Marriage Rates Low

[Anchor Lead]

The number of marriages in South Korea has fallen to an all-time low. Analysts say that more young people are giving up on marriage due to the difficulty of landing a steady job. Let's find out more.

[Pkg]

A university teaching assistant surnamed Kim earns roughly 446 U.S. dollars a month. Despite his efforts to save up, the amount is not even enough for monthly living expenses. With this financial difficulty, he cannot even begin to plan for marriage.

[Soundbite] College Teaching Assistant : "I think that in an age when it is hard for people to be self-sufficient, getting married or having a baby is acting recklessly with no basics."

As more young people give up on getting married, the number of marriages in Korea stood at 281,600 in 2016, down more than 20,000 from a year earlier.

It is the lowest level in 42 years since 1974.

[Soundbite] Lee Ji-yeon(Demographic Trend Division Manager, Statistics Korea) : "Worsening economic conditions are one of the reasons, along with the surging unemployment rate and housing rental fees."

The trend of delaying marriage has also grown stronger. 20 years ago, most people got married in their 20s. But now, both men and women are getting married after they turn 30. Another factor is a change in values, with marriage being regarded more as a matter of personal choice.

[Soundbite] Kim In-hye(Office Worker in her 20s) : "In the same context as the view that it is acceptable to be alone, I want to do what I want and work for a long time. It feels like that would be disrupted by having children."

The drop in marriages has led to a fall in the number of divorces as well. Divorces among couples who have been married for 20 years or longer accounted for the largest portion, rather than those among newlyweds. In particular, the number of older-age divorces among couples who have been married for more than 30 years has more than doubled compared to ten years ago.