A traditional Korean wedding ceremony is under way as part of events for the 2017 Winter Performance Festival in Gangneung, some 230 kilometers east of Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 16, 2017. Photo by Yonhap/EPA

SEOUL, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- South Koreans marrying foreigners increased last year with Southeast Asian brides consisting of more than half of foreign spouses, according to a state survey on international marriage and family for 2017.

According to the state statistics office, Vietnamese brides made up 28 percent of the total foreign brides, followed by the Chinese (25 percent) and the Thai (5 percent).


There were more foreign-national women (65 percent) marrying South Korean men than foreign men (20 percent) tying the knot with South Korean women.

Cross-border marriages, which have been on a decline since 2011, consisted of 8 percent of the total marriages in South Korea last year, a 1 percent increase from a year before.

International marriages reached the highest level in 2008, which accounted for 11 percent of the total marriages in the country.

South Korean men marrying foreign brides were at least more than 10 years older than their brides. Many of South Korean husbands were 45 or older while their brides were in the late 20s on average. Meanwhile, the average age differences between South Korean nationals were 3-5 years (26 percent) and 1-2 years (25 percent).

Divorce by international couples, which has been declining since 2012, consisted of about 10 percent of the total number of divorces in South Korea last year.

Marriage brokers in South Korean and Vietnam help relatively affluent South Korean men find younger brides outside the country. Many of the international marriages take place in rural provinces of the country, such as Jeju Island and North Jeolla Province.