More Than 2,300 Apply for Seoul's Valentine's Day Matchmaking Event
City's Document Verification Boosts Trust; 100 Spots, 24:1 Competition
Female Applicants Outnumber Males for the First Time
The scene from last year's 'Excitement in Hangang' event for single men and women organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government
On the 14th, Valentine's Day, Seoul City officially organized a matchmaking event for single men and women called 'Seollem, Art Night,' which drew a heated response with a competition rate of 24 to 1. Applicants cited the reliability of Seoul City verifying documents, difficulties in meeting the opposite sex due to job characteristics or age, and the opportunity to converse with various people through the common theme of art as their main reasons for participation.
On the 6th, Seoul City announced that 2,356 people applied for the 'Seollem, Art Night' event, which was recruiting 100 participants. After reviewing the documents of the applicants, Seoul City will select 50 men and 50 women each through a lottery and notify them individually via text message on the 7th.
'Seollem, Art Night' will proceed with participants engaging in various programs, starting with art preference-based grouping, followed by a gaze-matching concept participatory performance, and one-on-one conversations. The event is scheduled to be held on the 14th from 7 PM to 11 PM at the Hanwha General Insurance Co., Ltd. Hannam Building, and at the end of the event, participants will list their preferred opposite sex in order from 1st to 3rd and submit individually. The final couple formation results will be notified individually to the parties the next day.
Unlike typical matchmaking events where male applicants usually outnumber females, this event attracted more female applicants, resulting in a male-to-female applicant ratio of 41:59, drawing attention. Since the event was conducted with 'Art' as the main concept, it seems more female applicants gathered. There were 974 male applicants, recording a competition rate of 19 to 1, and 1,382 female applicants, recording a competition rate of 27 to 1. By age group, 17% were 25-29 years old, 40% were 30-34, 31% were 35-39, and 12% were 40-45.
Kim Seon-sun, Director of the Seoul City Women and Family Office, said, "Despite the event being held on a weekday evening, many people applied, confirming the great interest of single men and women." She added, "We hope that participants of this 'Seollem, Art Night,' held with the common theme of art, will meet compatible partners and that many couples will be formed."
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