Types and Attributes of Japanese Women immigrating for Marriage–Analysis of New Trends in Korean–Japanese International Marriages Since 2000

This study analyzes the characteristics of Japanese marriage–migrant women in Korea in relation to the types of encounters that led to their cross–national marriages, focusing on “cultural– exchange type” marriages that have become prominent since 2000. The types of encounters are categorized into four groups: (1) cases in which Japanese women themselves came to Korea for reasons such as study or employment (“woman came to Korea”); (2) cases in which the couple met in a third country, for example during language study abroad (“met overseas”); (3) cases in which Korean men came to Japan for study or employment and met their spouse there (“husband came to Japan”); and (4) cases in which couples met through social networking services or online applications (“online marriage”). The analysis was conducted by dividing the data into three categories based on attributes. First, the basic attributes of Japanese marriage–migrant women include age, educational background, length of residence in Korea, and decade of marriage. Second, family–related attributes include the spouse's age and educational background, as well as the number and age of children. Third, socio– economic attributes include the employment status and occupation of Japanese marriage–migrant women, the occupation of their spouses, household income, and the Korean language proficiency of the Japanese women. The analysis revealed clear differences based on meeting types, including disparities in the couple's ages, educational background, economic situation, number of children, employment status of Japanese marriage–migrant women, and their Korean language proficiency. This study demonstrates that the meeting types are a critical factor shaping highly diverse groups with different socio–cultural backgrounds.