Also in school, there has been an amount of increase of people who eat alone and take classes alone. Mr. Hong who is majoring in Business Administration in the UOS says, “I usually eat by myself and I don’t care what the other people think because being alone just makes my life freer as long as my relationships with acquaintances and friends are fine.”
Because of this trend, new words like ‘Neo-Single-Jok’ and ‘Outsider’ had been created. ‘Neo-Single-Jok’ describes people who consider marrying as a choice not as an obligatory. They don’t get married not because they are not able to, but because they want a freer life. According to the Korean National Statistical Office, the number of ‘Single-Jok’ has already reached a million. Last year, even a soap opera named ‘He Who Can’t Marry’ was on the air, and it was about the life of ‘Neo-Single-Jok’. Unlike the old times, they don’t care what others think and believe that being alone makes you freer and they feel proud, not ashamed. As long as the number of ‘Neo-Single-Jok’ is increasing, new cultural trends are being created as well.
Restaurants which have seats for only singles had been a big trend in Japan and you might have heard about it. But nowadays it is not just confined for Japan anymore. Also in Korea, there are a number of restaurants emerging which have seats just for singles. A well-known ramen restaurant in Shinchon provides an atmosphere which consists mainly of single seats and has only few double seats. In this restaurant, all the seats are separated with dividers on both sides of you, so it feels like you are sitting in a library. The dividers will make you feel completely free from the other people.
You might think that Ramen is a kind of food that we can enjoy eating alone. Then what about roast beef or pork? Not far from the Ramen restaurant, there is a place where even a single person can enjoy delicious roast beef. In the past, there has been a stereotype that it’s a weird thing if a man or a woman eats roast beef or pork in a restaurant alone. Furthermore, there has been no place which sells those food for only one person, therefore, an akward mood had been created for the individuals. But the trend is changing. This place offers you a ‘bar style’ sit so that you can enjoy roast beef by yourself. The owner of the restaurant said that there are more and more people who come alone now that they can order a single serving of beef. The cozy mood of the restaurant will make the individuals feel more relaxed. This place has been a big subject and controversy of many telecasts and magazines for crushing the traditional ideas of the past.
A roast beef restaurant is not the only place that has removed the past stereotype. We also have restaurants that serve foods like ‘Shabu-Shabu’ or ‘Haemul-Tang; Sea food soup’ and are places that you generally go with many people, not as a single. But now the ‘Neo-Single-Jok’ are a big proportion of their customers, so the owners of the restaurants couldn’t just ignore them. Now some ‘Shabu-Shabu’ restaurants or ‘Haemul-Tang’ restaurants are offering you a single menu serving and have prepared seats where singles can feel comfortable and enjoy a great meal alone. More importantly, sometimes, you might feel like being alone and you might want to enjoy delicious food by yourself. Now there is no reason for you to wander around any longer. Just search a restaurant where you would like to go and enjoy a meal by yourself on the internet. The trend is changing to fit the ‘Single-Jok’.
Restaurants are not the only businesses changing to these new trends; there has been a tremendous transformation in companies’ marketing strategies. In various industries like furniture, home appliances, travel, and supermarkets, the single marketing scheme is drawing more attention. For example, furniture shops have prepared mini-size couches and beds for one person. In addition, most of the supermarkets are now offering small side dishes so that ‘Single-Jok’ only has to buy for one person. A book cafe which offers singles a comfortable environment is not difficult to find. Moreover, nearby Hongdae station, there is a perfect place for singles to even enjoy Live Jazz alone.
‘Single-Jok” is no longer a word for minorities anymore. They are all proud of themselves and consider being alone as a way to enjoy their life. You might have felt tired from being in a group. People are always busy and sometimes it is hard to make an appointment. Also sometimes you might just feel like being alone. Then why don’t you just walk out there and visit a Jazz cafe to enjoy your free time alone and in a great mood?
Youn Sang-hyuk Reporter
ricky05r@uos.ac.kr