South Korea's young generation is quietly rewriting the rules of social life. In a country where communal identity and 'saving face' have long shaped everyday behaviour, a growing number of millennials and Gen Z Koreans are embracing honjok — the art of doing things alone. From belting out songs in coin noraebang booths to dining solo behind partitions, more young Seoulites are carving out spaces of solitude in one of Asia's most densely populated cities. It is a subtle but telling cultural shift: in a traditionally communitarian society, being alone is no longer something to be ashamed of — it's something to be savoured.
Originally published in Today Online
