'We had to get married where we first met': A campus couple's decade-long love story

Lee Chang-hwan and Kim Yu-jin wed at the University of Seoul campus where they fell in love

'Once we knew Jajakmaru was a public wedding venue, we didn't look anywhere else'

Seoul provides 1 million won in equipment support; Nongshim partnership adds 3 million won more

Program reaches 563 weddings this year — 7.5 times more than three years ago

Lee Chang-hwan and Kim Yu-jin hold their wedding ceremony at Jajakmaru, University of Seoul, in October. [Provided by Lee Chang-hwan]

Lee Chang-hwan, 33, and Kim Yu-jin, 28, tied the knot Oct. 10 at the University of Seoul — the campus where their story began. Their relationship traces back to 2017, when Lee, a third-year student who had just completed his military service, was quietly tasked by classmates and sunbae to blend in with the incoming freshman class and help them settle into university life. Kim, assuming Lee was simply a fellow first-year student, naturally grew close to him. About two months later, Lee came clean: he was actually a third-year sunbae who had been playing the role of a peer to ease the newcomers in. Feeling deceived upon learning that her supposed classmate was five years her senior, Kim pulled back, and an awkward distance settled between them. That autumn, however, the two were thrown together while organizing a school festival, and the tension melted away — they became a campus couple.

In the years that followed, the pair dated across every corner of the campus and grew certain about their future together. When the time came to marry, they agreed there was only one place: the campus where they had nurtured their love for nearly a decade. They exchanged lifelong vows at Jajakmaru, the public wedding venue at the University of Seoul, surrounded by family, fellow alumni and friends. "Once we decided to get married, the campus was the natural choice — it's the place that means the most to both of us," Lee said. "When we found out that Jajakmaru at our school was available as a Seoul public wedding venue, we didn't bother looking anywhere else."

As users of a Seoul public wedding venue, the couple received 1 million won ($751) in equipment support from the Seoul Metropolitan Government. On top of that, they were selected in July as one of three couples for "Life Gets Tastier with a Wedding," a campaign jointly run by the city and Nongshim, which provided an additional 3 million won to cover studio photography, dress rental and makeup — commonly bundled together and known in Korea as "seudeume."

"Getting married in a place that holds so much meaning for us, and receiving financial support from both the city and a company, was a great help," Lee said. "I plan to actively recommend Seoul's public wedding venues to anyone around me who is preparing for or thinking about marriage."

Seongbuk Yehyangjae, one of Seoul's public wedding venues. [Seoul Metropolitan Government 'A More Beautiful Wedding' website]

The story of Lee and Kim is one of many made possible by "A More Beautiful Wedding," a Seoul Metropolitan Government program launched in 2023 that opens up hanok, parks and other public spaces across the city as wedding venues for engaged couples. Eligibility extends to Seoul residents, people whose primary daily life is based in Seoul — including workers, university students and the self-employed — and couples where at least one parent lives in the city.

Lee and Kim are not the only couple to have benefited. Another pair was also selected for the Nongshim-backed "Life Gets Tastier with a Wedding" campaign. The two share the same surname, Park, and are the same age — a couple who each pursued their own paths before finding each other at 45. The bride-to-be is a Korean-language teacher; the groom-to-be is a software developer. During difficult times, rather than judging or trying to fix each other's problems, they simply listened and offered quiet encouragement — and in doing so became certain they had found a lifelong partner. Buoyed by his partner's support, the groom-to-be is now pursuing a new dream of becoming an information and computer technology teacher, stepping away from a long career in software development. "It may have come a little late, but it arrived at exactly the right time for both of us," the couple said. They are planning what they call "a wedding that is truly ours" for next spring at Seonyudo Park, with all the family members and friends who have cheered them on over the years as the real guests of honor.

Venue rental is provided free of charge, and couples can receive up to 1 million won in equipment support through the public wedding activation fund. The city also selects vetted professional wedding coordinators to help couples with their preparations.

Usage of the program has grown every year since its debut with 75 ceremonies in its first year. The figure rose to 155 in 2024 and 280 last year, and 344 ceremonies had already been held through September this year. Bookings through the end of this year stand at 563, and 631 are already reserved for next year. Measured against the program's first full year, this year's figure represents a 7.5-fold increase over the past three years.

The program currently offers 61 venues, and the number of partner wedding service providers has grown to 15 this year. Corporate participation is also expanding. Nongshim's involvement through the "Life Gets Tastier with a Wedding" campaign provides selected couples with 3 million won toward studio photography, dress rental and makeup, along with a photo booth, welcome food and wedding favors at the ceremony. Samsung offers newlywed home appliance discounts to couples who use the program.

Seoul's marriage numbers have climbed alongside these efforts. The city recorded 36,000 marriages in 2023, rising to 50,000 last year — a 38.9 percent increase in two years. In the first half of this year alone, 26,800 marriages were registered in Seoul, giving the capital the highest marriage growth rate among all 17 cities and provinces nationwide.

"We will continue to expand the range of spaces suitable for wedding ceremonies, helping engaged couples overcome the difficulty of securing a venue while contributing to the spread of a more affordable and distinctive wedding culture," a Seoul Metropolitan Government official said.

ikson@heraldcorp.com