The Hongdae Boy problem

He’s blowing up on TikTok (and beyond): the “Hongdae Boy” has become the internet’s latest obsession. Let’s break down why he’s not just problematic, but potentially dangerous.

If you hang out online and have even the slightest interest in South Korea, chances are you’ve come across videos about “Hongdae boys.” They’re portrayed as cocky guys, overly confident, always in leather jackets, and always on the hunt. It’s not just about sleazy guys riding the Korean hype, some of them cross the line into predatory behavior, targeting naïve young women visiting Korea for the first time.

To get the full picture, you have to go back to where it all started: the streets, bars, and underground clubs of Hongdae. Give me five minutes, and I’ll spill everything.

The not-so-glorious birth of the Hongdae Boy

One thing to keep in mind: Korean men are big flirts. In a country where being in a couple is almost a social institution, dating culture works very differently than in the West. Hongdae, Seoul’s nightlife hub, is the perfect place for casual hookups, or occasionally, long-term relationships. But let’s be honest: the endless supply of motels in the neighborhood says it all, clubs in Hongdae aren’t just for music, they’re hunting grounds.

Historically, Hongdae has been home to underground culture, and it’s also where the first hunting pochas popped up—bars designed for singles to mingle. Traditionally, men move from table to table, striking up conversations with women. If there’s chemistry, great; if not, on to the next one. Basically, IRL Tinder. Over time, this scene opened up to foreigners, especially international students in Seoul. And that’s where the “Hongdae boy” stereotype was born.

These guys had lost their appeal among Korean women—seen as sleazy, too forward, and serial womanizers—so they turned to foreign girls, with a very well-rehearsed playbook.

How to: spot a Hongdae Boy

Easy: they’re in Hongdae 24/7.

Many creators have already nailed the profile of these Korean fuckboys. The look is always the same: plain T-shirt, jeans, Doc Martens (or army boots), a leather jacket, and usually tattoos.

Their behavior? Overly sweet when they first approach, with lines like: “If I have you in my life, I have the whole world.” But the conversation quickly shifts to intimate territory. They’ll ask if you’re “open-minded,” if you live alone, if you like Korean men… You see it coming.

The classic old-school move is to invite you to “eat ramyeon” (code for sex). Younger ones prefer the subtler “come see my cat” line—equally suggestive.

If she says yes, the night is usually underwhelming (and rarely safe, since condoms are often neglected). By the next morning, he’s gone without a goodbye. In worse scenarios, she could be filmed without consent and find herself part of a fuckboy’s “trophy collection” online.

Romantic, right?

No wonder Korean women steer clear of them.

A mirror of deep-rooted misogyny

For seasoned expats or female students in Korea, Hongdae boys were no secret. But creator Sean Solo exposed the phenomenon globally, helping prevent many young women from falling into the trap. What started as a joke actually turned into an online awareness campaign.

Even Duolingo jumped on it, offering users “Hongdae Boy vocabulary” lessons—not just to practice Korean, but to spot red flags.

Beyond the humor, the whole trend highlights Korea’s entrenched gender stereotypes. These men treat women as disposable, and they assume foreign women are “easier” and less cautious than Korean women. It’s sexism and racism rolled into one.

Zooming out, the Hongdae Boy isn’t just a TikTok meme, he embodies the gender imbalance in Korean society. Under the glitter of pop culture, structural inequality remains. Despite countless warnings from women about harassment, deepfakes, and sexual violence, authorities rarely take them seriously. Former president Yoon Suk-yeol even made the “return of masculinity” one of his political priorities—dismissing Korea’s #MeToo movement along the way. That indifference pushed many women to launch the “4B Movement” (refusing to date, marry, or even interact with men).

So when Hongdae boys swarm the streets, preying on foreign women, it’s not just sleazy nightlife—it’s predatory behavior, plain and simple.

My encounters with Hongdae Boys

I’ve crossed paths with a couple myself.

One of my friends in Paris is the textbook Hongdae Boy: tattooed, ex-rapper, always in black. Except he’s the “cute” version: from a wealthy family, soft-hearted deep down, but fully aware of what to say to make women melt.

The other was my very first encounter during my first trip to Korea. Tourism wasn’t massive yet, and K-pop wasn’t global. He approached me in broad daylight with the worst pickup line ever: “Wow, your eyes are so big.” (Spoiler: they’re not.)

We ended up grabbing food the next day. He showed me his favorite bookstore, posted a story with me (face hidden), hugged me goodbye… and vanished. His only goal? To show off to his friends that he’d spent the day with a white girl. For some Korean men, dating a foreigner is a social flex—just like Westerners fetishize Korean men.

Maybe he didn’t try anything further because he realized I wasn’t as gullible as he thought. Why waste time when it’s easy to find someone else?

We need to keep talking about it

I was lucky. My “Hongdae Boy” story ended without harm. But that’s not the case for everyone, and that’s exactly why we need to keep talking about it. Sharing posts, articles, and videos about this phenomenon isn’t just gossip—it’s prevention. The more women are aware of these patterns, the fewer will fall into the same traps.

Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about avoiding a bad date in a nightclub. It’s about protecting women’s right to feel safe when they travel, when they study abroad, or simply when they want to enjoy a night out. And that’s something worth repeating, again and again.

Have you ever run into a Hongdae Boy yourself? Feel free to share your experience in the comments.

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