In South Korea, social media content offering tips on how to marry a doctor is gaining traction — and drawing backlash for portraying marriage as primarily about money.
Short-form videos by self-described “doctor’s wives” are racking up millions of views on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, offering advice to bachelorettes on how to land a wealthy spouse, while boasting their luxury shopping sprees, high-end apartments and expensive gifts such as Hermes Birkin bags.
Some clips feature attention-grabbing titles like “How I married a doctor earning 2.5 billion won ($1.68 million),” “How I won over a doctor 12 years older than me,” and “Why my plastic surgeon husband chose me,” each attracting millions of views.
The trend has even spilled into paid content.
A recent online course on a crowdfunding platform, priced at 49,000 won, said it would analyze doctors’ lifestyles and offer dating and marriage strategies. It included topics such as why doctors’ parents care about their future daughter-in-law's background.
The listing, however, was taken down shortly after launch following a wave of user complaints, with critics calling it exploitative and emblematic of a growing tendency to treat marriage as a financial goal rather than a personal relationship.
junheee@heraldcorp.com
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