Mate Selection and Marriage in Korea

"Who will I marry?" " When will I get married?" " What kind of person do I want to marry?" These are all questions that one in our society might ask one's self. For most of time in Korea, however, the choice of one's mate for life was made in a manner different from the process we are familiar with here in the United States. The Korean process of mate selection, how it has evolved, and their marriages today are explored within these pages.
Traditional Mate Selection
Traditionally, the process of choosing a mate was handled with great care, but not by the bride or by the bridegroom, but by the parents of those to be married. Indeed, the bride and the bride-groom had no choice in the matter. Love nor romance played any factor in the decision whatsoever (Korean Overseas Information Service 1978, p.251). Primary emphasis was on the succession of lineage and prosperity of the family. Marriage was considered to have a great effect on the decline or fall . . . . .

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