The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Luxury brands continue hiking prices in Korea

  • 3

    INTERVIEW'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series

  • 5

    BTS producer encourages anticipation for future messages from group

  • 7

    Napoli's Kim Min-jae named Serie A's best defender, makes Team of the Season

  • 9

    Pyongyang as lived experience: existentialism and identity in North Korea

  • 11

    US, China trade blame as hopes for military dialogue fade

  • 13

    Defense chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan to meet in Singapore amid NK threats

  • 15

    House lawmakers urge US to rally allies over China's Micron ban

  • 17

    S. Korea, US agree on joint probe into NK 'space rocket' debris once salvaged: Seoul official

  • 19

    Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready to launch counteroffensive

  • 2

    India train crash kills over 280, injures 900 in one of nation's worst rail disasters

  • 4

    China flags consequences of Yoon's stronger coupling with US, Japan

  • 6

    From hip-hop idols to global superstars, BTS shatters records over decade

  • 8

    Wall Street leaps, nearly escapes its bear market after strong jobs report

  • 10

    'The Roundup: No Way Out' tops 3 mil. admissions

  • 12

    UN official calls out Security Council for inaction on N. Korea

  • 14

    Reasons to talk about North Korea

  • 16

    PHOTOSTrain collision in India

  • 18

    US, Japan, S. Korea aim to share NK missile warning data

  • 20

    EU's top diplomat discusses Ukraine's ammunition needs with S. Korea

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Mon, June 5, 2023 | 08:38
-------------------------
Big crowds rush to mass blind date
Posted : 2012-12-24 19:09
Updated : 2012-12-24 19:09
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
A big crowd forms in Yeouido Park, Seoul, Monday, to participate in a mass blind date social event on Christmas Eve. Thousands of participants came to the park in search of partners. / Yonhap
A big crowd forms in Yeouido Park, Seoul, Monday, to participate in a mass blind date social event on Christmas Eve. Thousands of participants came to the park in search of partners. / Yonhap

Event ends with not many finding partner

By Yun Suh-young


Single men appeared to be more desperate than their female counterparts to find a partner before Christmas.

On Monday, when a "Mass Dating" event was held at Yeouido Park in Seoul, about 90 percent of the participants were men.

According to real-time messages uploaded online by people at the event, the proportion of attendees in the park was made up primarily of police followed by pigeons, men, reporters, vendors and finally women.

Much to their dismay, many men failed to find a partner at the park, despite enormously high enthusiasm for the occasion.

"There are so many men here it looks like a military training session," said a blogger. Another tweeter by the ID: @sangria*** said, "There are more police and pigeons here it looks like they are confronting each other."

The event was finally held at Yeouido Park despite controversy between the organizers and park officials on whether it was against the law to hold it at the park.

The event was first suggested by a 24-year-old college student using the ID: "You have started dating" on Facebook to help singles find partners on Christmas Eve.

The student, Yoo Tae-hyung, and a friend pushed through with organizing the event although representatives of Yeouido Park, the chosen venue, strongly protested against it being held there, claiming that it was against the law on city parks.

Yoo denied the claims saying that the event would be held in the form of a flash mob and was therefore not an illegal rally.

The event started from 3 p.m. Monday at the park. The dress code was set for the participants so that they can easily recognize each other. Male participants had to wear white and female participants red. But not many appeared with the clothing of the set color.

The rules of the event were also changed from the original. The initial plan had been for men and women to stand across from each other at the park and run toward each other until they find a match and walk off hand-in-hand.

However, due to concerns from the public and the police regarding possible sexual harassment and other criminal activities, the plan was changed so that participants walked toward each other in lines until they found a person they wanted to be with.

But the event ended with not many succeeding to become a couple. There were too many men heading for the women, leading some of the latter to leave. The event was over in an hour.

There were fewer people who participated than expected. The organizers had expected more than 10,000 participants as 22,000 had initially expressed their willingness to participate online. However, the police estimate as of 4 p.m., was about 3,500.

In most of the other regions where the same event was held, hopes for becoming a couple also were in vain.

The event in Daejeon was cancelled, the one in Cheongju also ended with low participation. On Jeju Island, only three turned up on the scene _ all men. In Busan, 500 participated but most of them were men so the event turned into a wrestling competition, according to those at the scene.

Emailysy@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1[LIFE'S OLLE TRAILS 1] How hiking Jeju's 437km of trails changed my life LIFE'S OLLE TRAILS 1How hiking Jeju's 437km of trails changed my life
2Election watchdog under fire for refusing to accept inspection Election watchdog under fire for refusing to accept inspection
3S. Korea, Japan agree to prevent recurrence of maritime disputeS. Korea, Japan agree to prevent recurrence of maritime dispute
4Korea denies discussion with EU on sending ammunition to Ukraine Korea denies discussion with EU on sending ammunition to Ukraine
5Concerns rise over Samsung SDS' growing intra-group transactionsConcerns rise over Samsung SDS' growing intra-group transactions
6Korea sees record-high number of flu patients for late spring Korea sees record-high number of flu patients for late spring
7K-food transforms global culinary industry K-food transforms global culinary industry
8Korean bio firms to seek new opportunities at int'l convention in BostonKorean bio firms to seek new opportunities at int'l convention in Boston
9Shipbuilding stocks rally over hope for 'super cycle' Shipbuilding stocks rally over hope for 'super cycle'
10Public welcomed to rediscover newly demilitarized land in Yongsan Children's Garden Public welcomed to rediscover newly demilitarized land in Yongsan Children's Garden
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Baritone Kim Tae-han wins Queen Elisabeth Competition Baritone Kim Tae-han wins Queen Elisabeth Competition
2Busan Film Festival accepts director Huh Moon-yung's resignation Busan Film Festival accepts director Huh Moon-yung's resignation
3[INTERVIEW] 'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series INTERVIEW'One Day Off' star Lee Na-young, director on creating subtle, feel-good series
4'HyeMiLeeYeChaePa' producer Lee Tae-kyung hopeful of second season 'HyeMiLeeYeChaePa' producer Lee Tae-kyung hopeful of second season
5How artist Michael Rakowitz resurrects lost past of Iraq through food packaging How artist Michael Rakowitz resurrects lost past of Iraq through food packaging
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group