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South Korean reality shows about love and dating at an all-time high – they just don’t want to get married in real life
- A growing number of shows are highlighting South Korea’s acceptance of non-traditional relationships that do not revolve around marriage and starting a family
- Instead of marriage, these shows focus on couples who have chosen not to tie the knot or have babies, LGBTQ people and divorced people searching for love again
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If South Korea’s big boom in dating and relationship reality television shows is anything to go by, the country’s interest in romance has never been greater.
At least 20 such shows aired across the country’s television networks and streaming platforms last year – more than triple the number in 2021, according to a Reuters tally.
There is a plethora of shows matchmaking young single people, but also, notably, a growing number highlighting South Korea’s increasing acceptance of non-traditional relationships that do not revolve around marriage and starting a family.
Living Together, Not Marriage, for example, focuses on couples who have chosen not to tie the knot, and His Man is one of two shows featuring LGBTQ people. Other shows throw the spotlight on divorced people searching for love again.
The trials and tribulations of dating and relationships – perennial fodder for content in most cultures – take on particular weight in South Korea, where the popularity of marriage and parenthood have nosedived. Sharp gender inequality and the sky-high costs of rearing children are widely blamed.
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