The divorce rate in Korea has increased for two consecutive years since 2018, according to Statistics Korea. Although a significant number of married couples decide to go their separate ways each year in Korea, divorce is not a topic that Koreans talk about casually, largely because it is still a taboo subject.

What is divorce like in South Korea?

There is no provision for a no-fault divorce (except for a divorce by agreement between the parties). The Korean judicial divorce process is a fault-based contest between a wrongdoer and the wronged. The courts reason that a guiltless spouse should not be forced into an unwanted divorce.