Matchmakers Thrive in Epidemic

Matchmaking software are booming regardless of the coronavirus epidemic, plus some have generated record sales. As face-to-face meetings became difficult because of the epidemic, matchmaking apps' clients have grown sharply.

Market leader Duo made estimated sales of more than W30 billion this past year, which will be a record for the industry (US$1=W1,106). Membership plunged 28 percent on-year in the first quarter of 2020, soon after the epidemic erupted, and another six percent in the next quarter. But it suddenly surged twenty five percent in the third quarter, another 20 percent in the fourth one fourth, and already 11 percent in January this season.

Sunwoo's revenue also surged 17 percent this past year, while Gayeon found consultations surge 14 percent and membership grow 19 percent found in the fourth quarter. Sky People's revenue plummeted 20 percent in the first one half of 2020, only to bounce back 30 percent in the next half. Sky Persons CEO Choi Ho-seung explained, "I think we did very well out from the epidemic because people favored one-on-one dates rather than likely to events where plenty of folks congregate."

Among young people, blind dates arranged by coworkers and other social gatherings practically disappeared as a result of epidemic, so matchmaking software took their place. One 40-year-old teacher at an English-vocabulary crammer in Seoul enrolled in a matchmaking company for the first time in September. "I wasn't in a position to meet anyone on my own, so I made a decision to join," she said.

And a 31-year-old office employee in Yongin south of Seoul said, "I used to go on several blind dates per month before the epidemic, but there have been none last year and I finished up signing up for a matchmaking agency."

Closures of churches and other areas of worship also had an impact because they had provided a way for teenagers and ladies of the equal faith to meet up and socialize.

More women than men registered. Relating to Sunwoo, the amount of new male clients increased 17 percent this past year but of female subscribers 24 percent. Users' specifications also have changed. A growing number of people search for partners with stable careers like open public servants or specialists, while physical appearances became not as much important.

One woman said, "I am a lot more than 170 cm tall so I used to consider men who are taller than me. However now I don't genuinely care and I pay more attention to the man's task." And one gentleman said, "I used to look at a woman’s looks above anything else, however now their job is more important to me."

It remains to be to be observed if the style will translate to a rise in marriages. Regarding to Statistics Korea, there have been only 191,300 wedding ceremonies in the first 11 months of this past year, the cheapest on record. One person who has operate a matchmaking firm in Gangnam for 30 years said, "As long as goals for spouses continue to be unchanged, I don't believe we'll visit a spike in marriages any time soon."