Can love be cultivated in large, hectic modern cities? “Yes, there are many ways but none is as effective as Solomon’s Choice“comments Shin Sang-Jin, mayor of Seongnam, a city located in the southeast of South Korea. He refers to the first program worldwide to promote matchmaking, organized by his administration.
Seongnam It has more than 900,000 inhabitants and is known as the “Korean Silicon Valley” for its ambitious technological innovation with a focus on artificial intelligence and for its citizens: young workers with no time for love. “In Korea, young people used to think of marriage and children as a necessity. Nowadays, getting married is a mere option due to workload and financial independence,” says Sang-Jin.
A party in the city to find a partner
“My daughters are over 30 and single. The reason is that they were too busy to meet new people. I thought how meaningful it would be for the local government to support people like them. This is how the event was born Solomon’s Choice”. This party is the first ‘group matchmaking’ party in the world. The first colloquium was held in June 2023, with the participation of 50 men and women between 26 and 38 years old. At the end of that event, 15 pairings were achieved.
“I am proud of the results and I even attended the first wedding,” celebrated the mayor. Solomon’s Choice They include a block of speed dating, games, group reflections, ‘ice-breaking’ exercises and opportunities to connect with others in friendly contexts. “Not everything is romantic love. If the person feels lonely and wants company, they can also find a friend to watch movies with.”
South Korea is the country with the second lowest fertility rate in the world, only behind Taiwan. According to the Statista portal, in 2023 this rate was 0.78 babies per woman. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has admitted that in the last 16 years more than $200 million has been invested in trying to increase the population. Despite the introduction of initiatives, capital investments and policies to encourage childbearing, experts and residents say that “more support” is needed throughout children’s lives.
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