed 1,002 men and women nationwide between Dec. 11 and Dec. 16.

Only 28.7 percent of husbands and wives said they talk to each other for more than one hour, with 32.9 percent of respondents said they have a conversation lasting 30 minutes to an hour a day. About 58.8 percent said the conversation takes place while eating. Some 21 percent said they talk before going to sleep, while 14 percent said they spoke on weekends.

Major topics of conversation centered on children and health (40 percent), with others citing family affairs (28.2 percent) and issues related to friends and work (14.2 percent). Only 1.2 percent said they discuss political issues.

When asked if they encourage or compliment their partners, 50.4 percent of respondents answered “a few times, when the mood is good.” Only 25.9 percent said they do on a daily basis, while 19.8 percent said they rarely express encouragement. When asked to evaluate themselves in terms of family standing, some 39 percent of husbands said they are the most important members of family, whereas working mothers selected either themselves (33.4 percent) or their children (34.9 percent). About 39 percent of housewives said their husbands are the most important.

Long work hours and weekend work were attributed as the primary reason for limited conversation (34.4 percent), followed by the alternative use of technology to communicate (29.9 percent). Others cited the time spent on raising their children (19.2 percent), and a lack of communication skills (10.3 percent). Six percent of respondents cited indifference toward their spouses.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [ejpark@joongang.co.kr]