411 Cases Last Year Alone... Marriage Matchmaking Complaints Hit All-Time High

"Contract Cancellation/Termination and Penalty Fees" Top the List

Consumer complaints seeking redress related to domestic marriage matchmaking services have increased every year, reaching an all-time high last year. This has raised concerns about the need to thoroughly assess the overall credibility and service quality of the marriage information industry.

According to data titled "Status of Consumer Redress Applications Related to Domestic Marriage Matchmaking (2021–April 2026)" submitted to the office of People Power Party lawmaker Kim Minjeon by the Korea Consumer Agency, a total of 1,983 applications for redress were filed over the past five years and four months.

By year, applications for redress related to marriage information services have shown a steady increase. In 2021, there were 321 cases, rising to 326 in 2022, 350 in 2023, and 390 in 2024. In 2025, the number reached 411, marking the highest figure ever recorded.

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This upward trend continues in 2026. As of April 30, 185 cases had already been filed. If the current pace persists, it is expected that the annual record may once again be broken this year.

The most common reason for filing a redress application was "contract cancellation/termination and penalty fees." This category accounted for about 72% of all cases, with 1,429 applications. The majority of complaints involved agencies imposing excessive penalty fees based on their own terms and conditions when consumers requested contract termination during service use, or delaying or refusing to refund the remaining amount.

The second most common type was "non-performance (incomplete performance)," with 358 cases. Many consumers complained about poor marriage management services, such as discrepancies between the promised attributes of potential partners (occupation, assets, religion, etc.) discussed during the initial consultation and the actual profiles introduced, the introduction of partners whose information did not match the facts, or agencies failing to meet the agreed number of arranged meetings.

Other issues included 67 disputes over "withdrawal of subscription" due to immediate cancellations or simple changes of mind after joining, and 55 complaints about "quality (goods or services)" stemming from unprofessional responses or inconsistent information.

The current Act on the Regulation of Marriage Brokerage stipulates that marriage brokers must not provide false information to users. Violations can result in imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won. Administrative actions such as license revocation, business suspension, or office closure are also possible. Furthermore, marriage brokers are required to compensate users for damages caused by intent or negligence and are mandated to have indemnity insurance in place.

The Fair Trade Commission's "Standards for Consumer Dispute Resolution" also designates cases where a marriage broker provides objectively verifiable false information as grounds for business liability. This includes information on marital status, occupation, education, and medical history.

There have been court rulings holding marriage information companies accountable for failing to properly verify members' identities.

For example, the Civil Division 12 of the Seoul Northern District Court (Presiding Judge An Seungho) ruled partially in favor of the plaintiff in a damages lawsuit (2009Gahap8585) filed against an operator of a marriage information company that introduced an unemployed man to a woman in her 30s as a soon-to-be graduate of an oriental medicine college.

Kim Jihyun, The Law Times Reporter

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.

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