More newlyweds delay marriage registration to keep housing benefits

A married couple with children attends the move-in event for a low-cost rental housing program in Incheon, July 2. Yonhap

Longtime real estate broker Lim Mi-ae says she was surprised in 2014 when she met and brokered a deal for a newlywed couple in their 30s who had postponed registering their marriage to maintain housing benefits for singles.

“Although I didn’t say anything to their face at the time, I thought they were crazy —undermining the idea of marriage just for financial gain,” Lim said. “But over the years, I’ve started seeing more and more couples like them.”

Lim’s observation isn’t wrong.

The number of newlyweds delaying official marriage registration with the government has nearly doubled over the past decade, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

In this year’s National Assembly audit data submitted to Rep. Chung Il-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the ministry reported that 19 percent of couples in 2024 delayed registering their marriage for over a year after their wedding.

That figure has steadily risen from the 10.9 percent recorded in 2014, hitting 12.5 percent in 2017, 12.8 percent in 2020, 15.3 percent in 2022 and 16.8 percent in 2023.

“This trend is becoming increasingly common,” said Rep. Chung, who also serves on the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee. “And at the heart of this troubling pattern is the fear of losing housing benefits that are heavily available to singles.”

These benefits include government-regulated programs such as mortgage loans at significantly reduced interest rates and subscription-based programs for newly built apartments, known as “cheongyak.”

Roughly translated as “stepping stone loans,” the program offers low-interest loans to individuals earning less than 60 million won ($42,100) annually.

Newlyweds are only eligible if their combined annual income is 85 million won or less. However, an increasing number of newlyweds are exceeding these income thresholds.

Ministry data showed that the proportion of newlyweds earning over 100 million won rose annually, from 13.8 percent in 2021 to 20.3 percent in 2023.

“As a result, it’s becoming harder for many newlyweds to qualify for these loans, even though their participation in the housing market is increasing,” Rep. Chung said.

As for cheongyak, the housing subscription system allows citizens to apply for newly built apartments — the most sought-after housing options in Korea — at lower-than-market prices.

The program aims to ensure fair access to housing, particularly for first-time buyers, newlyweds and low- to middle-income families.

Unmarried individuals can apply separately, doubling the household’s chances of securing a home.

But once a couple registers their marriage, they are treated as a single household, and only one application is allowed.

Furthermore, if both partners own property prior to marriage, registering the marriage immediately categorizes them as multi-homeowners, which results in a significantly higher tax burden.

Rep. Chung said, “The rising number of delayed marriage registrations reflects the difficulties newlyweds face in securing their own homes.”

He urged relevant ministries and government agencies “to review policies that disadvantage newlyweds across housing, taxation and finance.”