"20% of Newlyweds in Korea Are 'Falsely Single' Due to Real Estate, Japanese Media Reports"

"More 'Falsely Single' Couples Emerge Due to Real Estate Issues"
"'Falsely Single' Trend Leads to Declining Birth Rate"

Japanese media have reported that an increasing number of so-called "fake singles" in South Korea are postponing marriage registration due to real estate issues.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on November 16 that "20% of newlywed couples in South Korea are fake singles," stating that as of 2024, the proportion of newlyweds who have delayed marriage registration by more than a year has reached 20%. The article went on to say, "Traditionally, marriage has been highly valued in East Asia, including South Korea, but recently, the sharp rise in real estate prices in South Korea and changing perceptions among the younger generation appear to have shifted the social atmosphere."

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun analyzed that the problem lies in the "penalty structure" faced by Koreans when getting married. For those with an annual salary of less than 60 million won, it is possible to use policy financial products while single, but after marriage, the combined income of the couple must be 85 million won or less to qualify. Because evaluations are based on the couple's combined income, mortgage loan screenings also become less favorable after marriage.

The Nikkei reported that the average price of an apartment in Seoul has surpassed 1.4 billion won, reaching an all-time high, and stated, "With the average income in South Korea, it would take 15 years of saving every penny to buy a home." For these reasons, more newlyweds in South Korea are holding wedding ceremonies but postponing or even forgoing marriage registration, leading to a rise in "fake singles." The report particularly pointed out that the declining birth rate is a result of this phenomenon.

Japanese media also noted that this trend is similar to the "fake divorces" that occurred in China during periods of rapid real estate price increases. At that time, China implemented regulations restricting home purchases for a certain period immediately after divorce.

It was further reported that both South Korea and Japan face serious low birthrate issues, but the patterns differ. In South Korea, the birth rate has plummeted because couples tend to have only one child after marriage, whereas in Japan, the number of births is decreasing mainly because a high proportion of people are not getting married at all. The "lifetime childlessness rate" among Japanese women is 28.3%, the highest among OECD countries, while in South Korea, it is 12.9%, about half that of Japan.

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