South Koreans Need Dating Parties to Find That Special Someone

From the NY Times: The difficulties in meeting potential spouses have exacerbated an increasing tendency among South Koreans to marry late. As young women have gotten better jobs, analysts say, many are loath to give them up to shepherd children through a hypercompetitive education system and care for aging in-laws. In 2011, the average age of a first marriage for South Korean women hit 29.14, up from 24.8 in 1990; for men it jumped to 31.8 from 27.9 in 1990. The birthrate sunk to 1.15 children per woman, the lowest among the world’s most developed countries.“ The dating scene is difficult enough but adding pressure from the government for the sake of population growth? Oy the awkwardness at so many levels is painful.