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Longer marriage means more likely to divorce in S. Korea

November 4, 2015

Divorces among married couples with at least 20 years under their belts outnumber those who have been together less than five years, according to a Court of Korea report.

A scene from "My Love, Don't Cross That River," a Korean documentary film that broke the 3 million audience mark on Dec. 25, 2014. (NEWSis)

A scene from “My Love, Don’t Cross That River,” a Korean documentary film that broke the 3 million audience mark on Dec. 25, 2014. But divorces among couples that have been married for more than 20 years just keep on rising in South Korea. (Newsis)

“The more I know you…”

Divorce among couples that have been married for more than 20 years has hit all-time high in South Korea, according to a Court of Korea report Tuesday.

Divorces among married couples with at least 20 years under their belts made up 28.7 percent — 33,140 pairs out of a total 115,510 — of all such proceedings in 2014. That’s a rise from 23.8 percent in 2010.

Also, the divorce rate for the couples without a child or children have gone over 50 percent for the first time.

On the flip side, there has been a decrease in divorces among married couples who have been together less than five years, down to 23.5 percent last year from 27 percent in 2010.

The report attributed the trend to an overall decrease in marriages in the country — 307,489 pairs tied the knot last year, the smallest number in 10 years. In 2007, for example, 348,229 couples got married.

South Korean married couples’ reasons for divorce last year were dominated by “personality difference,” which accounted for 45.8 percent of all separations.

Other reasons included financial difficulties (11.6 percent), family dispute (7.1) and mental or physical abuse (4 percent).