Would more South Koreans shack up and produce offspring if the government raised the price of being single with a new tax?

That’s one theory under consideration at the country’s health and welfare ministry, according to Maeil Business Daily, a local newspaper, citing a ministry official. The ministry has since denied it was mulling the tax.

After the story ran on Tuesday, social media users mostly reacted with outrage, many of them saying they aren’t solo out of choice but due to financial circumstances. The phrase “singles tax” on Wednesday was a top trending item on Twitter and the most-searched term on Naver, the country’s most-used search engine.

The ministry on Wednesday said the tax idea wasn't “under discussion on an official level,” adding that the remark in the interview wasn't serious.