Excellence of the Korean National Marriage Custom

First of all, Korean people have kept a beautiful monogamic marriage custom. They have never broken marriage in whole course of their life. Korean people, who have cherished morality and obligation from ancient times, have regarded it as natural to help and understand each other once they marry and to build a family life together for all their lives. Divorce was condemned as an abnormal and immoral act in society. In the middle-aged Koguryo Kingdom, marriage was based on monogamy.

The Palhae, which inherited Koguryo Kingdom, had also defended the nonpermission of marriage of persons in the same family name and monogamy, and even they were reflected in the law. In the period of the feudal Joson dynasty, marriage was based on monogamy, and the custom of living together, once married, was dominant.

Therefore, in the period of the feudal Joson dynasty there was no specific divorce item in the code of law, and divorce was condemned as an immoral act. This custom has been traditionally observed since then. Next, there was no marriage between men of the same surname and the same family origin.

The custom of not marrying between men and women of the same surname and the same family origin was intended to prevent the consanguineous marriage. From olden times the civilized Korean nation has kept the custom of not marrying between men and women of the same surname and the same family origin, i.e., between relatives. The custom of the Korean nation’s custom of not marrying between men and women of the same surname and the same family origin has been preserved throughout the history of our country.

Due to the fact that the family origin has been reinforced, the marriage of people of the same surname and the different family origin was permitted. But the marriage of people of the same surname and same family origin was not permitted and it has been consolidated as a custom. Next, the union of young men and women was relatively free, and the belief and love between young men and women was more important in their marriage than the wealth or power of the men and women. Finally, they held the wedding ceremony informally.