▲Illustration = Lee Cheolwon
A certain person recently went to a luxury hotel in Seoul and was surprised to see many young people who were formal and well-dressed. I thought it was strange, and when I looked into it, it was said that it was young people who proposed. The hotel’s restaurant is said to be a “place” for marriage proposals. It was then that he learned for the first time that there was a famous place for the proposal. As soon as hotel proposals became popular, every hotel rushed to put out related plans. Millions of won (hundreds of thousands of yen)..
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▲Illustration = Lee Cheolwon
A certain person recently went to a luxury hotel in Seoul and was surprised to see many young people who were formal and well-dressed. I thought it was strange, and when I looked into it, it was said that it was young people who proposed. The hotel’s restaurant is said to be a “place” for marriage proposals. It was then that he learned for the first time that there was a famous place for the proposal. As soon as hotel proposals became popular, every hotel rushed to put out related plans. Many people also use hotel plans that cost several million won (hundreds of thousands of yen). Seoul’s popular five-star hotels have been flooded with 20-30 reservations a month, compared to 2-3 reservations a few years ago. Most of them are proposals. For middle-aged and older people who get married without even proposing, it feels like another world.
If you search the photo-sharing social networking service (SNS) “Instagram” with “hotel proposal” and the hashtag (#), tens of thousands of photos will be hit. Young men and women smile in front of flowers, candles, balloons that say “Marry Me” and cakes with hearts on them. There is also an analysis that this is fueled by the tendency to be conscious of the “shine” of SNS. One man said, “She said, “I want you to propose so that it can be posted on social media,” so she forced herself to apply for a hotel plan and pay for it.
Even so, the foreign press is also paying attention, although this may still be part of the story. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, “Such extravagant proposals are making Korean men who are hesitant about getting married even more intimidating.” I also introduced a man who spent $ 4,500 (about 600,000 yen) in one night to propose at a hotel. It is said that the burden of presents given when proposing at the hotel is also heavy. If a woman shows a photo posted on SNS saying, “It’s a luxury brand item that my friend received as a proposal gift,” the man will get a headache.
Opinions on such a proposal are divided between men and women. According to a survey conducted by a public opinion research company, more than 40% of women answered that they would like to be proposed to at a hotel. However, in the same survey, 33% of men said they did not want to propose because of the financial burden. They argued that if the marriage fund alone would be too much of a burden, they would have to spend millions of won to propose. But some say, “We can’t just blame women for wanting to propose at hotels.” With soaring real estate prices in South Korea, it is no longer possible to start a newlywed life in a reasonably decent house. It is said that the luxury of a proposal is a feeling of compensation for it. The slogan, “Even if you can’t buy a house on your salary savings, you can propose at a hotel,” strikes at this mentality.
American gymnastics star Simone Biles posted a photo on social media when she was proposed to at the beginning of last year. She pitched a tent outside and didn’t have fancy flowers, but she was happily showing off her white teeth as she kneeled down to propose to her boyfriend, an NFL player. was laughing Finding someone who makes you smile like this is probably more important than an expensive and extravagant proposal.
Editorial Writer Kim Tae-hoon
Chosun Ilbo / Chosun Ilbo Japanese version
Chosun Ilbo / Chosun Ilbo Japanese version
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