Korean Men Married to Japanese Women Increased by 40% in One Year

Number of Marriages Surpasses 200,000 for the First Time in Four Years

Last year, the number of marriages surpassed 200,000 again for the first time in four years, drawing attention to the increase in marriages between Korean and Japanese youth. In particular, international marriages between Korean husbands and Japanese wives surged by 40% compared to the previous year.

According to the '2024 Marriage and Divorce Statistics' released by Statistics Korea on the 20th, the number of marriages last year reached 222,412. This is an increase of about 29,000 cases (14%) compared to the previous year. It is the first time in four years since 2020 that the number of marriages exceeded 200,000 again, marking the highest growth rate since statistics began in 1970.

Marriage. Pixabay

The annual number of marriages had been decreasing year-on-year for 11 consecutive years since 2012, but last year it increased by 1%, turning to an upward trend. As a result, the number of marriages recorded positive growth for two consecutive years including this year.

In particular, marriages among men and women in their early 30s increased significantly. Marriages among men aged 30-34 increased by 16,700 cases (23.8%), and women in the same age group increased by 16,300 cases (24%).

International marriages also contributed to the overall increase in the number of marriages. Marriages with foreigners totaled 21,000, an increase of 1,000 cases (5.3%) compared to the previous year. Marriages with foreign men were 5,000 cases, up 2.6%, and marriages with foreign women were 16,000 cases, up 6.2%. Among foreign husbands, Americans accounted for the highest nationality share (28.8%), while among foreign wives, Vietnamese accounted for the largest share (32.1%).

Marriages between Korean men and Japanese women were recorded at 1,176 cases, the highest since 2015, representing a 40% increase compared to the previous year.