"I Can't Even Go on Blind Dates"...Young People Giving Up on Dating Due to COVID-19 [Heo Midam's Youth Report]

8 out of 10 Single Men and Women Say "No Opportunity to Meet New Partners Due to COVID-19"
Some Young People Meet Partners Through Dating Apps

Recently, the number of young people uninterested in dating has been increasing. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Pixabay.

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[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Yang, a worker in his 20s, has not dated for over a year. Last year, as COVID-19 spread, meeting others itself felt burdensome. Yang said, "I received a few blind date proposals, but I hesitated to meet strangers and rejected them all," adding, "I have no plans to date or marry for the time being."

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social meetings and interactions have decreased, leading to a decline in young people's interest in dating. In the past, the so-called 'Jamanchu'?seeking natural encounters?was popular, but with restrictions on gathering sizes during the pandemic, opportunities to meet others have disappeared. Some express concern that if this situation continues, it could lead not only to a decline in marriage rates but also to a decrease in birth rates.

Lee, a 31-year-old office worker, recently lost interest in dating. He said, "As I turned 30, relatives often ask me, 'When will you get married?' or 'Are you seeing someone?' but I have no thoughts about marriage or dating yet," adding, "Nowadays, even if I want to date, it's not a world where I can easily do so. I'm afraid to meet people through blind dates, and since I work from home, I have no chance to meet new people, so how could I meet someone?"

Like Lee, 8 out of 10 unmarried men and women reported having no opportunity to meet new partners since the COVID-19 outbreak. According to a survey conducted by Professor Choi Seulgi's team at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management targeting 602 unmarried men and women aged 25 to 49, 78.1% of respondents said they had no experience meeting or being introduced to new potential partners in the year following February last year.

In particular, about 32% of respondents said that compared to before COVID-19, the frequency of meeting or being introduced to new people had "greatly decreased." Ultimately, social distancing measures reduced the number of gatherings, and the increase in non-face-to-face meetings failed to create an environment conducive to meeting new partners.

Given this situation, some young people are turning to online platforms such as dating apps to find new connections. They upload profiles including age, gender, residence, and occupation, and start non-face-to-face meetings with interested potential partners.

However, compared to offline meetings, many tend to prefer casual encounters, and since it is difficult to properly verify users' identities, negative perceptions are not uncommon. According to a survey by market research firm Embrain Trend Monitor of 1,000 unmarried men and women aged 19 to 44 nationwide, 8 out of 10 (77.8%) responded that "many people seem to use social dating apps for improper purposes."

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article.

As more young people refrain from dating, concerns about declining birth rates are also emerging. In South Korea, the total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime) has remained the lowest among OECD member countries for seven consecutive years, highlighting the severity of the birth rate issue.

Kang, a 30-year-old office worker, said, "Many acquaintances who are married do not have children. It seems they avoid childbirth due to economic reasons or concerns about career interruptions," adding, "I know the low birth rate problem is serious, but since raising a child costs a lot, everyone seems to be worried."

Meanwhile, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing even marriage rates to decline, the possibility of a rebound in birth rates appears low. In the first half of this year, the number of marriages was 96,265, falling below 100,000 for the first time since statistics began. The marriage rate per 1,000 people in the second quarter also decreased for both men and women, with the most significant drop among men aged 30-34 and women aged 25-29.

Experts suggest that multifaceted efforts are needed to raise marriage rates. Senior Researcher Lee Taeyeol of the Korea Insurance Research Institute stated in the report "Changes in Birth and Marriage Trends after COVID-19," "The impact of COVID-19 appeared more quickly and lasted longer in marriage rates than in birth rates," adding, "It is necessary to provide various social considerations to prevent newlyweds' marriages from being excessively suppressed during the fourth wave of COVID-19."