Young people in South Korea are entering a “no-romance society.” South Korea’s Kyunghyang Weekly reported on the 3rd that a survey conducted in five countries—South Korea, China, Japan, the United States, and Spain—covering 8,242 people, shows South Korean youth have one of the lowest levels of interest in romance globally. Among them, unmarried single women (aged 18–39) in South Korea exhibit the highest level of indifference toward romance compared to those in the surveyed countries.
According to the report, factors such as employment pressure, economic burden, and shifting lifestyles are influencing the relationship choices of young South Koreans.
The survey revealed that among South Koreans in their 20s who are single and never married, 27.5% have never been in a romantic relationship (31.9% for men, 24.9% for women), ranking just below Japan’s 41.7% among the five countries.
● “Whether or not to date depends on what matters more to me right now”
Employment status has become one of the main factors affecting the dating choices of young South Koreans. The survey found that among South Korean men and women (aged 18–39) with no romantic experience, 38.5% are unemployed, while the unemployment rate among those with dating experience is 12.9%—a gap of 25.6 percentage points. This discrepancy is significantly higher than in other countries. A 28-year-old South Korean man stated that he is preparing for employment and “feels now is not the right time for a relationship.” He said people only have so much energy, and whether or not to date depends on what is most important to them at that point.
Another respondent, Kim, a 22-year-old female university student, also said that rather than “not wanting to date,” it is more that she doesn’t “have the capacity to date,” as academic work and planning for her future already take up most of her energy.
When it comes to interest in romance, young South Koreans are displaying a marked “cooling-off” trend. The survey indicated that among single, unmarried South Korean women aged 18 to 39, 60.8% said they are “not interested in romance,” the highest proportion among male and female groups in the five countries. Among single, unmarried men in the same age group, the proportion is 47.7%.
Overall, 55.4% of young South Korean men and women are not interested in romance, higher than Japan’s 54.2%, the United States’ 35.8%, Spain’s 29.2%, and China’s 24.7%.
The reasons behind South Korean youths’ indifference to romance vary. The survey found that South Korean women are more likely to have already experienced romantic relationships and then come to feel there’s no need to enter into another one; while for men, it is more often that they have never been in a relationship. Some women said that personal growth, hobbies, and relationships with family and friends are already fulfilling enough, so they do not wish to invest more time in romance.
However, Kyunghyang Weekly also mentioned that, overall, the data from the five countries show a trend: the more interested young people are in romance, the higher their level of happiness.