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Local governments are increasingly promoting matchmaking programs to address the low birthrate issue. However, these initiatives spark controversy, with critics arguing that the lack of opportunities to meet potential partners is not the primary reason young people are delaying marriage and opting to not have children.

North Gyeongsang Province is launching a unique initiative called Solo Village, a five-day event in July aimed at singles. The event, which will host 24 selected participants, includes workshops on dating psychology, fashion tips and opportunities for interactions and meetings.

A poster for an event called Solo Village / Courtesy of North Gyeongsang Provincial Government

Couples matched through the Solo Village program will be treated to a day trip to major tourist attractions in the province. A luxurious five-night cruise departing from Pohang's Yeongilman Port International Cruise Terminal at the end of the year will also be provided to matched couples.

The province plans to expand such programs during the Christmas season as well as summer vacation.

The Solo Village event is the first initiative to be launched this year as part of broader efforts to tackle the region's low birthrate, outlined in the 100 implementation tasks announced by North Gyeongsang Province in May.

The province has seen a sharp decline in the number of marriages, dropping 47 percent over the past decade from 15,421 in 2013 to 8,128 last year. The total fertility rate, which measures the average number of children a woman is expected to give birth to in her lifetime, has also plummeted from 1.46 in 2015 to 0.86 last year.

In response, the provincial government aims to increase the total fertility rate to 1.5 by 2040 and to 2.0 by 2070. To achieve this goal, it plans to invest 1.2 trillion won ($868.3 million) by 2027, focusing not only on arranging matchmaking programs but also on improving child care and housing supports.

People participate in a matchmaking event called Solo Mon's Choice, hosted by Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Seongnam City Government

Other local governments are also organizing events to facilitate meetings between singles, similar to marriage introduction services.

Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, has hosted Solo Mon's Choice six times since last year. This matchmaking event targets unmarried office workers in their 20s and 30s who reside in Seongnam or work for a company based in the city.

During the event, participants receive coaching on romantic relationships, engage in one-on-one conversations, enjoy a dinner and wine party and participate in several couple's games. At the end of the evening, they can submit a note indicating up to three people they are interested in. The city then identifies mutual matches and provides contact information to both parties.

The latest event, held last month, saw 21 couples form out of the 100 participants, resulting in a 42 percent successful match rate, according to the city government.

Dalseo District Office in Daegu established the nation's first official marriage promotion team in 2016, organizing small group meetings to encourage young people to date.

Couples who meet through these district-arranged events and go on to marry receive 1 million won for wedding expenses, in collaboration with Daegu Metropolitan City. So far, 14 couples have married through this initiative.

Similarly, Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province has hosted a matchmaking event called I Am a Gimhae Solo, inspired by the popular dating TV show "I Am Solo," three times since last year to the first half of this year. The event allows 20 participants to spend two days together, giving them opportunities to send signals and meet privately.

These initiatives by local governments to arrange meetings between young people are based on the Framework Act on Low Birthrate in an Aging Society. The Act requires local governments to develop and implement policies addressing low birthrates and aging populations that are tailored to their specific community and economic conditions.

Participants in I Am a Gimhae Solo, an event for single people in the southeastern city, pose together after the event. Courtesy of Gimhae City Government

However, there are growing criticisms that local governments' matchmaking initiatives are ineffective and a waste of budget.

Kim Yun-tae, a professor of public sociology at Korea University Sejong Campus, argues that housing support, assistance in employment and child care would be more effective in addressing the low birthrate issue.

"While the policy is not entirely useless, it does not appear to be the ultimate solution," Kim said.

"The bigger factors delaying marriage and lowering the birthrate are work, housing problems, child care and future education costs."

Kim emphasized that matchmaking programs should not be a top priority for local governments, which have limited resources and personnel.

He also pointed out that there has been an insufficient number of surveys conducted to determine what young people actually need.

"Young people consistently cite job security, housing and work-life balance as their biggest concerns," Kim said.

Young people commonly assert that the lack of opportunities to meet potential partners is not the primary reason they are delaying marriage.

"It doesn't make sense to attribute the low birthrate to a lack of dating opportunities," said Kim Chae-jin, a 26-year-old woman, expressing reluctance toward local governments' matchmaking programs.

"As someone in my mid- to late 20s, I'm more concerned about my career and financial stability, so marriage doesn't seem like an easy decision."

A 28-year-old office worker surnamed Park also expressed that the high costs of marriage and raising children are more burdensome than finding opportunities to meet people and date.

"Investing more in support for newlyweds, strong parental leave policies and fostering a supportive social atmosphere would be a more direct way to increase marriages and birthrates," Park said.

Meanwhile, the number of marriages in Korea rose for the first time in over a decade, yet remained below 200,000 for the third consecutive year, with around 194,000 couples marrying last year, according to Statistics Korea.

Additionally, Korea's total fertility rate dropped to a record low of 0.65 in the fourth quarter of 2023.

In January this year, 21,442 babies were born, a 7.7 percent decrease from the previous year, exacerbating concerns about the country's demographic challenges due to rapid aging and an ultra-low birthrate.