As Korea's marriage count hits an eight-year high this year, fatigue is spreading among both engaged couples and their guests over "cheongmo" — invitation gatherings that have become a near-mandatory step in wedding preparations.
According to the "March 2026 Population Trends" released by the National Data Agency on Tuesday, marriages in the first quarter of this year totaled 62,309, up 6.1% from the same period a year earlier. The figure marks the highest level in eight years, since 2018.
As weddings increase, so do cheongmo gatherings. A 2024 survey by matchmaking firm Gayeon of 500 unmarried men and women aged 25 to 39 found that 66.6% considered cheongmo necessary.
The burden first surfaces on the side of the engaged couples. Based on the 2024 survey, the average appropriate cost of hosting one guest at a cheongmo was about 40,000 won. However, given that dining-out prices have risen roughly 25% over the past five years since 2020, the current per-person cost is estimated to have climbed to around 50,000 won.
Meeting 20 acquaintances brings the cheongmo bill alone to more than 1 million won. One groom-to-be said, "I spend at least 50,000 won per person, and the estimated cost runs to 3 to 3.5 million won."
An analysis by KB Kookmin Card of payment data from 22,000 customers who used wedding venues between September 2024 and August 2025 also showed that cheongmo expenses accounted for the largest share of spending in the month of the wedding.
The situation is no different for those invited. During the spring and autumn seasons when weddings are concentrated, cheongmo gatherings and ceremonies overlap on weekends, draining both time and money at once. At cheongmo gatherings, an atmosphere often forms in which guests bring bouquets or gifts on top of the meal, creating additional expenses separate from cash gifts at the wedding itself. Among office workers in their 30s — the typical marrying age — complaints are common that "weekends disappear into cheongmo and weddings."
Experts warn against the trend of cheongmo culture hardening into empty formality.
Wedding preparations already entail layered costs ranging from "seu-deu-me" (studio photography, dress, and makeup) to household goods, and concerns are growing that with cheongmo effectively becoming an obligation, it could become a factor that makes people hesitant to marry in the first place. Voices are calling for a rethink of practices that compound the financial burden of marriage, particularly amid Korea's serious low birth rate problem.
