Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me A Match

As if your mom's matchmaking weren't enough, now there's the Korean government:

From the WSJ:

Korea’s ultra-low fertility rate (1.15 babies per woman) has driven policymakers to take drastic measures to get couples together.

Last Saturday, a group of 60 people, mostly in their late 20s and early 30s, gathered together at an event hall for a match-making event in Gangnam-gu, Seoul’s third most populated district, organized by the local authorities.

The gatherings started early last year amid an increased sense of urgency due to the district’s anemic birth rate of 0.79, which is particularly low even when allowing for its office-concentrated living environment.

“I’ve got a very good feeling about this today. I hope this event will produce at least 10 couples,” said Kim Sang-ju, chief of Welfare & Culture Bureau, in his ice breaking speech at the latest event.

Though it appears to be a symbolic move at best, officials are confident they can make a difference.

Read more here.

MR