Why are more Japanese women drawn to Korean men?

An increasing number of Japanese women are forming romantic relationships with Korean men, according to recent reports from the Tokyo Shimbun. The newspaper suggests several potential reasons for this trend, including the global popularity of Korean culture, known as the "Korean wave," Japanese women's aspirations to live in Korea, and the financial challenges faced by single Korean men.

The number of cross-border marriages between Japan and Korea has seen a significant surge in recent years, with 1,483 such unions taking place in 2021, as per data from the Korean government. This represents the highest annual figure recorded since 2000. A matchmaking agency that specializes in Korean-Japanese marriages, MoaLove, reported that the number of Japanese female members doubled this year in comparison to the previous year.

The agency attributes this growth to the popularity of Korean pop music and television dramas among Japanese women, as well as the growing acceptance of cross-border relationships facilitated by social media and translation applications.

Many Japanese women who join matchmaking services like MoaLove cite their interest in Korean culture, such as K-pop and Korean dramas, as a driving factor in their decision to seek out Korean partners. Furthermore, these women often express an intention to relocate to Korea following the marriage. A 38-year-old freelance worker from Japan who is dating a Korean man shared her personal experience, noting that she receives daily expressions of affection from her partner. The man emphasized that the reason behind his affectionate behavior is the way he treats her.