"Marriage as Difficult as Catching Stars in the Sky"... MZ Generation Turning to 'Marriage Information Companies'

Surge in MZ Generation Membership Amid COVID-19... Industry's Highest Ever Sales
Video Dating Services Also Draw Attention

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee]"With remote work continuing due to COVID-19, I hardly have any opportunities to meet new people. How much is the monthly fee?"

This is part of a recent consultation received by a manager working at a matchmaking agency called A (commonly known as Gyeoljeongsa) located in Gangnam, Seoul. As natural encounters became difficult due to COVID-19, the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) is turning to matchmaking agencies.

Office worker Choi (35) said, "Since I am working remotely due to COVID-19, it is not easy to ask colleagues for introductions. I have often met people through online apps, but I wanted to meet someone who meets certain criteria, so I visited."

Lee (32), an employee at a large corporation, said, "I recently heard a lot about matchmaking agencies and stopped by for fun," but added, "However, the cost is a bit burdensome, so I decided to think it over more before signing up." The fees varied widely from 1 million to 10 million KRW, and recently, methods such as a ‘postpaid membership system’ have emerged to reduce the burden.

Kim (30), a public official working in Sejong, explained, "With leisure activities reduced due to COVID-19, natural meetings themselves became difficult, so I turned to a matchmaking agency."

The industry is enjoying a boom. Lee Woongjin, CEO of Sunwoo Matchmaking Agency, told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "Compared to before COVID-19, both the number of employees and sales have increased by more than 30%," adding, "The total number of members has increased by 10,000 in two years."

A representative from matchmaking agency B in Gangnam also said, "The entire industry is booming due to the impact of COVID-19," and added, "Currently, there are about 40,000 members, and last year recorded the highest number of sign-ups ever." They also offer ‘video chat services’ reflecting the demands of the MZ generation and even expand matchmaking services to foreign regions.

Meanwhile, as meetings through matchmaking agencies have become active due to COVID-19, disputes sometimes arise because parties do not know accurate information about each other.

Kim filed a lawsuit against a matchmaking agency claiming damages for failing to identify hidden debts of a woman he married in December last year, but the court did not recognize the claim.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.