In Pics | Joy, hope and concerns as South Korean city turns to matchmaking

Amidst the festive tunes of Christmas, a hundred South Korean men and women convened at a hotel near Seoul, adorned in their finest attire with name tags on display, all in pursuit of love. The government's underlying hope? To boost the country's declining birth rate.

This mass blind-dating event, orchestrated by Seongnam City, aimed to counteract the diminishing interest in marriage and parenthood. 

Participants, mainly in their 20s and 30s, initially sat in quiet anticipation until a relationship coach enlivened the atmosphere with a rock-paper-scissors game, sparking lively conversations.

Seongnam City spared no effort in facilitating potential matches, providing red wine, chocolates, games, free make-up services, and even background checks for the singles. 

After five rounds this year, 198 individuals out of 460 left the event as "couples," having agreed to exchange contacts.

Interestingly, the capital, Seoul, contemplated a similar event but faced criticism for potentially overlooking the root causes behind people's reluctance to marry and have children, such as exorbitant housing and education costs.