{"id":41775,"date":"2019-08-20T15:47:05","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T06:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/?p=41775"},"modified":"2020-01-17T09:21:19","modified_gmt":"2020-01-17T00:21:19","slug":"north-koreans-using-mobile-matchmaking-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/north-koreans-using-mobile-matchmaking-services\/","title":{"rendered":"North Koreans using mobile matchmaking services"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_41288\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41288\" style=\"width: 696px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-41288 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/\ud734\ub300\ud3f0\uc744-\uad6c\ub9e4\ud558\ub294-\ubd81\ud55c-\uc0ac\ub78c\ub4e4_\uc218\uc815-1024x666.jpg\" alt=\"North Koreans peruse cell phones on offer\" width=\"696\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/\ud734\ub300\ud3f0\uc744-\uad6c\ub9e4\ud558\ub294-\ubd81\ud55c-\uc0ac\ub78c\ub4e4_\uc218\uc815-1024x666.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/\ud734\ub300\ud3f0\uc744-\uad6c\ub9e4\ud558\ub294-\ubd81\ud55c-\uc0ac\ub78c\ub4e4_\uc218\uc815-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/\ud734\ub300\ud3f0\uc744-\uad6c\ub9e4\ud558\ub294-\ubd81\ud55c-\uc0ac\ub78c\ub4e4_\uc218\uc815-768x499.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/\ud734\ub300\ud3f0\uc744-\uad6c\ub9e4\ud558\ub294-\ubd81\ud55c-\uc0ac\ub78c\ub4e4_\uc218\uc815-696x452.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/\ud734\ub300\ud3f0\uc744-\uad6c\ub9e4\ud558\ub294-\ubd81\ud55c-\uc0ac\ub78c\ub4e4_\uc218\uc815-1068x694.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/\ud734\ub300\ud3f0\uc744-\uad6c\ub9e4\ud558\ub294-\ubd81\ud55c-\uc0ac\ub78c\ub4e4_\uc218\uc815-646x420.jpg 646w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/07\/\ud734\ub300\ud3f0\uc744-\uad6c\ub9e4\ud558\ub294-\ubd81\ud55c-\uc0ac\ub78c\ub4e4_\uc218\uc815.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-41288\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">North Koreans peruse cell phones on offer. Image: Sogwang<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Matchmaking services can now be accessed by North Korean cell phone users seeking romance. Usage fees for the service are processed with \u201cmobile money,\u201d a phone-based credit payment system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn North Korea\u2019s larger cities, phone-based matchmaking services that set up dates for men and women are appearing and they\u2019re gaining a lot of traction among younger people. The phenomenon began to emerge after the introduction of mobile phone credits which can be used to make payments,\u201d a source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK.<\/p>\n<p>Matchmaking services for the amorous existed in the past, but the newer business model involves specialists who maintain databases of men and women. The specialists provide a suitable partner match based on each client\u2019s preferences.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose who are looking for a date can charge phone credits and send these so-called \u2018mobile money (credits)\u2019 to a matchmaker who will set up a date based on the client\u2019s preferences,\u201d explained the source.<\/p>\n<p>In North Korea, such phone credits can be reloaded by making a cash payment to vendors at the market. Daily NK found in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/north-koreans-build-nascent-fintech-infrastructure-with-mobile-money\/\">recent investigation<\/a> that these phone credits are becoming increasingly popular for wire transfers and payments.<\/p>\n<p>The so-called \u201cmobile money\u201d is essentially a type of virtual currency in North Korea and can be exchanged for cash.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you want to use a matchmaking service, you have to pay first. After making a payment, you text the matchmaker with what you are looking for in a partner, including appearance, fitness, job, family background and assets,\u201d said the source. Matchmaking service fees increase depending on the client\u2019s requests, but cost a minimum of 30 USD.<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, matchmakers specially create lists with photos of their clients and personal information. These lists are then sent to wealthier clients to browse.<\/p>\n<p>The rise of the matchmaking industry in North Korea may be connected to social changes that are taking place in the country. In the past, dating and marriages were often arranged by workplaces and government agencies, reflecting the party\u2019s view of an ideal family.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe emergence of professional matchmakers providing dating services for young men and women reflects North Korean society becoming more open towards dating. The increase in marriages of romance can be seen in a similar context,\u201d said a defector from Ryanggang Province, who defected in 2014.<\/p>\n<p>A separate South Pyongan Province-based source added, \u201cThe Workers\u2019 Party\u2019s demand for a revolutionary date and marriage no longer works for young people. Instead, they turn to mobile matchmaking because they can easily meet or break off engagements with partners.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><em>*Translated by Yongmin Lee<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matchmaking services can now be accessed by North Korean cell phone users seeking romance. Usage fees for the service are processed with \u201cmobile money,\u201d a phone-based credit payment system. \u201cIn North Korea\u2019s larger cities, phone-based matchmaking services that set up dates for men and women are appearing and they\u2019re gaining a lot of traction among [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":41288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wikipediapreview_detectlinks":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[645],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>North Koreans using mobile matchmaking services - North Korea News \u2014 Daily NK | Latest DPRK Updates 2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Matchmaking services can now be accessed by North Korean cell phone users seeking romance. 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