Marriage Is Not Madness? The Open-Run Rush for Wedding Venues [News Story]

Kim Seo-hee (30) and Kwon Tae-hyun (33), who are preparing for marriage, are wrapping up their wedding preparations together, picking out everything from home appliances to wedding invitations item by item. While they had to search high and low to save every single penny within a tight budget, the couple said they look forward to the future they will share together more than being alone.
Recently, young people choosing to get married are increasing again. Last year, the number of marriages stood at 240,000, reaching a seven-year high. With the rise in marriages, vitality is returning to the wedding industry as well. The number of consultation requests received by a wedding company visited by reporters more than doubled from 2,000 last year to 5,000 this year. It is reportedly not easy to even secure a wedding venue, to the extent that booking at least one year in advance is required to hold a ceremony at a desired time slot. The perception among the younger generation, who considered getting married a "loss" until just a few years ago, is changing. What is happening in South Korea's wedding market in 2026? Kwak So-yun (34) and Chu Yong-su (36), who are set to hold their wedding ceremony in January next year, completed their marriage registration ahead of time in November of last year. This was to move into an LH newlywed rental housing unit they managed to win in a drawing. The couple said that if they had not won the housing subscription, getting married itself would not have been easy, and that thanks to securing a home, they were able to take their first step in wedding preparations. In effect, a stable home became the decisive factor that led them to decide on marriage. Married for five years, the couple Park Ji-hyung (32) and Shin Yun-hwan (36) said they realize the saying that "money accumulates when you get married." At the time they first prepared for marriage, all the money the two had was 50 million won. However, after marriage, by combining their dual-income earnings and reducing expenditures such as housing and living costs, they were able to gradually increase their savings and investments. The couple said they were able to build their current assets because they saved money together, noting that it would have never been easy if they were alone. Marriages are increasing, but those opportunities are not given equally to everyone. As a result of examining newlyweds who got married over the past five years, it was shown that the higher the income, the higher the proportion of marriage. The proportion of newlywed couples with an annual income of 70 million won or more increased from 31.1% in 2020 to 47.7% in 2024. Economic conditions that allow for securing stable housing and assets are acting as a crucial factor in young people's choices to marry. Experts point out that a "polarization of marriage" is intensifying, where people with conditions in place get married, while those who do not cannot even get an opportunity. They emphasized that we must not leave unattended the reality where opportunities themselves vary depending on conditions such as housing, income, and assets.
 
This week's SBS looks into the resurgence of marriages among the 2030 generation and sheds light on the reality of young people hidden behind that welcoming change.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.