In South Korea, marriage is no longer popular, especially among young women, who now dream of independence. In 2023, only 4% considered marriage and children to be unavoidable... In ten years, the number of unions has fallen by 40% in the country. Faced with this trend, men are turning abroad to get married.
Already in the 1980s, multicultural marriages began to be orchestrated by local governments in order to address the gender imbalance in the countryside. But today, this practice has become popular in large cities and is emerging as one of the solutions to repopulate the country.
The decline in the marriage rate is in fact accompanied by an alarming demographic crisis. With an average number of 0.78 children per woman, South Korea is the country with the fewest children on the planet. A free fall which threatens the country's economic growth and, ultimately, calls into question its very future. For several decades, successive governments have tried to reverse the trend, without success.
In South Korea, singles looking for a wife are turning to Vietnam and using marriage agencies in their search for a soul mate. There, many young women dream of a better life in a country whose language they do not speak and which they only know through boy bands and other successful television series.
Our reporters investigated these unions in South Korea and Vietnam, which were confusing to say the least.
ReportersVideo: In China, millions of single people are desperately seeking wives
The France 24 summary of the week
invites you to look back at the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 application