November 27, 2025
SEOUL – Divorced South Koreans in their 40s and 50s tend to feel the void left by their spouses when they encounter little moments such as needing a hangover drink or moving heavy objects, a survey released Wednesday showed.
Local matchmaking firms Only You and Biennale conducted the survey on 526 men and women who were divorced but open to marrying again, asking at what points in their lives they most regret not having a spouse. Some 33.1 percent of male respondents picked “when I need honey water,” which is a popular hangover remedy in Korea. Another 29.3 percent said they missed married life “when I’m tired of eating alone,” followed by “when I have to attend family events” (19.4 percent), and “when I need someone to scratch my back.”
The top answer for women was, “when I have to move heavy objects or plants” at 34.6 percent. That was followed by “when I have to attend family events” (27.8 percent), “when I need honey water” (17.5 percent), and “when I’m tired of eating alone” (14.5 percent).
Asked at what moments they feel the necessity to get married again, 34.2 percent of male respondents said, “when I need comfort from someone,” while 26.6 percent said, “when I have to visit my elderly parents alone.”
Among women, 28.5 percent said, “when I feel overwhelmed by the prospect of my later years,” and 25.1 percent picked, “when I have to work for a living.”
Only You conducted a separate survey of 532 divorced people who hope to get married again, which showed that 35 percent of male respondents saw their financial status as the biggest obstacle in remarriage, while 33.9 percent of female respondents picked their looks.
Of the 222,412 new marriages recorded nationwide in 2024, 15.4 percent involved a woman remarrying, while in 14.1 percent of the unions, it was the husband marrying again.
About 10 percent of the unions, or 23,022 marriages, were between couples in which both the man and the woman had been previously married.