According to Korean statistics, the number of multicultural marriages in Busan last year was only 612.

That accounted for 5% of the total number of marriages in Busan, significantly lower than the national average.

Multicultural marriages refer to when Koreans (including naturalized Koreans) marry non-Koreans, and naturalized people marry each other.

The number of multicultural marriages in Busan increased from 1,058 in 2017, 1,151 in 2018, and 1,216 in 2019, respectively.

However, in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cases plunged to 694, and last year, it further decreased to around 600.

It is the second consecutive year of multicultural marital numbers being on the decline.

This is a result of the restrictions made on international exchanges and immigration due to COVID-19.