Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tobacco Dreams]

I've been in Korea nearly six years now, and on this Xmas Eve witnessed the most unexpected thing ever:

FREE HUGS in Kangnam!

So there I was just innocently hoofing it up the road from my home in Gaepo-dong to the Coex mall, when I stumbled upon some sort of . . . could it have been? . . . cosplay convention(!) out in front of Hangyeoul station.

Hundreds of young people in their teens and maybe twenties were milling around in costume. Most of the females wore brightly colored wigs (flaming pink, bright yellow, etc.). Some seemed to be in cat costumes, others in . . . whatever. Suffice it to say that it looked like an open-air Halloween party times twenty, but without the ghoulishness. A kind of innocent sort of exuberance of youth sort of thing--if that makes any sense.

In the midst of it all, a couple of participants were making the rounds with "FREE HUGS!" signs, printed just that way . . . in English!

And THEY WERE STOPPING TO ADMINISTER THE HUGS, AS OFFERED! Swear to you all on several stacks of Bibles, I saw it with my own eyes.

(This is why I finally must break down and buy a digital camera ASAP. Pictures would be worth a million words, in this case.)

So is Korea suddenly going all Japan on us?

Fundamentally a very good thing, I suspect, but really I'm just still REELING from the sight of . . . weirdness . . . in Korea.

(OK, so Korea is weird-and-a-half, you may say. But in an almost always predictable way, I will hasten to add. THIS strange display was something else altogether.)

Anyone out there with any info on what was up that day?

[twg]

So, a bunch of twenty-something cosplayers were offering to squeeze up against you and all you could do is run home and tell us?

[Kimchi Cowboy]

"Free Hugs"...

That's, like, SOOO October, dude.








(PS - "YouTube" Free Hugs.)

[billybrobby]

yeah, sorry man, but that free hugs thing has been going on for a few months now. they're in insadong and some other places too.

[Dev]

YAWN!

There have been about 4 threads already on this topic. Please stop already. It's not that interesting.

[huck]

I thought it was a good story...Some people don't read every posting ever posted, so when they do share something that you've already read, why don't you just ignore it?

If something is important to me today, but then something simliar happens to you next week, then you have as much right to share your experience as I did.

Plus, there's no posting limit on here. Who cares if people post about the same things? Ahh....I got it....it's more important to keep Dave's ESLcafe organized than it is to be nice to people....A good message for the holidays.

[Vancouver]

I was in Insadong with a friend about a week ago. I saw two free huggers there

[RACETRAITOR]

I saw a van driving around in Gangnam late at night that was offering a different kind of hug at a reasonable price.

[Cheonmunka]

It's a newish social wave inspired by Jason Hunter.

[Bibbitybop]

I don't let go.