Korean divorce rate drops

The number of Korean marriages which end in divorce has fallen for the third consecutive year, according to new research.

Figures released by the Korea National Statistical Office (KNSO) show that in 2006 there were 125,000 divorces, three per cent less than the previous year.

This equates to an average of 324 couples separating every day. Personal reasons were cited by almost 50 per cent of the couples as grounds for their separation.

However, the KNSO data also reveals that divorces in the over-45 age group have risen during the same period, while the rate of divorce among Koreans with foreigner partners has also increased.

Since 2005, the number of divorces in the 45-49 age group has increased by 2.8 per cent, in the 50-54 age group they have increased 7.3 per cent, while in the over 55 age group they have increased 7.8 per cent.

A total of 4,010 marriages between Korean men and foreign women ended in divorce in 2006, an increase of 64.1 per cent year on year. In addition, 2,270 marriages between Korean women and foreign men ended in divorce, a 23.8 per cent increase.