Reports have emerged that the number of Korean men going to Japan for 'matched meetings' has surged due to the substantial marriage expense burden in Korea.
On the 7th, Japan's TBS reported that, "The number of Korean men engaged in marriage activities (婚活) in Japan, hoping to marry Japanese women, has increased." The substantial marriage expense burden in Korea is cited as the background.
Hae Gyeong-min (35), who appeared on the broadcast, revealed that he learned Japanese to meet Japanese women. He prepared for a meeting at a popular matcha cafe among local women.
According to the report, the expense Hae incurred to attend the matched meetings in Japan exceeded 1 million yen (approximately 9.4 million won). This includes the membership fee for a marriage counseling agency, airfare, and hair styling expenses.
He expressed his realistic difficulties, saying, "In Korea's marriage culture, it is natural for men to prepare a house, but to buy a house without a loan, one must be at least 40 years old."
He added, "I think the financial burden on men is not that great if it's a Japanese woman, so I want to find a partner in Japan (for marriage)."
TBS pointed out that in Korea, it is a common culture for men to prepare the newlywed home, making it difficult to marry with just savings.
The representative of Daily, a specialized marriage counseling center for international marriages in Hongdae, stated that applications from Korean men are pouring in. He noted, "Korean men have given up on marriage (in Korea), but don't Japanese women have the attitude to work together?" He also mentioned that the heavy financial burden in Korea's marriage culture poses a significant barrier.
A Japanese woman who met with a Korean man said, "I've seen (Korean men) in dramas, and there's a part of them that wants to achieve things on their own," adding that they have a "perfect image."
Experts explained that more women, especially younger generations, are showing less aversion to marrying Koreans. Misae Sasanou, a lecturer at Ibaraki University, analyzed, "Since they have been exposed to Korean culture, films, and content since childhood, they tend to think that Korea appears more glamorous and cool."