The initiative follows President Lee Jae-myung's campaign pledge to ease the financial burdens associated with marriage. High wedding costs are often cited as one of the reasons young people are delaying marriage and starting families.
The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) recently commissioned research aimed at promoting more rational spending in the wedding services market, which continues to draw criticism for its inflated pricing practices.
According to data released in May by the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA), the average wedding service contract in South Korea costs around 21 million won ($15,353). In Seoul's Gangnam district, well-known for its luxurious lifestyle culture, the average rises to about 34 million won, highlighting stark regional disparities. These figures include only core wedding services such as venue rental, dresses, and makeup, excluding additional extras.
Many couples turn to professional planners to navigate the complexity of wedding arrangements, despite the added expense. "Without a wedding planner, couples must arrange everything themselves, and coordinating schedules becomes extremely difficult. Even with the extra costs, the time saved is a lifesaver," said a 30-year-old woman who recently got married.
In terms of consumer satisfaction, the wedding service industry ranked last among 40 sectors in the KCA’s 2024 survey, scoring just 50.4 out of 100. The average score across all industries was 65.7.
The wedding sector received the lowest marks across all categories, including fairness of pricing, reliability, diversity of choices, and consumer protection. In response, the FTC plans to hold public contests to collect ideas on improving consumer culture. It also intends to issue guidelines to help prevent financial disputes tied to weddings.
The FTC issued warnings in April to several well-known wedding planning companies for false and misleading advertising. In February, the National Tax Service launched a broad audit of the wedding service industry, focusing on pricing practices for photography, dress rentals, and cosmetic services.
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