The number of international marriages in Korea last year reached its highest level since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Births to parents from such marriages also increased by 1,000 from the previous year, marking the first rise in 12 years.

According to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, there were 21,450 marriages last year between a Korean national and a foreign or naturalized spouse, up 5 percent from the year before. However, their share of all marriages declined from 10.6 percent in 2023 to 9.6 percent, as marriages between Korean nationals grew at a faster rate.

International marriages had been steadily increasing since 2016, reaching 24,721 in 2019, before dropping sharply to 16,177 in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The number fell further to 13,916 in 2021, but has since been recovering gradually, surpassing 20,000 again in 2023.

The most common nationality of origin for foreign or naturalized husbands was American, while the most common nationality among wives was Vietnamese.


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