[Sportschosun, Jang Jong-ho] A dating coaching service that helps people reunite with former lovers is gaining popularity in China.
However, criticism is mounting over exaggerated advertising and consumer harm, as more cases emerge of people paying hundreds of thousands of won without seeing any results.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP), a Hong Kong media outlet, recently reported that China’s dating consulting industry is growing rapidly among women coping with heartbreak, as it promises reunions with ex-partners. But the report also noted concerns over a lack of expertise and false advertising.
A 28-year-old woman identified as A recently paid 3,500 yuan, or about 760,000 won, to a dating coach after breaking up with her boyfriend, and used a 24-hour counseling service for a month.
The consultation began with a free 90-minute phone session. The coach said, "The reason for the breakup is not that your partner stopped loving you, but that your anxiety wore him down," and added, "That anxiety stems from not having received enough love from your parents."
The coach then proposed a one-month reunion program. For the first 21 days, she was told to follow a so-called No Contact strategy and avoid reaching out to her ex-boyfriend at all. She was also advised to change her appearance, prepare conversation topics in advance, and keep posting signs of improvement on social media to attract his attention.
The coach explained that if the program was followed closely, the success rate of getting back together could reach 90%.
A followed the advice exactly, but the result was the opposite. Her ex-boyfriend eventually blocked her on messenger.
When she protested the claim of a 90% success rate, the counseling company recommended an additional package, saying it was a "higher-tier program handled by a more experienced expert," for 9,800 yuan, or about 2.1 million won.
A said, "I have accepted the breakup now, but at the time I was in unbearable pain and really wanted to rely on someone."
On Chinese SNS, accounts that introduce themselves as "love experts" are actively promoting reunion consulting services.
Experts say the trend is closely tied to a social atmosphere that links women’s happiness to whether they are in a relationship or married.
One expert pointed out, "Dating and marriage counseling firms target people who have just gone through a breakup and are at their most psychologically vulnerable."
In one case, a user paid 20,000 yuan, or about 4.3 million won, for a program called "How to Reconcile with Your Ex with Dignity." A woman said she wanted to preserve her pride by making it seem as though her ex-husband had asked for reconciliation first, since she had been the one to request the divorce.
The number of psychological counseling-related businesses in China has surged from about 18,000 in 2016 to 160,000 this year.
However, more than 3,000 complaints related to damage from dating counseling services have been filed with China’s consumer rights mediation platform, raising concerns about weak oversight in the industry.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
