SEOUL, September 12 (AJP) - A typical date costs unmarried South Koreans 115,000 won ($83), with men spending nearly twice as much as women, a survey showed Saturday, highlighting persistent differences between the sexes over who should pick up the bill.
Men aged 25 to 39 reported spending an average 145,800 won per date, compared with 84,000 won for women, according to a survey of 506 unmarried adults conducted by matchmaking agency Gayeon.
The gap amounted to 61,800 won per date.
The survey also found that respondents did not consider an even split necessary.
When asked what they considered an appropriate division of dating expenses on a 10-point scale, respondents put men's share at 5.96 and women's at 4.04 — roughly a 60-40 split.
Money was not a source of friction for most respondents, with 55.7 percent saying they had never experienced conflict over dating expenses. Some 17.8 percent said they had, including 19.7 percent of men and 15.9 percent of women.
Among those who reported conflicts, 37.8 percent cited one partner paying too little or nothing as the biggest source of disagreement.
Differences in spending habits and preferences over dating activities followed at 34.4 percent, while 18.9 percent pointed to demands for an equal 50-50 split despite differences in income. Disagreements over the use of joint dating accounts accounted for 7.8 percent.
Men and women, however, differed over what caused the most friction.
Among male respondents who had experienced conflicts, 48 percent cited differences in spending habits or preferred dating activities as the biggest issue, followed by one partner contributing too little at 36 percent.
Women were more concerned about how the bill itself was divided. Forty percent cited one partner paying too little or nothing as the main source of conflict, while 30 percent pointed to demands for an equal split despite differences in income.
The findings suggest that disagreements over dating expenses extend beyond the amount each partner pays, reflecting differing expectations over spending, income and what constitutes a fair financial contribution in a relationship.
"Men tended to express dissatisfaction over differences in preferences and values, such as spending habits and choices of dating activities, while women were more concerned with fairness in the actual division of expenses," a Gayeon official said.
"Openly discussing spending habits and how expenses will be divided early in a relationship can help prevent conflicts," the official added.
AJP Takeaways
- Unmarried South Koreans aged 25 to 39 spend an average 115,000 won ($83) per date, according to a survey of 506 people by matchmaking agency Gayeon.
- Men reported spending 145,800 won per date, compared with 84,000 won for women, while respondents viewed a roughly 60-40 split between men and women as an appropriate way to divide dating expenses.
- Men who experienced money-related conflicts were most likely to cite differences in spending habits and dating preferences, while women were more likely to point to one partner contributing too little or demands for an equal split despite income differences.
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