More women prioritize income in choosing partner

The proportion of Korean women who consider income in choosing their prospective husbands has increased 8 percent over the past 10 years, while fewer and fewer women give preference to profession and educational background, a matchmaking firm said Monday.

 Seoul-based Sunwoo released the results of a survey of 900 single working women that indicated a shift in their concerns from social position to economic stability.

 The company divided them into three groups for arranging dates with three different groups of men: high-income earners, graduates of prestigious schools and those with professional jobs.

 In the first group of 300 women, 249, or 83 percent, met the men suggested by the agency. The rate increased from 75 percent in 2002.

The acceptance rate among the women offered dates with bachelors with professional jobs, such as medical doctors and lawyers, was 84 percent, down from 95 percent a decade ago.

 In the third group, only 76 percent actually accepted proposed partners who studied at prestigious universities at home and abroad. The corresponding percentage was 90 percent in 2002.

 Job and academic background were two crucial factors that defined the most eligible bachelors in the past.

 The level of income is increasingly becoming a decisive factor, said Lee Woong-jin, head of Sunwoo.

 “(The survey) showed us that Korean single women are in a process of abandoning (social) titles but taking into account what really matters,” said Lee Woong-jin, head of Sunwoo.

 The company classified men who make more than 80 million ($74,100) a year as high-income earners and graduates of prestigious universities in and out of countries including Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University as men with good academic backgrounds. The survey was conducted from January to November this year.