Koreans marry later than any other Asians

Koreans are choosing to get married later than any other Asians, statistics said.

The average age of first marriage for men and women in Korea is 31.8 and 28.9, beating that of the Japanese, 28.90 and 28.8, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

“More women are choosing to get married later, or not getting married at all. The trend is common in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong but Korea recently overtook Japan in median age of first marriage category,” the report said.

The median age of first marriage for men and women in non-Asian countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development was higher. The figure was highest in Sweden, 33.4, followed by Denmark, France and Germany with 32.7, 31 and 30.9 each.

The report, compiled based on research by the Economist, say the trend includes later marriage, less marriage and more divorce. The ministry attributed them to improvements in women’s education and income, equipping women with more means to stay independent.

It also said the pressure on women to take care of their child, housework on top of a full time job is giving them few reasons to settle down with a husband, who has traditionally been expected to put aside day-to-day family duties for his full time job.

By Cynthia J. Kim (cynthiak@heraldcorp.com)