Southern port city hosts cruise dating event for 84 young professionals

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - A total of 84 unmarried working people from the southern port city of Ulsan are set to join a "cruise dating" event on Friday.

The Ulsan City organized the event, titled "Chilseok, Ulsan Romantic Day," to help young professionals, born between 1986 and 2000, living in the city find new connections and to encourage them to settle down in the city.

Held on Chilseok, the seventh day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, the festival is rooted in a legend of star-crossed lovers Gyeonwu and Jiknyeo, who are separated by the Milky Way and allowed to reunite only once a year when magpies and crows make a bridge across the Milky Way. In Korea, it has long been considered a day symbolizing romance and longing.

The program drew strong interest, attracting 470 applicants. One even changed his or her registered address to Ulsan to participate in the event, officials said. A lottery narrowed the group down to 42 men and 42 women. The program includes speed-dating conversations, meals, a whale-watching cruise, a fireworks show, and a final couple-matching session.

"Sogaeting," or blind dates typically arranged by friends or colleagues, has long been a familiar way for young people to meet outside of work or school. However, large-scale dating events hosted by local governments are relatively new to South Korea's dating culture.

Ulsan's effort also reflects broader demographic challenges. According to a 2023 report by the Bank of Korea, Ulsan has experienced the fastest population decline in the nation since 2016, largely due to young people leaving to other regions amid limited job opportunities. Data from Statistics Korea show that by 2022, 11 out of 17 major cities and provinces, including Seoul, Busan and Daegu, had also entered population decline.

The effort is not unique to Ulsan. Other regional cities have also experimented with creative ways to keep younger residents. Earlier this year, Seoul's Seodaemun hosted a six-hour dating program for singles in their late 20s and 30s, while Busan's Saha also organized similar matchmaking events.

Cheon Soram cheons@ajupress.com