A secret to longer marriages in South Korea: Lots of shows about divorce

South Koreans can’t seem to break up with a new wave of divorce content—even as fewer marriages are actually ending. (Pexels)
South Koreans can’t seem to break up with a new wave of divorce content—even as fewer marriages are actually ending. (Pexels)

Summary

South Koreans are hooked on a new wave of content about marital splits and it might be helping; ‘I don’t have it that bad’

SEOUL : After more than three decades of marriage, Kim Younok thinks it’s natural to ponder divorce, owing to divergent lifestyles with her husband and their differing personal tastes.

But she calms down after watching a popular South Korean TV show called “Marriage Hell," where a celebrity psychiatrist reviews rocky real-life relationships. Some couples bicker about ordering takeout versus cooking at home. Others erupt over excessive spending for things like cellulite-removal surgery.

“I don’t have it that bad," says the 60-year-old Kim. “Watching the program, I consider myself lucky."

South Koreans can’t seem to break up with a new wave of divorce content—even as fewer marriages are actually ending.

Fans of the shows say they enjoy the voyeuristic aspects, practical tips to avoid marriage woes and even better bonding with mom. South Korea, which is socially conservative, has the wealthy world’s lowest birthrate, a reflection of how few young people get married. Those who do tend to stay that way.

While not wholly taboo, divorce hasn’t been normalized either. That’s left a curiosity void to fill for TV shows, online testimonials and social-media creators.

Shows bear names such as “Divorce Deliberation Camp: Refresh," where on-the-rocks couples seek a reset, and “How Is Your Marriage," a panel talk show discussing shaky relationships. A dating show “Love After Divorce" promises viewers: “Newly single, ready to mingle."

Yun Hye-yeon, a 30-year-old physical therapist, got hitched just over a year ago—and is happily married. But she consumes a variety of divorce-related shows without her husband around. She’s curious what drives other people to end their partnerships.

“Usually, it was due to personality differences," Yun says, “or money problems."

Two decades ago, South Korea had one of the world’s highest divorce rates, skyrocketing in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s and a landmark ruling that granted homemakers the first-time ability to receive a portion of their spouse’s pension benefits should they split up. Around that time, a forerunner to today’s divorce content made its debut, called “Love and War," which fictionalized real-life breakups. Viewers then decided if the couple should divorce.

Today, South Korea’s rate of divorce has declined for the past five years to 1.8 per 1,000 people, or about three-quarters of the figure seen in the U.S., according to government data.

The topic has remained stigmatized enough that Choi Yuna claims she published the first “divorce comic" in 2018, a series of “webtoons" that drew an audience on Instagram. She culled the narratives from her day job as a divorce attorney. Calling it “Marriage Red," like a stop light at an intersection, she wanted her stories to let people unhappy with their marriages know they weren’t alone.

“Marriage is hard for everyone," Choi says.

She soon landed a TV deal that became the hit show, “Good Partner," which Netflix licensed and rose last summer atop the country’s most-watched list. It features a veteran divorce lawyer whose husband is caught cheating and a newcomer grappling with the realities of the profession. In December, the woman portraying the seasoned lawyer took home a top acting prize.

Choi’s script strayed from the most extreme cases. Even still, viewers found the show scandalous, which she attributes to how divorcés prefer to keep quiet in South Korea. “They never talk about it," she says. “So nobody knows what they’ve been through."

The divorce-content craze has even drawn in viewers like the Rev. Kim Jin-soo, who frequently counsels other couples but lacks an outlet for his own marital challenges. The 61-year-old says he draws some solace—and a degree of familiarity—from seeing actual couples engage in shouting matches or deploy the silent treatment. “People’s lives are not so different," the Rev. Kim says.

Some of the South Korean shows have attracted fans overseas. Daniel Burapavong, a 42-year-old energy consultant in Atlanta, enjoys the “Love After Divorce" dating show, which is available on Netflix. Watching with his wife, Burapavong enjoyed a human connection often lacking in dating shows that solely prioritize physical appearance. He felt the divorcés were more mature, talking on dates about blending their families and how to handle long-distance relationships.

“I feel like I could be friends with them," Burapavong says.

South Korea’s divorce content isn’t limited to traditional TV shows. Among the titles for a new South Korean short-form video platform is “All or Nothing," which depicts a fictional washed-up celebrity who gets divorced. YouTube has become a haven for viral divorce testimonials, detailing the heart-stopping moment people say they were jilted or discovered their spouse’s affairs.

Set on getting a divorce about a year ago, a YouTube creator, who goes by “Shintaedee," was holed up at her parents’ house feeling depressed. She switched on the camera to share the news of her divorce and other life updates. She didn’t expect a boom in popularity.

Now, more than 80 videos later, the 32-year-old believes she has played a part in reducing South Korea’s stigma around divorce. She hasn’t revealed her real name or face due to the ongoing divorce proceedings, but her channel has amassed nearly 50,000 followers.

“When my divorce is finalized, I’m going to run the channel as someone who’s newly single," she says.

Paik Seoha, a 23-year-old university student, is also a fan of the divorcee dating show. She watches new episodes every weekend with her mother, their conversations about the cast and their actions often stretching well past midnight. It’s their collective “happy time," Paik says, as the discussions about the relatively young divorcés have helped bridge their generational differences.

“Being close and having things to talk about are two different things," she says.

Write to Timothy W. Martin at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com

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