1. Getting Married in Korea
The Marriage and Wedding Culture

2. Getting Married in Korea
The Changing Culture of Marriage
“Type” of Marriages:
Arranged Marriage
Love Marriage
Mixture
Matchmaking:
Players
Parents and relatives
Friends
Professional matchmakers: “Madam Ttu”
“Marriage Information Service Companies”

3. Marriages “Negotiations” and “Exchanges” before and after marriages
The Arranged Meetings (“Masson”)
“Saju”: “Four Columns”
Professional fortuneteller’s “analysis” about suitability of the match
Input information: “vital statistics”
Selection of favorable date for the wedding
Economics of the Wedding
Cost of Wedding Ceremony
Gifts for In-Laws
Arrangement for living quarter, car, furniture
“Three Keys”
Dowry (?) and Conflicts

4. Marriages The State and Society in Marriage
The 1999 Family Ritual Code
The Government Guidelines
The Political Economy of the Family Rituals
The Ethics and Cultural Components
Social Class and the Rituals
Social Network and the Rituals
Costs and Benefits (?)

5. Interracial Marriages
Increases in Interracial Marriages between Korean Males and Non-Korean Females
Ethnic Origins of Non-Korean Brides
Korean Chinese
Japanese
Vietnamese
Filipino
Thai
Korean Russian

6. Marriages
Nearly 14% of all marriages in 2005 were interracial marriages: Multicultural Families
The Proportion of Interracial Marriage in 2015: 9%
Marriages and Social Class
Intermarriages between “Chabol” Groups: Homogamy or Marriages of Convenience?
“Conditions” (Qualifications) of Partners
Rising Divorce Rates

7. Matchmaking Professional Matchmakers
Commercialization of the Matchmaking
The Marriage Information Companies
The Market Conditions: Rapid Increase in the Number of the Companies
Fee Paying Membership
Types of “Services” Provided by the Company
Differential Fees by Status, First-Marriage, and Type of Services

8. Age at First Marriage Age at First Marriage 2015 2005 Male 32.6 30.9
Male
Female
Causes and Consequences of Rising Age at First Marriage
Causes
Consequences

9. Perspectives on Marriage
The Results of the Surveys on Marriage
Sample Population: Age Group 13-24
“It is o.k. either way to get married or not to get married”: 51.4 % in 2016, and 36.7% in 2010 (32.9% for age group 50-69)
“It would be better to get married”: 32.5%
“The cohabitation of unmarried couple is acceptable”:61.7% (34.5% for 50-69)

10. Perspectives on Same Sex Marriages
It is Illegal in Korea
Percent of Respondents Who Approve the Same Sex Marriages
2001: 17% (yes), 67% (no), 16% (DNA)
2017: 34% (yes), 58% (no), 8% (DNA)
Approval Rate by Age Group
19-29:66%; 30-39: 41%; 40-49: 34%
50-59: 22%; 60+: 16%
Approval Rate by Gender
Male: %
Female: 36%

11. Wedding Ceremony Wedding Halls Moderator of the Ceremony
Wedding Invitation
Timing
Number of Guests Invited
Monetary Gifts
Receptions

12. Wedding Ceremony Commercial Wedding Halls
Making a Reservation for the Wedding Hall
The “Blessed Date”
Multiple Wedding Ceremonies on the Same Day at the Wedding Hall
Reception Desk for the Bride’s Family
Reception Desk for the Groom’s Family
Congratulatory wreathes sent by prominent figures at the entrance area of the Wedding Hall

13. Wedding Ceremony
Deciding on Selection of the Moderator of the Wedding Ceremony
The most prominent person possible
Some type of ties to the family or the bride/groom
Seating of the Guests
A Section for the guests of Groom’s Family
A separate section for the guests of Bride’s Family
A Show of Slides of Bride’s and Groom’s Pictures from Early Ages and onward
The Music
The Organ Music
A String Quartet
A Men’s Singing Quartet