Fake Wedding Guests Make Comeback

Fake wedding guests whose job is to make people look more popular than they really are are coming back into business as Korea is about to start a phased return to normal.

To start with, the limit on the number of wedding guests has been eased since early this week raising from 49, or 99 without meals, to 250, and families are seeking to boost numbers again to bolster their status.

Messages seeking fake guests to weddings are posted in online communities. "We've received about twice more phone calls seeking fake wedding guests than before since the government announced eased lockdown rules on Oct. 15," said the operator of an agency in Seoul. "In the past, there were requests for about five to nine fake guests per wedding, but now people look for more than 20."

The extras have to be fully vaccinated since the maximum for unvaccinated people is still only 49.

"There had been virtually no requests for extras since April last year, but we've been bombarded with calls since last weekend. It seems that the business situation has been restored to pre-coronavirus levels," a staffer of another agency said.