By Lee Ji-eun
The economic burden has been cited as the major factor for women to delay marriage, according to a recent survey by a private matchmaker.
As many as 43.9 percent of 1,072 female singles questioned replied that they have delayed their marriages due to wedding costs, the purchase of home and other economic burdens.
Study, employment, career and other their own development were secondary factors for delaying marriage at 27 percent, Atticlub (www.atticlub.com) said in its survey jointly conducted with a portal site.
Nearly one out of five female singles has picked housework, and having a baby and caring for it as another cause to delay marriage, followed by a failure to find partners with 10.1 percent.
"It seems that female singles are delaying marrying probably because of the economic slowdown and high rents,” said Song Mi-jung, the chief of Atticlub.
However, the agency said there was an opposite phenomenon unlike what the survey showed.
"The more financial difficulties there are, the more female singles knock at matchmaking agencies to seek partners to offload their burden," explained Song. "It represents a trend that people prefer stable jobs in an unstable economic environment."
She advised that it is better to discuss and solve various family issues like financial burdens and baby care, rather than just one person bearing the whole burden, for a happy married life.
Meanwhile, the average age of first marriage has increased four years during the past two decades to 31.8 years for men and 28.9 years for women as of 2010, according to a recent report from the government.
The writer is a Korea Times intern.