Young Koreans seek ‘fast friends’ at solo-drinking bars, 10-minute speed dates
Experts say the phenomenon reflects young people’s preference for forming loose social ties without the complexity and obligations of deeper relationships.
An AI-generated illustration made by ChatGPT shows people drinking and chatting at a honsul bar.CHATGPT
Bars designed for people drinking alone — while leaving the door open to a casual conversation or two with fellow solo drinkers — are gaining popularity among Koreans in their 20s and 30s, reflecting a preference for casual, low-commitment social connections.
Known as honsul bars, using the Korean word for drinking alcohol alone, the concept first became popular several years ago in destinations with large numbers of solo travelers, including Jeju Island.
It has since spread to busy districts nationwide, drawing university students looking to spend their free time and even office workers stopping by after work.
A 26-year-old office worker in Seoul is one of them, visiting honsul bars whenever they want to unwind briefly after work. They used to prefer strong drinks and elaborate food, but now choose a simple drink and casually chat with whoever is sitting next to them. They go once every week or two and have made more than five visits so far.
One branch of a honsul bar franchise in Mapo District, western Seoul, had around 10 customers drinking at 9 p.m. on Aug. 12. The dimly lit bar had an L-shaped counter with around 20 seats. Customers, including an employee in the performing arts industry and a university student preparing to return to school after taking a semester off, sat in a row, sipping highballs and cocktails priced at just over 10,000 won ($7) each. Conversation ranged from studying abroad to job hunting, and some played simple card games.
“The advantage is that I can comfortably come alone, talk to the person next to me and then end the relationship there,” said a customer in their 20s who had visited honsul bars at least three times.
Other customers said the number of venues made it easy to leave when a conversation or atmosphere did not suit them.
“When I don’t click with the person next to me or don’t like the atmosphere, I move to another honsul bar,” the 26-year-old office worker said. “I have even visited two or three places in a single day.”
The bar’s owner said competition had intensified as the format grew more popular.
“There are around 20 bars like this in the Hongdae and Sangsu areas [in Mapo District, western Seoul] alone,” the owner said. “Even so, most have lines of customers waiting to get in on weekends.”
A seat at a "honsul bar"HAN CHAN-WOO
The franchise operates around 90 locations nationwide, including 28 in Seoul.
The same preference for quick, casual connections is also showing up in dating.
So-called rotation blind dates, a form of speed dating in which participants take turns briefly talking with several potential partners, are also gaining popularity. Private companies organize the events, charging a fee to bring groups of strangers together for a set format and a fixed block of time.
Under one company’s format, 12 men and 12 women gather and speak with each person for 10 minutes over a total of two hours. Participants then exchange notes to see whether there is mutual interest.
“I joined because I thought I could casually talk with a variety of people with less pressure than on a conventional blind date,” said a 25-year-old office worker.
Experts say the trend reflects a preference among young adults for “fast friends,” or temporary social connections that skip the complexity and obligations of deeper relationships.
“This phenomenon reflects young people’s preference for forming loose social ties,” said Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer science at Inha University.
Lee also compared it to the recent trend of the cops-and-robbers game. The game became a recent pastime among strangers, often organized through neighborhood apps such as Karrot Market. Large groups would gather in parks to play a grown-up version of the childhood tag game, splitting into police and thieves. Unlike honsul bars, the format focuses more on games than on conversation.
“Considering the table arrangement and atmosphere, these venues are more relationship-oriented than the recently popular ‘cops and robbers’ social game.”
BY HAN CHAN-WOO [kim.hayoon1@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
