Public wedding venue info from museums, national parks to be available in one place

Couples planning to wed will be able to search rental information for public wedding venues — including museums and national parks — in one place through the website of the Population Strategy Committee, set to launch in September.

The Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy said Thursday it discussed the plan at a forum with wedding service companies, attended by related ministries including the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Cultural Heritage Administration, under the theme "Transparent Prices, Happy Marriages."

The forum was convened to assess how well the wedding service price disclosure system — introduced to bring greater transparency to wedding costs — has taken hold in the market, and to explore ways to ease the financial burden on couples preparing to marry.

Kim Jin-o, vice chairman of the committee, urged the industry to move swiftly on the price disclosure system for wedding-related services such as studio photography, dress rental and makeup. "There is a need to accelerate compliance checks so that the price disclosure system for wedding-related costs, including studio, dress and makeup packages, can take root in the market quickly and stably," he said, calling on wedding businesses to "actively cooperate with government policy by disclosing prices transparently."

The committee also decided to expand the use of cultural heritage sites such as historic palaces and museums, as well as facilities run by local governments and public institutions, as wedding venues — aiming to reduce costs for couples and promote distinctive, personalized ceremonies. The initiative will be incorporated into the forthcoming national population strategy plan and pursued at a pan-government level.

Noting that public wedding venue information is currently scattered across individual institutions and difficult to access, the committee said it will consolidate the data on the Population Strategy Committee website launching in September, so couples can check all available options in one place.

"Voluntary participation from the industry is essential to ensure transparent pricing and guaranteed service quality, and various measures including incentives need to be considered to that end," Kim said. "The committee will continue to provide policy support in close cooperation with related ministries and the private sector to help establish a reasonable and dignified wedding culture — one where a wedding becomes a happy first step for a new family."