In Korean: “Hug Me.”
It was really funny to see this in Hongdae. You’ve seen the “Free Hugs” video campaign, right?
After that video, Korea got one of its own. And watching a people not really used to hugging or public displays of affection giving it out freely in the street was moving in its own way, I must say.
Everyone knows that people copy each other quite a bit here in Korea. So I was pretty disappointed to see this come to Korea and become commercialized. When you have scantily-clad “narrator-models” giving out “Free Hugs” to mostly old men who really, really enjoyed them, the sexual vibe just didn’t seem cool. Or the CGV employees I saw holding up neatly-printed “Free Hugs” signs in the lobby of theaters for their own advertising. I never saw anyone actually go up to get one, thank goodness. It was just too awkward and fake. Corporate suits sure know how to ruin a pure-hearted idea.
But despite the inherent awkwardness, seeing these middle school kids giving it a shot sure warmed the heart.
They’re cute, right? They’re like a “Free Hugs” brigade, no? But without being scary or threatening, of course. A love “brigade.” Too bad we don’t have any of those, like an “army of good intentions.” Now, that’s an army I wouldn’t mind sending anywhere in the world.
23/10/2008 at 1:36 am Permalink
I always go for the free hugs, whenever I see them. Hugs are such a wonderful way to greet people. I wonder what would happen if a group of foreigners set up a free hugs station in Myeong-dong or something. One of the things that I feel like I lost by spending a long time in Korea was my propensity to unhesitatingly greet people with hugs. Another was the huge array of idioms I used to have at my fingertips: you just don’t say things like “I need that like a hole in the head” to your ESL friends. I gained some stuff too, of course, but I’ll save that for another comment.
23/10/2008 at 9:18 am Permalink
Casual hugging is for hippies and children who think raving is still cool.
23/10/2008 at 10:54 am Permalink
Gosh, William G., You’re right – casual hugging is a risky and immoral activity. We should teach hugging-abstinence only in our schools, encourage teenagers to wait, and legislate so that hugging remains a privilege of heterosexuals in monogamous, church-blessed matrimonial bonds. Let’s stop this casual hugging that is polluting our lives!
23/10/2008 at 10:59 am Permalink
One time I caught gonorrhea from hugging a stranger.
I usually only hug friends. You know…I know where they’ve been… but when the free hugs signs are up, I always go over and support the cause. Nobody’s grabbed my ass yet.
And there are levels of hugs. Strangers get the “A” hug (shaped like an “A”) friends get one arm over, one arm under hugs, but only girlfriends get the “I” shaped hug.
23/10/2008 at 11:21 pm Permalink
“Blabber, blabber, blabber”
– Gomushin Girl
Instead of me saying the really mean things you deserve in response …
My view on casual hugging is thus: If I don’t know you, I don’t want you touching me in a manner reserved for people I do care about. Casual hugging is an arrogantly presumptuous invasion of personal space for people who don’t understand the concept.
Casual huggers and drunk ajushis who want to hold your hand: The only difference is the smell.
25/10/2008 at 12:09 pm Permalink
Um, jeez . . . it was a joke.
Obviously casual hugging really gets on your nerves. Fine. But it was just a joke. Relax.
26/10/2008 at 6:08 pm Permalink
I had a buddy from Britain and any time somebody tried to hug him, he’d stiffen up and turn all elbows. It only took about two hug-fails before people figured out that ol’Tom just wasn’t cuddly.