Korea-Japan match boom lifts Wippy dating app earnings

A scene from TV show “Heart Signal Japan” (AmebaTV)

Enlize, operator of dating app Wippy, reported a sharp earnings increase last year, driven by strong growth in its Japan business and rising cross-border matches between Korean and Japanese users.

The company posted 1.82 billion won ($1.3 million) in operating profit for 2024, up 231 percent from a year earlier, marking its second consecutive year in the black. Enlize attributed the improvement to expanding overseas demand and stronger monetization tied to cross-border user activity.

Wippy’s expansion into Japan has gained traction since its launch in the second half of 2024. The app introduced Korea-Japan matching in October, with cumulative users reaching 320,000 across the two markets.

Cross-border activity has been particularly strong. Matches between Korean men and Japanese women were about 2.2 times higher than the reverse, reflecting growing interest in cross-border dating.

The trend aligns with broader demographic shifts. Data shows marriages between Korean men and Japanese women reached their highest level since 2015 last year, underscoring rising cross-border connections.

Wippy continues to anchor the company’s growth, maintaining the top revenue spot among domestic dating apps for six consecutive years. Its user base remains concentrated in the 25–34 age group, which accounts for more than 65 percent of users.

Enlize said the strong performance of its core platform, combined with overseas expansion, helped accelerate its shift toward profitability after years of losses.

“We achieved meaningful earnings growth through global expansion and improved monetization,” CEO Kim Bong-ki said. “We will continue to build on cross-border opportunities and expand our presence in overseas markets.”