soul to seoul: True Love, South Korean style: Part 3 - Love match on holiday. I think the love-matchers may have a point...

So there was an article in the paper this week (front page no less) about the problem of people not hooking up in Korea (the paper was a bit more nuanced than this. See "Mom wants you married? So does the State", New York Times, 5 August 2013). Apparently the government has been proactively engaging in the couple business, with some Departments/Ministries holding "dating parties" for their staff with counterparts from private corporations (the Ministry of Health and Welfare held four dating parties in 2010). Company rules are also being relaxed and inter-office romances are now allowed to take place.

In the days that followed the initial article, and in the article itself, a number of reasons were put forth as to why it is that singledom is starring at the moment. Shyness seemed to be the prevailing rationale. Apparently, arranged marriages were the norm up until a generation ago and South Koreans still largely prefer formal introductions. Dating agencies, along with government schemes, are growing in popularity as a way to promote coupledom bliss (ultimately the government is hoping for children to be produced as a result of a happy union to boost SK's low birthrate). Some computer savvy types have even orchestrated special flash mob love events (men wear white and women wear red) in an attempt to uncover deep desires (see Flash mob for love South Korea Christmas 2012)

Subway advertisement for a dating agency (I think

South Koreans may have it tough when it comes to getting together but, again, as my love match obsession photographs demonstrate, there is no such shyness when it comes to displaying their love in public. I think (but feel a little unqualified commenting in this as have been off the dating scene for sometime now) that this is the opposite of where I come from. Not so shy in the initial approach (a little nervous yes but not intimidated by the prospect of new meetings) but once the hook up is well underway and the relationship status has been secured, public displays of affection (PDAs in my world) are kept to a minimum. And as for love-match dressing? That would be a no.

After a recent holiday around South Korea (more on that adventure later), I am beginning to feel maybe I have it the wrong way round. Just take a look at the loved-up pictures of couples clearly enthralled with each other on holidays. Romantic bliss in identical pink raincoats stands out as my favourite. I fear if someone had bothered to take a picture of me and my husband on our holiday we would not have come across just as serene and we certainly would not have come across as coordinated! While I could try to blame the stress of child-raising for this, it would not be the real answer and nor would it be much of an excuse. On my travels we saw many older couples dressed love match style (maybe not the whole outfit but the shoes at least). So I am thinking, just to keep the romance alive, perhaps it is time to purchase some same same articles of clothing for the pale, tall, skinny white dude and the short, chubby, olive white chick who hang out with each other most weekends and occasionally during the week? Only issue is what brand t-shirt would we be and where on earth do you find matching swimsuits?