Why are more Japanese women dating Korean men?

Tokyo Shimbun cited the Korean wave, Japanese women’s desire to live in Korea, and the financial burden of marriage expenses on Korean men as possible factors. The report also said some Japanese women are attracted by daily expressions of affection from Korean men.

How many Korean-Japanese cross-border marriages were recorded last year?

Korean government data put the number at 1,483 last year. The report said this was the highest annual figure since 2000 and that the number surged after the COVID-19 pandemic.

What role do K-pop and Korean dramas play in Korean-Japanese matchmaking?

MoaLove said most of its Japanese female members became interested in K-pop and Korean dramas before joining. The agency added that many of them hope to move to Korea after marriage, and that social media and translation apps have made communication easier.

Why are more Japanese women drawn to Korean men?

Listen

Summary

Marriages between Korean men and Japanese women are rising, with Tokyo Shimbun citing the Korean wave, Japanese women’s wish to live in Korea, and high marriage costs in Korea as possible reasons. Korean government data showed cross-border marriages reached 1,483 last year, the highest annual figure since 2000. A matchmaking agency said its Japanese female membership doubled this year, and many members were interested in K-pop and Korean dramas. The agency also said social media and translation apps have made cross-border dating easier.

Key Facts

Korean government data showed 1,483 cross-border marriages last year, the highest annual figure since 2000.
MoaLove said its Japanese female membership doubled this year from a year earlier.
Many agency 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 increased acceptance of cross-border couples and translation apps have reduced language barriers.
The report said traditional Korean customs requiring grooms to secure housing create a heavy financial burden that encourages some men to look abroad.

By Hankookilbo

Published Sep 30, 2026 1:57 pm KST

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.

Annual unions reached 1,483 last year

Explore More