Hongdae Guys Meme Goes Viral, Faces Backlash Over Stereotypes
Viral videos of the so-called “Hongdae guys” have exploded across social media this year. These clips portray a stereotypical “Hongdae f**boy,” or Hannam* in Korean, as promiscuous and predatory, targeting foreign women.
Many mock these men online for their behavior. The meme has even caught the attention of Duolingo, which joked about teaching the famous Hannam phrases.
Some Korean netizens say the meme embarrasses South Korea, while agreeing it reflects certain problematic men accurately. Others noted the actor in the first viral video is “too handsome” to match the stereotype.
“Ugh, now the whole world knows how pathetic hannams are. Serves them right for not knowing when to stop. Idiots.”
— Korean netizen“LMAO this is way too funny.”
— Korean netizen“But his face doesn’t match!”
— Korean netizen“The fact that the face casting is so off is hilarious lol.”
— Korean netizen“Even my foreign friend who’s not into Korean culture knows the Hongdae fboy meme…”
— Korean netizen
This rapidly spreading meme is causing debate online. Critics focus on the negative traits of these men, not those who expose the behavior.
theqoo
