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| Figure skating Kim Yuna (35) married singer Ko Woo-rim (30) |
Age differences in marriage are no longer a significant barrier in South Korea, as an increasing number of couples feature younger husbands and older wives.
💍Surge in Marriages Where Wives Are Older Than Husbands
According to the 2024 Marriage and Divorce Report released by the Korean National Statistics Office on March 20, over 20% of newlywed couples now have an older wife. This marks a sharp rise from just 8.8% in the 1990s, reaching an all-time high. Additionally, marriages between partners of the same age have also hit a record of nearly 17%, while the percentage of couples where the husband is older has dropped to 63.4%, the lowest in history.
🔍Why Younger Men Are Marrying Older Women
Experts suggest that South Korean youth no longer view age as a decisive factor when choosing a life partner. Instead, financial stability, physical appearance, and relationship compatibility have become more critical. The traditional belief that "the husband should be older than the wife" is gradually fading.
Many women in their 30s, especially professionals such as doctors and lawyers, prioritize shared interests and lifestyle compatibility over age differences. A spokesperson from the matchmaking company Duo noted that modern men increasingly consider a partner’s financial standing, making them more open to marrying older women.
🏡Changing Family Dynamics and Dual-Income Households
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| The rate of marrying an older wife is increasing in South Korea |
This trend reflects broader changes in family structures, with dual-income households becoming the norm. In the past, women often quit their jobs after marriage to focus on household responsibilities, but today, they juggle both careers and family life.
Data shows that the workforce participation rate among women aged 30-40 has surged from 49% in 2000 to over 75% in 2023. This means three out of four women in this age group are either employed or actively seeking work. As a result, the conventional idea that "the husband is the breadwinner while the wife manages the home" is becoming obsolete.
Among the 790,000 newlywed couples (married for less than five years) in 2023, 5.7% featured a working wife with a stay-at-home or temporarily unemployed husband. Some men have even married their workplace superiors—an occurrence that was once extremely rare.
👩⚕️Women in Their 30s: Younger, Healthier, and More Independent
Representatives from matchmaking firm Gayeon highlight that women in their 30s today appear younger and healthier compared to previous generations due to increased self-care awareness. This shift has contributed to making age gaps in relationships less significant.
The trend is not limited to small age gaps either. In 2023 alone, South Korea recorded 405 first-time marriages where the groom was at least ten years younger than the bride. Among remarried couples, 231 pairs had a similar age difference.
🧬Advancements in Medicine and Childbearing
Developments in reproductive medicine have also played a role in this shift. More women are giving birth between the ages of 35-39, with a birth rate of 43 per 1,000 women in 2023—3.2 times higher than in 1993.
The trend is even more pronounced in remarriages. Of the 23,000 remarriages recorded in 2024, nearly 21% involved an older wife, a figure that has remained above 20% since 2014.
🎬Celebrity Influence on Marriage Trends
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| Actress Gong Hyo-jin (45) married Singer Kevin Oh (35) |
High-profile celebrity marriages have further fueled this shift. For instance, Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna (35) married singer Ko Woo-rim (30), while actress Gong Hyo-jin (45) tied the knot with singer Kevin Oh (35). These relationships help normalize and promote the idea of older women marrying younger men.
As South Korea continues to evolve socially and economically, the growing acceptance of older wives and younger husbands is expected to shape the future of marriage in the country.
📚 Learn Korean Through This News
Korean Text:
"오빠 보단 누나" 여성 연상 혼인 늘었다. 혼인한 부부 10쌍 중 남성이 연상인 혼인 비율은 6쌍, 동갑이거나 여성이 연상인 혼인 비율은 각각 2쌍이었다.
Key Vocabulary:
- 오빠 (oppa) – Older brother (used by females to address older males)
- 누나 (nuna) – Older sister (used by males to address older females)
- 연상 (yeonsang) – Older in age
- 혼인 (hon-in) – Marriage (formal term)
- 부부 (bubu) – Married couple
- 비율 (biyul) – Ratio, percentage
- 동갑 (donggap) – Same age
- 10쌍 중 (10ssang jung) – Out of 10 couples
Reference: 한겨레, 한국일보, 조선일보, babynews
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