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Reporter Diary

Singles Festival- New Christmas Culture only in Korea

NSP NEWS AGENCY, By 보티민트 인턴기자, 2012-12-26 17:41 END1
#Singles #Festival #South Korea #Christmas #Culture
NSP통신-Singles Festival in Yeouido Square Seoul. The men are in the white circle and women in the red.
Singles Festival in Yeouido Square Seoul. The men are in the white circle and women in the red.

[부산=NSP통신] 보티민트 인턴기자 = The 'Singles Festival' was celebrated all across Korea in Seoul, Daejon, Daegu, Busan, Jangwon, and Ulsan from the suggestion of the country's SNS users.

Under the plan of a Facebook user named 'Nim Yeon Sy' (Nim is already in a relationship), thousands of participants joined together and the festival went smoothly without any sexual assaults on the 24th.

However, as what was predicted and worried about, the highly anticipated festival came to a silent end because of the so called- 'Namcho Phenomenon' (a situation where there are more men than women). On a side note, there was also nothing to eat at the festival as well.

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At Seoul Yeouido Square, the ratio of men to women was 9 to 1 among the 5,000 participants. In Busan Gwangan-ri, there were only a few dozen women among the 500 participants. There were so many male participants that it seemed more like a 'ssireum contest' (Korean wrestling) than a singles event.

One couple in Seoul and one couple in Busan had a love connection but it was said that the couple in Busan broke up just after 3 hours.

The participants and netizens are expressing their pity and sorrow through SNS.

The female participants were so shy and passive that it made the festival atmosphere like the Military or a college of engineering.

Also, some businesses and event companies wanted to take advantage of this festival to make money. Some bad newly-coined words were made (referring to a woman's body) and it was also said that condoms were given away in Yeouido.

NSP통신-Singles Festival in Busan Kuangan-ri (Photo= Reporter Do Nam Seon)
Singles Festival in Busan Kuangan-ri (Photo= Reporter Do Nam Seon)

The festival should have been a good occasion for singles to voluntarily join in an activity so that they wouldn't have to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve alone. It was such a pity that those problems occurred.

However, in 2006 after the Australian video 'Juan Man', the 'free hug' culture had spread to Korea and 'Psy's Kangnam Style' also created a sensation about K-POP all over the world so there is no guarantee that the 'Singles Festival' of Korea can't come back as a Christmas event in the future.

보티민트 NSP통신 인턴기자, mint2410@nspna.com
<저작권자ⓒ 국내유일의 경제중심 종합뉴스통신사 NSP통신. 무단전재-재배포 금지.>