Im Hyun-hwa, an office worker in her 50s, last month attended a so-called "senior rotation dating" event, where several men and women in their 50s and 60s gather in one place and change seats every hour to converse. Im wanted to meet someone new after divorcing five years ago, but her daily routine of commuting between work and home rarely offered such opportunities. "When socializing, I can be myself, not a 'mom' or a 'team leader,'" Im said. "These days, the mood is about doing what you want to do rather than being conscious of your age."
According to reporting compiled by Seoul Economic Daily on Sept. 5, the dating and social gathering market targeting middle-aged and older adults has been growing rapidly. Group meetings and blind dates, once considered the exclusive domain of people in their 20s and 30s, as well as hobby gatherings, are now drawing "active seniors," who are emerging as new consumers in the social market. Membership of "Sinol," a meeting platform for seniors in their 50s and 60s, increased more than fivefold over two years, from 20,000 in 2024 to 110,000 in June this year. "In the past, new relationships among middle-aged people were taboo, but now interest in 'growing old together' is growing," Sinol CEO Kim Min-ji said. The matchmaking industry has also expanded dedicated remarriage divisions or strengthened services for middle-aged and older adults. About 20% of all members at matchmaking company Gayeon are remarriage members.
Hobby activities are also becoming more diverse. According to Karrot, the number of gatherings for people in their 50s and 60s created through June this year increased more than 300% compared with the same period last year. Yang Won-seok, 59, who runs a rock cafe gathering with more than 1,000 members, said, "Since people of similar ages gather, we naturally form common ground." He added, "Many people join gatherings with the thought that, having finished raising their children, they will now 'live for themselves.'"
Behind the "senior gathering boom" lies a change in family structure. As of 2024, the proportion of people aged 50 and older among all single-person households reached 44.8% for men and 60.3% for women. The share of "twilight divorces" among couples married for 20 years or more also more than tripled over three decades, from 9.8% in 1997 to 36.2% in 2024. As more middle-aged and older adults live alone and life expectancy grows longer, the desire to actively enjoy the remaining years of life has spread.
Kwak Keum-joo, a psychology professor at Seoul National University, said, "The more aged a society becomes, the greater the tendency to seek emotional companions such as friends." She projected, "As more middle-aged and older adults who are familiar with the digital environment and have financial means emerge, the gathering culture will expand further."
