More 30-Semething Women Marry Younger Bridegrooms
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
More thirtysomething women seem to be marrying younger men these days. As their economic status increases, financial status has very little influence when choosing spouses.
According to a report by National Statistical Office, out of 11,009 women aged between 35 and 44 years old who married in 2006, 34.8 percent married men who were younger than they were.
Sources reveal that the trend stems from the fact that women are enjoying a growing sense of power in society today. The tendency to choose their spouse on the basis of mutual understanding and amicability is far outweighing both money or social status.
Prof. Lee Jae-kyung of Ewha Womans University told reporters at the Chosun Ilbo newspaper that it is natural for stable women to prefer younger men because they are more flexible to women's demands. ``Also, those younger people find older women attractive for their stability and quality. Moreover, these men do not have to be too burdened to start a family living on their own, which fulfills all the needs,'' she explained.
A 37-year-old fashion designer who married a man five years younger than her, said that her husband accepts her as the way she is, which was rare for her previous dates. She said that she is free from men meddling over her fashion and lifestyle and that she feels respected and understood.
Also, brought about by the recent ``phenomenon,'' women are taking greater steps at taking care of their appearance. Age difference remains superficial and of no strong influence as TV dramas featuring older women with younger men are happily lending to the trend.
A 37-year-old business consultant confessed that men her age were picky about her age and the way she looked. She said she has enough money, and that she is looking for an open-minded younger man.
Matchmaking agencies said that an increasing number of women are asking for men who are slightly younger, and an even number of men said they do not mind women being older.
Still, the conventional marriage _ men being older and economically stable and women being younger _ is popular among women in their 30s. They sometimes choose and marry men who have been married at least once before. About 43 percent of women aged between 35 and 44 married men who are more than five years older than them last year, and 20 percent married a man who had previously been married. There are currently 230,000 single women in this age category in the country, and not all find the right person with romance, a matchmaker said.
Most women replied that it is economic stability that brought them to these choices. ``They think if they cannot marry the person of their dreams, they'd be extremely practical _ marry a man with wealth and social status that everyone craves for,'' the matchmaker added.