A decade in the past, an individual who walked into a cafe in Seoul and requested for “han myung-I” —a desk for one — might be declined provider.
That is as a result of eating places in South Korea want teams of 2 or extra, owing to a posh mixture of native social dynamics, benefit margins and easy logistics — a tableside grill must be wiped clean whether or not it serves one patron or 4, in spite of everything.
Solo rejections regularly took place at circle of relatives eating places and barbeque shops, two quintessential spots to pattern probably the most nation’s highest delicacies. Solo diners may circumvent it in two techniques: by means of striking an order for 2 or agreeing to a minimal spend.
On the other hand, with the expansion of one-person families in South Korea, extra individuals are opting for to dine, drink and go back and forth on my own — embracing the “honjok” way of life pattern that has visibly taken root within the nation.
Consuming out
Hongojib is in contrast to maximum barbeque puts in Seoul.
Situated within the vigorous group of Yeonnam-dong, the eating place — and its predecessors, akin to Sinssi Specific and Hongo — have swapped conventional communal eating for the rising pattern of honbap, or consuming on my own.
Diners devour at counters moderately than spherical tables. And dishes don’t seem to be served circle of relatives taste — each and every diner is given non-public settings for condiments and cutlery together with their very own grill.
Sinsii Specific’ solo counter, the place the creator ate, with a small grill and privateness divider.
Supply: Morgan Awyong
Orders are positioned and paid for with drugs. And meals — along a cluster of vintage banchan, or facet dishes — is served inside of mins.
Marianne Lee, a Korean training marketing consultant, mentioned this taste of consuming is a transformation from the times when “everybody has to devour in groups, everybody has to drink in combination, everybody has to head for a similar menu.”
“In case you sought after to have a Chinese language meal, but when your supervisor says let’s opt for Eastern noodles, you’ll don’t have any selection however to head,” she mentioned. “However these days, other folks appreciate having their very own time.”
With a following of greater than 40,000 on TikTok, Lee — who mentioned she’s spent equivalent portions of her existence in the UK and South Korea — is standard for her movies about Korean tradition, from bus etiquette to the most productive time to seek advice from the rustic.
In her movies, she recommends solo vacationers check out eating places akin to Labap for superb eating, or Gimbap Cheongu and Pomato for his or her huge number of Korean meals.
The latter two “are open 24 hours and promote tteokbokki, rice dishes, soup and different scorching cooked foods,” she mentioned, relating to Korean highly spiced rice truffles.
South Korean vacationer knowledge helpers information vacationers in Seoul’s standard Myeongdong buying groceries district.
Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty Pictures
Lee suggests visiting the preferred vacationer spots first, akin to Namsan, Myeong Dong, Insadong and Itaewon, the place other folks frequently talk some English. Multilingual vacationer guides wearing pink coats and hats are there to assist with vacationers’ questions too, she mentioned.
“It additionally is helping while you upload in a couple of Korean phrases, like hoksi (possibly) ahead of you ask your query in English,” she provides. Koreans pay attention higher than they talk, so she feels that it is helping to “melt the way and we truly recognize it.”
The place to stick
South Korea is well liked by guests from Asia, particularly China and Japan, however guests from Western nations, specifically the US, are on the upward thrust. American vacationers had been the fourth-largest supply marketplace till 2019, however catapulted to the highest demographic in 2022, consistent with Tourgo, a analysis initiative of the Korea Tradition and Tourism Analysis Institute.
Previous this 12 months, South Korea introduced a brand new visa for virtual nomads is within the pipeline. The visa, which might permit foreigners to stick in Korea whilst running remotely for an employer out of the country, is slated to begin later this 12 months, consistent with The Korea Bring in.
Fortunately, it is now a long way more uncomplicated to discover a position to stick than it used to be up to now.
New co-living corporations, like Episode and Mangrove, had been created in line with the upward thrust of single-person families looking for inexpensive puts to reside in Seoul. Some residential structures permit non permanent accommodation, which solo vacationers can e-book.
The creator, Morgan Awyong, within the communal kitchen of Mangrove Dongdaemun.
Supply: Morgan Awyong
I stayed at Mangrove Dongdaemun for a month in a blank and compact room that got here with a workstation, personal rest room and a view of Mount Namsan.
Not like lodges, there are communal kitchens and coworking areas, plus a fitness center, yoga rooms, library or even unfastened laundry self-service. An app hyperlinks citizens with chat forums and actions like “New Joiner Nights.”
The idea that is standard, mentioned Mangrove body of workers member Kim Serin, who added that the construction is complete lots of the 12 months. She mentioned short-stay requests are expanding, and that the corporate is operating to satisfy this want with new initiatives coming in two different standard locations, Busan and Jeju.
Celib Soonra is some other place of dwelling designed for solo citizens and vacationers. Remains below 3 months can also be booked by the use of Airbnb, which is how I booked my dwell.
Morgan Awyong within the communal tea room at Celib Soonra.
Supply: Morgan Awyong
My room used to be much less cookie-cutter and got here with native touches like a conventional tea room, and the rooftop has panoramic perspectives of Changdeokgung palace and Jongmyo Shrine.
Its group, Gwonnong-dong, is extra intimate too, and the hip cafe-filled Hanok village of Ikseon-dong is however a 10-minute stroll away.
Trade lodges too
Trade lodges, like the ones from the hospitality logo Accor, also are running to create hybrid dwelling areas the place vacationers and locals can “reside, paintings and play,” consistent with its site.
An ondol room at Ibis Gangnam.
Supply: Morgan Awyong
Accor’s Ibis logo provides an instance of this. On the Ibis Types Ambassador Seoul Gangnam, I may see how small adjustments could make an enormous distinction, such because the communal lawn at the lodge’s fifteenth flooring, the place I labored on days I had tight time limits.
I additionally slept in an ondol room on the lodge, which had heated flooring and standard bedding, one thing this is typically discovered simplest in conventional properties and hanoks that caters to teams. Close to Gangnam’s Coex Mall, it used to be additionally a scouse borrow at not up to $55 an evening.