Want to go on a date? Govt will pay – Free restaurant and cinema visits; Rs 25 lakh after marriage
South Korea is currently going through a strange situation. The country is developing rapidly, but people have become so busy with their work that they don't have time for personal relationships. After waking up in the morning, people head straight to the office. Then it's a day full of work, followed by relaxation in the evening. No one has a dating life, and no one wants to get involved in the complexities of relationships.
This situation has led to a significantly low birth rate in the country. South Korean demographic experts warn that the prolonged decline in fertility could cause the country’s population to shrink by half over the next 60 years.
Now, the South Korean government is working to solve this problem. The government has started taking drastic measures. Not only are people being given money to go on dates, but the government is even covering the cost of weddings.
Furthermore, the government is ready to take responsibility for the children if a couple decides to have them. To encourage people to enter into relationships and have children, the government is ready to deposit a substantial amount of money into people's accounts. All that's needed is for a man and a woman to meet.
If you decide to go on a date with a partner, it will be free for you. The Korean government gives people $350, or about 31,000 rupees, to go on dates. With this money, you can eat together at a restaurant, go to a movie, or do any other activity together. If your parents also meet during the date, that expense will also be covered separately.
In India, the government sometimes organizes mass weddings, where several couples get married together. In these events, the couples are given essential household items.
In South Korea, however, couples receive approximately 25 lakh rupees for getting married. An additional amount is also given for having children. The cost of living has become very high there. Even if couples want to have children, they avoid it due to the high cost of living. People are busy with their own personal development. Therefore, the government is now trying to encourage people to engage in relationships by giving them money.
South Korea records increase in childbirths
The government's measures appear to be paying off. Meanwhile, South Korea recorded an increase in childbirths in September 2025 for the fifteenth consecutive month, according to data released recently by the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
In September 2025, 22,369 babies were born in the country, an 8.6% rise from the same month last year and the highest September figure since 2020.
Officials said the increase was supported by a rise in marriages, as childbirth outside marriage remains uncommon in the country.
The number of childbirths has shown an upward trend since July 2024.
Between January and September 2025, a total of 1,91,040 babies were born, an increase of 12,488 from the same period last year, marking the largest year-on-year gain for this time-frame since 2007.
New births are expected to exceed last year’s total, supported by the continuing rise in both marriages and childbirths since the second half of 2024.
The country’s total fertility rate also rose to 0.85 in September, the ministry said.