Cross-Cultural Marriages Increase for 1st Time in 6 Years

Cross-cultural marriages rose again last year after declining for six years, while mixed-race children accounted for their highest proportion yet of total childbirths last year.

Statistics Korea said Friday that there were 21,917 cross-cultural marriages last year, up one percent or 208 marriages from 2016. Their numbers had fallen from 35,098 in 2010 to 21,709 in 2016 but edged up again.

The majority or 65 percent were between Korean men and foreign women, 19.6 percent were Korean women and foreign husbands, and the rest between two foreigners with one obtaining Korean citizenship.

Mixed-race children accounted for 5.2 percent of childbirths, the highest proportion since statistics started in 2008. Last year, mixed-race couples had 18,440 children, down 5.1 percent compared to 2016 while overall childbirths fell 11.9 percent.

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