All you need is love, says Seongnam mayor, as city plays matchmaker to boost birthrates

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All you need is love, says Seongnam mayor, as city plays matchmaker to boost birthrates

Published: 22 Oct. 2024, 16:46 Updated: 22 Oct. 2024, 18:32

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Seongnam City Mayor Shin Sang-jin, center, speaks at the Bloomberg CityLab conference in Mexico City on Oct. 15. [SEONGNAM CITY GOVERNMENT]

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin introduced his city's signature matchmaking program to global participants at an international conference in Mexico last week, sharing Korea's efforts to combat its dismally low birthrate.

“Last year in November, a couple who first met through ‘Solomon's Choice’ got married on July 7 this year — the first couple to do so,” Shin said at the Bloomberg CityLab conference in Mexico City on Oct. 15. “In September, a second couple tied the knot. These outcomes are evidence that Solomon's Choice is bearing fruit.”

This year’s Solomon's Choice — a matchmaking program organized by the city government of Seongnam, Gyeonggi — is the second to be held after its success last year. A total of 99 couples were formed across five sessions last year, according to a press release by the city government.

“In South Korea, cultural norms strongly associate having children with marriage,” said Shin to an audience of approximately 500 government officials, mayors, academics and more from over 39 countries. “Only 4.7 percent of children are born outside of marriage here, compared to about 45 percent in Europe. Since marriage is essentially the first step toward childbirth in South Korea, increasing the marriage rate is crucial.”

The program comes as a counter to the continually declining birthrate in the country, which reached a new low of 0.72 last year. Numerous explanations have been presented for the phenomenon, such as the rise of child care costs, housing and a patriarchal culture that kills many women’s careers once they start a family.

Singles mingle with each other during a matchmaking event held by the Seongnam City Government on Sept. 7. [SEONGNAM CITY GOVERNMENT]

Critics have accused the mayor of reducing the low birthrate to a cultural problem, ignoring other economic and social constraints.

“Of course, simply providing more opportunities for people to meet won’t automatically solve issues related to marriage and birthrates,” said Shin, highlighting that love and loneliness are not just personal but social issues that impact society negatively as a whole. “The low marriage and birthrates are complex problems rooted in a combination of social, cultural and economic factors.”

Numbers back up the success of the city's matchmaking program, the mayor says.

“Up until now, 460 couples have participated in meetings, and over 40 percent of them have started dating,” said Shin. “According to a participant survey, 78 percent indicated they are open to marriage.”

The first Solomon’s Choice event this year was held on May 18 at a restaurant in Bundang, Gyeonggi, for 50 men and 50 women.

An AI matching program forms 10 teams, 10 members for each team. The AI analyzes participants' MBTI personality types and recommends suitable matches, grouping them into teams accordingly.

Once the participants are seated at 10 tables in their respective teams, a professional host leads ice-breaking activities, recreational games, dating coaching and one-on-one conversations among the participants to set the mood. Then the participants engage in various programs, including dinner, couple games and a wine party, where they can connect further.

Singles mingle with each other during a matchmaking event held by the Seongnam City Government on Sept. 7. [SEONGNAM CITY GOVERNMENT]

“Seongnam, being a city adjacent to Seoul, faces significant challenges such as high housing costs and long working hours,” said Shin. “By providing spaces where young singles can meet, Seongnam is taking steps to address the problems of meeting [a romantic prospect] in urban environments.”

The event is open to single men and women aged 27 to 39 who reside in Seongnam or work at companies in the area.

“Love is life itself and the core that sustains human society,” said Shin. “The various relationships and bonds created through love serve as the foundation for maintaining and developing cities and societies. I believe love is the root of many policies that enrich cities, strengthen ties between cities and nations, and foster growth.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]