Survival show 'The Wedding War' looks into why young Koreans fear getting married

Writer Kang Sook-kyung, left, and producer Lee Won-woong pose during the online press conference for tvN's new survival reality show, “The Wedding War,” Friday. Courtesy of tvN

By Lee Gyu-lee

TvN's new survival reality show, “The Wedding War,” will zoom in on soon-to-be-wed couples in today's society, the show's producer said.

“Nowadays, fewer young people seem to get married or are hesitant about it. In the past, marriage was a natural step like going to middle school and high school. So we got curious about the reasons behind these trends,” the show's producer Lee Won-woong said during the online press conference for the show, Friday.

“We wanted to explore, in our own ways, the challenges faced by the younger generation when it comes to getting married and the underlying reasons behind their fears and difficulties."

The survival show, which kicked off on Sunday, invites 10 engaged couples with different stories and backgrounds. Couples compete against each other through a series of missions that test their love and commitment to one another for a 290 million won ($218,752) prize.

As they work together to win the money for their wedding, the couples also face questions about whether they are ready for marriage.

The first episode showed 10 couples starting out with a race in a mudflat, eliminating three couples from the beginning. The remaining seven couples are taken to a base camp to stay for 10 days. They find out the place looks like a prison, where they have to be dressed as a prisoner throughout the competition.

Scene from the reality show, “The Wedding War” / Courtesy of tvN

Lee, the producer, who is known for creating the popular military competition show, "Steel Troops," joined hands with Netflix survival show, "Physical: 100," writer, Kang Sook-kyung.

The writer noted that “The Wedding War” is not about encouraging people to get married.

“This show does not advocate for marriage. Choosing to stay single is an individual decision, whereas marriage involves the consensus of two people. By watching this show, viewers will gain insight into why the participants desire to get married,” she said.

She further highlighted the unique aspect of the show, saying, “Typical survival shows have participants compete against each other. But in this show, they compete on the basis of 'which couple loves each other more' …. They try to prove they love each other more rather than solely focusing on defeating other couples. It is a different kind of fun.”

The producer explained that the prize money was determined based on statistical data.

“When people are asked why they choose not to get married, the most common response was financial reasons,” he said. “I was curious how much it costs for a wedding and if it could be a significant deterrent. A report by one of the match-making companies revealed that the average cost of a wedding was 290 million won in 2022.”