Inside the Changing World of Korean Dating Culture
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Loading... - Jung-sook Gyoh
- 03 Apr 2023
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The Countercultural Dating Phenomenon “Ja-Man-Chu” and Why South Korea’s Singles Are Going Beyond the Use of Dating Apps
South Korea is still very much the land of romance, sentimentalism, and K-Drama rom-coms which reflects how traditional ideas of love, even among young people, are incompatible (no pun intended) with popular dating culture. The idea or promise of true love through a smartphone is just not as convincing as the genuine article and there has been no better phenomenon to articulate this notion than ja-man-chu.
Interestingly, the growing influence of dating apps has now spawned a countercultural rhetoric which distinguishes among dating preferences. Ja-Man-Chu or “seeking a date by natural means” is the organic practice of meeting someone through school, work, or ideally, a meet cute. It’s a romantic vision of meeting a love interest while reading at a cafe, grabbing drinks at a bar, or any other circumstances that is coincidental—or with a pinch of fate, if you believe in such things.
The alternative, In-Man-Chu, is the diametric opposite, meaning “seeking a date by artificial means”. This is the vernacular language that was created in snide reference to dating apps. However, it also includes more traditional methods of dating such as set-ups and blind dates. Read More…
