Assault, Satire, and Safety Concerns: The Rise of the ‘Hongdae Guy’ and Its Impact on Tourism in seoul
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A recent assault on a Taiwanese YouTuber near Hongdae, coupled with a viral online phenomenon, has brought renewed scrutiny to the behavior of some Korean men towards foreign women in Seoul’s popular entertainment districts. the incident has sparked a wider conversation about safety,cultural perceptions,and the potential impact on South Korea’s tourism industry.
The Incident and the Emergence of a Persona
On September 14th, a Taiwanese female YouTuber was reportedly assaulted by a Korean man near Hongdae after refusing his advances. The incident, widely reported in Korean media, has fueled discussions about the safety of foreign women in the area. The assault,coupled with the rise of the “hongdae Guy” meme,has amplified these concerns.
The “Hongdae Guy” persona,a satirical depiction of certain behaviors observed in the Hongdae club scene,has gained significant traction online. The article notes that a resident of Hongdae might say, “It is cool to see the Hongdae guys around the club.” However,this seemingly harmless attention can quickly escalate,as evidenced by the recent assault.The typical “Hongdae Guy” is described as wearing a black leather jacket, carrying an iPhone 16, and initiating conversations with questions like, “Are you open mind?” and “Do you live alone?”
The term “Hongdae Gai” – and its English equivalent, “Hongdae Guy” – has gained significant traction on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, largely thanks to the content creator Sean Solo (@ItseanSolo). With 2.3 million followers on TikTok and 1.4 million on Instagram, Solo’s videos comparing “Average Korean man” to the “Hongdae Guy” have amassed millions of views, often utilizing the hashtag #hongdaeguy.
Solo first addressed the phenomenon in April 2023 on the KPC (@koreanpizzaClub) podcast, stating, “I don’t like people who want to drink a woman and seduce a woman when they go to Hongdae Club.” His subsequent videos have satirized the behavior, including a clip depicting a man clumsily complimenting a Black woman in broken English, with an Instagram user commenting, “I lived in korea for nearly five years, but this is really happening.” Another popular video, viewed 6.67 million times, ridiculed the practice of men aggressively asking for phone numbers on the subway.
Further amplifying the satire, TikTok influencer ‘URKICC’ used the lyrics of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” to mock the attempts of “Hongdae Guys” to approach white women, garnering 3.5 million views. A user on TikTok, ‘rashinmalak’, even created a video capturing the sentiment, stating, “When a Korean man who meets on the subway says that if he is a girlfriend, he feels like he has the whole universe.”
Concerns for Tourism and Calls for Action
While some netizens have suggested the viral memes surrounding the “Hongdae Guy” are a positive development – with one user noting, “There are so many white friends who have been fluttering in Hongdae or Gangnam” – others express serious concerns about the impact on tourism. A YouTube user commented, “I lived near Hongdae, but there were a lot of people who asked for a number on my way home.”
Jeong Ran-soo, a professor of tourism at hanyang University, cautioned that while the incident is unlikely to cause a rapid decline in tourism, it could lead travelers to consider alternative destinations. “The past tourism police system has functioned to deliver details to be careful to tourists, but as it is indeed not implemented, it is necessary to provide measures to provide the resurrection of the tourism police or providing various information and the possibility of damage,” she stated. Kim Mo, a 24-year-old college student, expressed concern about club employees taking advantage of intoxicated patrons, nonetheless of location.
The situation highlights a need for increased awareness and preventative measures to ensure the safety and comfort of all visitors to South Korea. The rise of the “Hongdae Guy” as a cultural meme underscores a complex issue that demands attention from both authorities and the public.
