The number of marriages in South Korea surged unexpectedly during the July off-season, continuing the upward trend from April and May, when weddings increased by over 20% compared to the previous year. After 11 years of decline due to low birth rates and the rise of non-marriage trends, the country’s marriage rate finally grew by 1% last year, driven by a wave of “endemic weddings” from couples who delayed their ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The increase in marriages is attributed to policy incentives, such as the expanded gift tax exemption for marrying children and marriage subsidies from local governments. Many couples expedited their marriage registrations to apply for special housing allocations for newlyweds in key metropolitan areas in July. Daejeon reported the highest marriage growth rate at 50.1%, providing newlyweds with up to 5 million won in marriage incentives, followed by North Chungcheong Province at 42.9% and Gwangju at 42.5%.
South Korea’s birth rate, which had declined for eight consecutive years until last year, also shows signs of recovery. The number of births reached 20,601 in July, marking a 7.9% year-on-year increase, the largest rise for that month in 17 years. Analysts attribute this rebound to couples who married during the endemic marriage wave from late 2022 to early 2023 and are now starting to have children, along with government incentives like special housing for newborns.
The surge in marriages is accelerating this year, following a rebound last year after 12 years of decline. In the peak months of April and May, marriage registrations increased by 24.6% and 21.6% year-on-year, respectively. Even in the typically slow month of July, the growth rate exceeded 30%. Analysts suggest this spike is linked to special housing benefits for newlyweds.
In July, many couples rushed to register their marriages early to qualify for special housing in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The Dongtan Station Lotte Castle in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, held a non-priority application process on July 29-30 for two apartments designated for newlyweds, sized at 65 and 84 square meters. Non-priority applications pertain to units that previous winners gave up due to financial issues or ineligibility. The current market price for the 84-square-meter unit exceeds 1.4 billion won, but successful applicants can secure it for just 472 million won, the original price from seven years ago, making it feel like winning the lottery.
With about 10,000 people competing for just two units, local authorities suggested that some couples may have hastened their marriage registrations ahead of their actual ceremonies to meet eligibility requirements. To qualify for the special housing supply, couples must be newlyweds without property and residents of Hwaseong. According to city data, marriage registrations at the branch office near Dongtan Station reached 282 in July, more than doubling last year’s figures. Overall marriage registrations in Hwaseong totaled 491, reflecting a 66.4% increase from the previous year, more than double the national average growth rate.
