Why are more Japanese women drawn to Korean men?
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Annual unions reached 1,483 last year
Marriages between Korean men and Japanese women are rising, the Tokyo Shimbun reported. The newspaper cited the Korean wave, Japanese women's desire to live in Korea and the financial burden of domestic marriage expenses for Korean men as possible factors.
The number of cross-border marriages surged following the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 1,483 last year, according to Korean government data. This marks the highest annual figure since 2000.
MoaLove, a matchmaking agency specializing in Korean-Japanese marriages, said its Japanese female membership doubled this year from a year earlier. The agency said most members became interested in K-pop and Korean dramas before joining and many intend to move to Korea after marriage.
The agency said social media has fostered greater acceptance of cross-border couples. It added that translation apps have helped ease language barriers, allowing communication even if the men do not speak Japanese.
A 38-year-old Japanese freelance worker dating a Korean man cited her personal experience of receiving daily expressions of affection.
"Because they treat me as someone precious, after dating a Korean man, I feel Japanese men fall short," she said.
She added that when she looked at Korean male members at the agency, their appearance, age and income were completely different from those of Japanese men.
The newspaper cited traditional Korean customs requiring grooms to secure housing as a heavy financial burden that encourages men to look abroad. It also said Korean men are drawn to Japanese women's perceived gentle nature.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.