Express reports that two South Korean universities are offering courses that forces students to date.
Seoul’s Dongguk and Kyung Hee universities are introducing the course to combat South Korea’s low birth rate.
Dongguk University’s ‘Marriage and Family’ course involves dating, sex, love and relationships. In the course, it is mandatory for students of the course to date three classmates for a month each. Homework tasks include dates and discussing topics such as jealousy.
Universities believe that this generation’s young people in South Korea are moving away from traditional family lives. Economic pressures including housing costs, unemployment and tuition fees are reportedly deterring the country’s youths from dating and marriage.
Professor Jang Jae-sook, who founded Dongguk’s ‘Marriage and Family’ said students will be taught how to find a partner.
”Korea’s fall in population has made dating and marriage important but young Koreans are too busy these days and clumsy in making new acquaintances,” she said.
Kyong Hee university offers a similar course called ‘Love and Marriage’ whilst Incheon’s Inha university is offering lessons on success and love.
The annual number of marriages per 1,000 people was 5.5 last year. When the statistic began in 1970, the rate was 295.1.
