"Boyfriend is 165cm... Parents Oppose Marriage"
Prospective In-Laws Also Say "Girlfriend's Family is Tall, Uncomfortable"
A story has emerged about a woman whose parents oppose her marriage because of her boyfriend's short height.
On the 13th, a post titled "My parents are opposing my marriage because of his height" was uploaded on an online community. The author, Ms. A (34), began by saying that she had a formal meeting with her parents last weekend to reveal that she is dating a boyfriend who is two years younger than her.
Ms. A said, "My parents saw my boyfriend's height and said, 'Marriage is not possible,' and told me to just date if I really like him." She added, "Our family members are not short; we are about average height. My father, who is 70 this year, is 177 cm, my mother is 164 cm, my older brother is 183 cm, and my younger sister is 167 cm." She continued, "On the other hand, my boyfriend's height is about 165 cm. He might even be shorter than that. He says he is 165 cm, but he looks shorter than that."
Ms. A explained the situation, saying, "From the first time I met him until now, my boyfriend is shorter than me, but I love him so much that his short height doesn't even come to mind. That's why I was thinking about marriage, but the adults' thoughts seem very different from mine." She recalled, "Last Saturday, our family arrived first at a nice Korean traditional restaurant and sat down. About three minutes later, my boyfriend's family opened the door and came in. Since it was the first meeting between the families, we stood up to greet them, but from that moment, the atmosphere was not good. I strongly felt that it was 'ruined.'"
At the formal meeting, only the fathers from both sides exchanged formal conversations, and the mothers barely said a word, focusing only on eating. The serious part was that neither side even mentioned marriage. Ms. A said, "In the cold atmosphere, my boyfriend and I eagerly asked, 'When would be a good date for the wedding?' and 'Can we decide the date ourselves?' but they did not answer."
As Ms. A thought it was "ruined," her parents openly showed their disapproval of her boyfriend after the meeting. Ms. A said, "My parents say, 'What were you thinking to be dating a guy like that?' and feel frustrated. I heard that my boyfriend's parents also felt uncomfortable because our family members are tall." She expressed her concern, saying, "What I wonder is whether a man's height is such an important factor that it affects married life and the future. I don't understand opposing marriage just because he is short when they like each other."
Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "It seems like the boyfriend's qualifications are not good, not just his height," "A height of 165 cm is common for men," "He is an adult, so don't rely too much on your parents' opinions," and "Do what you want without regrets." On the other hand, some netizens disparaged "keyjaknam" (short men).
Meanwhile, according to the 2021 Military Manpower Administration physical examination distribution, the average height of all South Korean men is 174.1 cm. The minimum recorded height is 122.1 cm, and the maximum is 215 cm. The 165 cm mentioned in the story is 9.1 cm shorter than the average height.
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