Malatang, a spicy Chinese hot pot dish / Gettyimagesbank
A 25-year-old woman surnamed Park, who lives in Seoul's Guro District, recently met with people she connected with online to share a meal of "malatang," a Chinese spicy hot pot dish popular among young Koreans.
She found the group on Karrot Market, a moblie platform for secondhand trading and local community activities.
"It's expensive to eat malatang alone, especially when I want to order side dishes like sweet and sour pork or fried eggplant," Park said. "I was initially looking for one person, but two people responded to my post, so the three of us ended up going together."
Posts on Karrot Market app looking for people to split tteokbokki orders / Screen capture from Karrot Market
The three split the bill evenly, paying about 13,000 won ($9) each, which Park said was much cheaper than eating alone, given the added cost of side dishes.
Meeting new people online to share meals and split costs appears to be a growing trend among young Koreans, as rising food prices weigh on their wallets.
On Karrot Market, a group of residents in Seoul's Songpa District seeking to share tteokbokki has attracted more than 250 members. The spicy rice cake dish is typically portioned for two to three people, making it less practical for those dining alone.
Posts in such groups often specify exact times and meeting places, with users uploading posts such as, "Looking for three or four people who prefer milder flavors," or "Let's order delivery and split it into separate containers."
The trend appears to build on an existing culture of sharing the cost of bulk purchases at warehouse retailers such as Costco Wholesale and Trader's Wholesale Club.
Source: Korea Times News
