South Korea’s romantic scene presents an interesting paradox. Despite South Korea’s low fertility rate (only 0.75 births per woman in 2024) and a drop in marriages from 322,000 in 2013 to 222,000 in 2024, Koreans are using dating apps more than ever before. In 2024, the online dating market was valued at USD 264 million, and it is expected to experience a CAGR of 7.5% from 2025 to 2035. One key factor behind this growth is the changing perception towards dating apps. Koreans, especially young people, have become more accepting of them. One online user said, “Younger generations seem to accept it as something completely normal these days. Even among the people around me, there are quite a few couples who met through dating apps.”

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Why Koreans have less time to date and more reasons to try apps

The share of unmarried Koreans has grown exponentially. In 1970, only 1.4% of women aged 30 to 34 had never married. By 2010, it had dramatically risen to nearly 30% and has continued to grow ever since. Koreans also work among the longest hours in the developed world, averaging over 2,000 hours per year. Paired with intense societal pressures, these long hours have left limited time for organic social interactions, while also contributing to the shifting attitudes toward relationships.

Despite this, many young Koreans are increasingly participating in social activities that allow them to meet people organically. These activities could be centered around their hobbies like running, board games, and photography, allowing people to build more quality and genuine relationships.

While Koreans remain open to dating, they view marriage as costly and requiring significant commitment. As a result, limited time and reluctance towards marriage have driven more interest in the online dating market in Korea.

Lack of opportunity keeps Koreans singles, while quality keeps them on apps

Finding a romantic partner is a common struggle among men and women in South Korea. In a 2024 survey of around 12,000 unmarried Koreans by a local matchmaking app Noon Date, the top reason men remained single was a lack of opportunities to meet people (29%). For women, high standards for a potential partner ranked first (28%), followed closely by a lack of meeting opportunities (23%).

More specifically, Koreans seek quality interactions. A key drawback of dating apps is their declining quality. The MZ Generation in South Korea is deleting or withdrawing from apps because they believe that dating apps do not deliver quality matches. Low match rates, gender imbalances, fake accounts, and superficial filtering features draw them away from the platform. As a result, apps that can provide quality matches are better positioned to win in the Korean market.

Case study on Amanda: Differentiation with a user scoring system drove growth, but came at a cost

Among the dating app leaders was Amanda, with over 5 million users in 2019. Amanda became famous for its community scoring system, where new users had to get an average score of 3.0 or higher from 20 other existing members before getting access to the dating app. This was designed to improve the overall profile quality and minimize the number of fake or low-effort accounts. However, consumers later criticized this requirement for promoting lookism, driving the app to eliminate the system. The app, however, still kept its peer attractiveness ratings in the matching experience, in line with consumer demand.

Case study on Noon Date: Reducing friction through quality matches over a large user pool

A key local player in the online dating market in Korea is Noon Date. According to a Rakuten Insights survey of 832 respondents in August 2024, Noon Date was the top dating platform among women and the second most popular among men (after Tinder). This dating application takes a different approach by giving users only four matches per day that have been specifically chosen and curated by the app. This is intended to reduce the decision hesitation that comes from the endless swiping that is seen in other, more popular foreign dating applications like Tinder and Hinge, as well as to ensure the quality of matches.

Case study on Tinder: Repositioning from a hookup to a friendship app

Tinder consistently ranks highly as the most-used foreign app in the online dating market in Korea. Unlike its global approach, Tinder is repositioning itself beyond a hookup-oriented app to become a more socially acceptable, friendship-first image.

When Tinder first launched in Korea in 2015, foreigners primarily used it. However, Tinder adapted its marketing specifically for Korea by running campaigns like “Find Friends on Tinder” rather than emphasizing hookup culture. By 2023, Tinder had surpassed all other dating apps in South Korea in revenue and had been able to capture many younger Korean users.

According to a Tinder survey in May 2025, 81.1% of respondents said they had been in a romantic relationship through dating apps, while 74% said they made friends as well. Korea ranked second highest in making friends in Asia Pacific, after Singapore (75%). This suggests that dating apps – as well as Tinder – are broadening from dating to social relationship building.

That said, Tinder has created a space for a specific demographic due to its status as an international company. Tinder is especially popular among English-speaking users, international students, and expats in Korea. Another outcome of the “Find Friends on Tinder” campaign is that many Koreans increasingly see it as a less serious dating app, more similar to domestic apps. This is because Koreans use it for socializing and not to commit to serious relationships.

Matchmaking services remain strong as they focus on privacy and trus

A majority of South Koreans follow a strong tradition of structured matchmaking, known as sogaeting (소개팅). These are blind dates arranged for two people by a mutual acquaintance. This has been, for the longest time, the most common way for most of the MZ Generation to meet potential romantic partners outside of school or work environments.

Based on this structured matchmaking, companies have been created that offer matchmaking services. Matchmaking services like Duo and SkyPeople were among the first companies to formalize this tradition into a business. Being domestic companies, they knew what the biggest concern would be for Koreans. These services offered identity verification, background screening, career checks, and detailed profiling.

According to research by GMO Research & AI, the top reason Koreans avoid dating apps is a distrust of strangers met online. This is a very specific barrier that is only clearly seen in Korea. In Korea, the concern is specifically about authenticity and safety.

Online dating market in Korea: A market shaped by cultural differences, not just technology

• South Korea’s dating services market was valued at about USD 264 million. It’s expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2025 to 2035.
• Declining marriage rates, long working hours, and a growing single-person household population are creating sustained demand for digital matchmaking.
• Amanda and Noon Date dominate by localizing features to match Korean cultural values, including appearance-based scoring, career verification, and controlled match volumes.
• Tinder localized its marketing in Korea by promoting social networking over hookups. It allowed it toattract younger and international users while gaining a reputation as a less serious dating app.
• Trust is the real entry barrier. South Korea’s dating market remains heavily shaped by trust and privacy concerns. This leads matchmaking and dating platforms to prioritize identity verification, background checks, and curated matching systems.