58% of women in rural areas say they don't think about marriage... 42% in the metropolitan area.

A recent survey conducted by the Korean Health Society Research Institute reveals significant regional disparities in women's attitudes towards marriage in South Korea. Approximately 58% of unmarried women in rural areas express no inclination to marry, compared to just 10% of their urban counterparts. In contrast, male opinions on marriage remain relatively consistent across different regions, with higher levels of willingness to marry than women.

The Institute presented its findings at the 43rd Population Forum, jointly organized with the Special City of Gwangju's Office for Aging and Rural Affairs.

The survey, which polled 5,439 individuals aged 19 to 64, revealed that 1,741 unmarried women aged 19 to 49 were analyzed. Among these, 57.7% of rural women indicated a lack of desire to marry, while 41.6% of urban women and 45.8% of women in metropolitan cities shared the same sentiment. Women from small towns and counties expressed a lower willingness to marry at 41.3%. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in rural areas, where 15.3 percentage points higher than the regional average (42.4%) was recorded.

Reasons for not wanting to marry varied between genders. Men cited economic, employment, and housing issues (50.9%) as the primary reasons, while women cited a lack of necessity (51%) as their main concern. In rural areas, fewer people reported being in relationships. Only 18.2% of respondents in rural areas said they were currently in a relationship, compared to 27% in urban areas, 29% in metropolitan cities, and 28% in small towns.

The sources of meeting potential partners also varied by region, with educational institutions, workplaces, and clubs being more common in urban and metropolitan areas (55.8% and 51%, respectively), while personal connections and online platforms were more prevalent in rural areas (44.7% and 24.1%, respectively).

The study also found that the perception of a lack of social, cultural, and shopping opportunities in rural areas contributes to the low incidence of meeting potential partners. This perception was particularly strong in rural areas (45.9%), compared to urban areas (20%). Even if couples manage to meet, the majority of them (70.4%) expressed a willingness to relocate within the next five years, indicating a lack of long-term commitment to their current location.

The top priority for policy to encourage long-term residence, regardless of location, was the creation of more job opportunities and higher incomes.