Golden year romance: Matchmaking event in central Seoul takes on challenge of senior loneliness

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Golden year romance: Matchmaking event in central Seoul takes on challenge of senior loneliness

Published: 17 Jun. 2025, 07:00 Updated: 17 Jun. 2025, 11:56

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Older adults participating in Jongno District's matchmaking event converse during a table talk at Mugyewon in central Seoul on June 12. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

Loneliness is one of the greatest challenges many older Koreans face. Whether through romantic relationships or new friendships, the need for social connection remains strong, even in their golden years.

This was clearly evident at a matchmaking event on Thursday afternoon at Mugyewon, a traditional hanok in Buam-dong, Jongno District, central Seoul, where dozens of older adults gathered in search of late-blooming love. Or at the very least, a friendly neighbor.

Despite the sweltering heat, with the mercury reaching a high of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), the lined but bright faces of attendees aged 65 and older beamed with anticipation.

“It’s actually good to be here,” said Kang Pil-soon, 70, who patiently waited at her seat before the event, her face shaded by an elegant straw hat. Kang, who went by the nickname Oriole for the event, said she hoped to make as many friends as possible since she had fewer expectations about finding a romantic partner.

She has lived in Jongno for 40 years, spending half of that time alone as a single-person household.

Older adults sit at a table named after the flower lily during a matchmaking event hosted by Jongno District at Mugyewon in central Seoul on June 12. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

To help residents like Kang, the Jongno District Office launched a senior matchmaking program last year to relieve social isolation and encourage new connections later in life. Thursday’s gathering marked the program's second edition, with another round planned for later this year.

Residents aged 65 or older living alone in Jongno were eligible to sign up. According to the district’s elderly welfare policy team, the 20-person quota for women filled up four days before the deadline. In total, 20 women and 17 men registered, the youngest being a 67-year-old and the oldest, 89.

Table talk: Roses and lilies

Around six participants were each seated at tables named after flowers, such as rose, lily and plum blossom. Many wore hats, sunglasses and small necklace fans distributed by the district office, seeking relief from the heat as they waited for the event to begin in the spacious courtyard of a hanok,

For the special occasion, most arrived in tidy outfits — some adorned themselves with shiny watches and bracelets, while others arrived in eye-catching patterned shirts and delicate, see-through lace.

Older adults participating in Jongno District's matchmaking event converse during a table talk at Mugyewon in central Seoul on June 12. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

“You came dressed so boldly,” one man told a woman across the table, pointing to her red hat and matching shirt.

At first, silence lingered — some people gazed into space, others chatted with same-sex participants, seemingly feeling more comfortable.

As the event officially began, an M.C. helped ease the awkwardness, leading the group through an ice-breaking game. The activity involved shouting out words based on combinations of Korean characters shown to them.

As laughter began to fill the yard, the M.C. shifted to deeper conversation, allowing the seniors to freely talk to their counterparts at their seated tables. The attendees were given time to chat freely for about five to seven minutes, with the M.C. suggesting topics like favorite movies, foods and hobbies to guide the conversation.

Rather than beer, it was iced plum juice that fueled their conversation.

While some stuck to the suggestion, others followed their own train of thought.

“Where do you live?” “How old are you?” — such questions floated across one table, while at another, a man nicknamed Chonnom, which means a country guy in Korean, asked a woman, “How many movies have you watched in your life?”

To make the event more enjoyable and ease the pressure of introductions, participants were encouraged to create their own nicknames, according to a district official. These nicknames were displayed on name tags pinned to their clothes.

After five to seven minutes, men rotated tables at the M.C.'s cue, offering everyone a chance to meet someone new.

Older adults participating in Jongno District's matchmaking event write down their first and second choices after one-on-one conversations at Mugyewon in central Seoul on June 12. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

“What kind of exercise do you do?” asked a woman nicknamed Michaelo.

“I always go out for exercise in the morning and play badminton at Naksan Park,” replied the man across from her.

Familiar places sparked easy conversation as all participants lived in the same neighborhood, giving them common ground.

“Why did you name yourself Acacia?” asked a man named Yubi, referencing a character from Korea’s historical novel "Three Kingdoms."

“Because I like the flower,” she answered with a smile.

Loneliness in an aging Korea

Jongno District stands alone among Seoul’s 23 districts in offering a matchmaking event tailored specifically for seniors. The program was born from the initiative of Chung Moon-hun, head of Jongno District Office, whose idea reflects a growing urgency in Korean society — the deepening isolation faced by the country’s aging population.

“We are now living in the era of 100-year life spans,” Chung said during the event. “Living long is important, but so is living happily.”

According to Statistics Korea, people aged 70 or older comprised the largest share of single-person households in 2023, accounting for 19.1 percent of the country’s 10 million one-person households. Among all single-person households, 31.9 percent cited the death of a spouse as the reason, followed by academic or work-related disruptions at 22.4 percent and a personal preference for living alone at 14.3 percent.

With more older adults living alone, concerns over godoksa, or lonely deaths, have intensified.

Older adults participating in Jongno District's matchmaking event write down their first and second choices after one-on-one conversations at Mugyewon in central Seoul on June 12.[CHO JUNG-WOO]

A 2023 survey by the Seoul Welfare Foundation found that one in four seniors in the capital harbored fears of dying alone. In 2023, the Ministry of Health and Welfare recorded 3,661 cases of lonely deaths, which was up from the previous year's 3,559.

Under the Act on the Prevention and Management of Lonely Deaths, a lonely death refers to a person who “lived in a state of social isolation, disconnected from family, relatives and neighbors," and whose body is discovered "after a certain period.”

As of the first quarter of this year, 30,242 residents of Jongno, or 20.2 percent of the district’s population, were aged 65 or older, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

To combat this, Jongno District has expanded its social programs for older adults, such as initiating workshops where older men took part in cooking classes and natural dyeing sessions.

One-on-one time

After the group conversations, the event moved to one-on-one talks. Women remained seated while men approached to strike up more personal chats.

Lee Yeon-kwon, 77, who went by his nickname Kai, stood to the side after seeing the seat he wanted already taken.

“There’s someone I want to sit with,” he said, “but I’m yielding because an older man already sat down.”

As conversations continued, some participants exchanged phone numbers, continued seemingly interesting discussions and showed photos from their phones with giddy excitement.

Others sat quietly, sipping a can of sikhye, or sweet Korean rice drink, alone at their tables — either not having found a match or still hoping.

In the next round, it was the women’s turn to choose which men they wanted to sit and chat with. By then, certain sparks were hard to miss as some pairs already stood out as clear matches.

Kang Pil-soon, 70, who goes by the nickname Oriole, left, and Yubi hold hands in a Polaroid photo taken to celebrate their match during a matchmaking event for older adults at Mugyewon in Jongno District, central Seoul, on June 12. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

In the end, seven couples were formed based on the participants' first and second choices.

Among them were Yubi and Oriole, the 70-year-old Kang who had said she did not anticipate finding a romantic partner.

When asked what drew him to Kang, Yubi smiled and said, “She looks healthy, and you can tell she has a good heart.”

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]