"I'll Send Money to Your Account" 20s and 30s Couples Doing 'Dutch Pay' for Date Expenses [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

Spread of 'Dutch Pay' Culture Among Young Couples
8 out of 10 in Their 20s and 30s Say "They Have Fought with Their Partner Over Dating Expenses"
Experts Say "Related to Economic Burden Due to Recession"

The culture of "Dutch pay" (each person pays their own share) has been spreading recently among the 2030 generation. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Pixabay.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] [Editor's Note] How is your youth remembered? From teenagers to college students and office workers, we share the joys and sorrows unique to 'youth.'

"I sent the money to your account.", "How much was the meal today?"

Recently, the 'Dutch pay' culture (splitting the bill) has been spreading among the 20s and 30s generation, and even among couples, cases of paying separately after meals or setting up a 'date account' to equally share expenses are continuing. Unlike the past when the person with more financial means bore the dating costs, this reflects a pursuit of 'fairness' even between lovers. Experts analyze that the economic burden caused by the recession has influenced this culture.

Kim (25), a college student, said, "I've been dating my boyfriend for three years. In the beginning, we often felt awkward about dating expenses because we were both college students and financially burdened." He added, "At first, if one person paid for the meal, the other would buy drinks at a cafe or pay for the movie."

He continued, "But as this repeated, we thought it would be better to create a date account, so we opened one a few months ago," adding, "We each put in 100,000 won every month. If the money is not enough, we add a little more."

Date expenses have been identified as a major cause of conflicts between couples. Some couples even decided to break up due to the burden of dating costs.

According to a survey conducted last year by the marriage information company 'Duo' targeting 422 unmarried men and women in their 20s and 30s, 83.2% of respondents said they had argued with their partner over dating expenses.

They cited reasons for the arguments such as ▲expecting the other to naturally pay more for dates (35.8%) ▲trying only to save on dating costs (25.8%) ▲insisting on splitting costs exactly in half despite unequal incomes (18.2%), among others.

Photo by Yonhap News.

Date expenses are no small matter for couples. According to the Duo survey mentioned earlier, the average cost for one date for couples in their 20s and 30s was 63,495 won for two people. Assuming they meet twice a week, this amounts to over 630,000 won per month.

Because of this, some couples postpone meetings due to the burden of dating expenses.

Park (28), a job seeker, said, "My girlfriend is an office worker, so she often pays for meals when we meet." He added, "I am grateful but feel more sorry. Sometimes I pay for dates, but as a job seeker, I don't have much financial leeway, so it's hard to buy something for her."

He continued, "These days, I feel inferior and try to find a part-time job, but it's not easy to find one," adding, "There were times I postponed dates because I felt sorry."

Among adults, 3 out of 10 reported postponing dates due to the burden of dating expenses. According to a survey on dating costs conducted by Embrain Trend Monitor targeting 1,000 adult men and women, 34.9% of respondents said they had postponed a date because of the financial burden. A significant number (19.1%) also said they had broken up or considered breaking up with their partner due to dating cost issues.

Among some young people, there are those who avoid dating altogether due to economic conditions. Jung (27), an office worker, said, "Unless it's someone I really like, I don't see why I should date. Dating takes away personal time and financial freedom. I don't want to give up my time and money for dating."

Experts analyze that the 'Dutch pay' culture among couples is related to the economic burden caused by the recession.

Professor Kwak Geumju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University explained, "While individualism has become widespread socially, the biggest reason is the recession. In a financially difficult situation, it is somewhat burdensome for one person to bear all the dating costs. To reduce psychological burdens on each other, couples have no choice but to split the expenses."