Seoul is giving singles more chances to find a match this year, expanding its final city-run matchmaking event of 2026 to 150 participants for the first time. The event will take place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) on Dec. 12, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday. The matchmaking initiative is part of a broader policy push to reverse the country's demographic decline by encouraging people to form relationships, marry and have children. In Korea, where childbirth remains closely tied to marriage, fewer and later marriages have contributed to the decline in births. Seoul has incorporated matchmaking events into its broader Birth Encouragement Seoul Project, which also includes housing, child care and financial support for families. The city expanded the number of matchmaking events from one to four in 2025 as part of that effort. The program, called “Seoul-ting,” combines Seoul with “ting,” Korean slang for a group blind date. The program has drawn some 17,700 applicants and produced 179 matched couples since it began in November 2024. The city will select 75 men and