Tinder Korea
Tinder is more of a “social discovery” app in Korea. In many parts of the world, Tinder is a very popular dating app with the famous “swipe left” or “swipe right” decision-making feature. Tinder Korea, however, was redesigned to better suit the Korean market and is used more to connect people who have common interests. That said, while it’s marketed more as a way to “make friends” rather than “get a date,” it’s hugely popular and a great way to meet Korean guys. Tinder Korea is popular among locals as well as foreigners living in Korea. Most users can communicate in English to some degree. Tinder Korea is a good option, for example, if you’re new to the area and want to connect with local Korean guys without the immediate pressure of dating. Apps that don’t have fully-Korean roots usually don’t rate highly in the country, but Korean Tinder is the number-two dating app among young Korean adults.
Wippy
This one helps you find friends but can also find you dates. Wippy emphasizes matching with others who have shared hobbies like sports, movies, travel, and so on. It also provides a very handy chat feature that lets you message other users without revealing your profile—basically letting you dip your toes in the water before jumping in! Wippy is also known for having strong security features to block fake accounts, as well as a useful “never meet people I know” feature that ensures you always make new matches. Wippy is a top-5 dating app among Korean young adults.
MEEFF
This app is a good resource for building Korean language skills. MEEFF is billed as a dating app but is also used widely in Korea and beyond as a way to make new friends. It supports over 50 languages and has excellent chat translation features, and many users make connections in order to improve their Korean language skills. This makes it a good choice if you’re a non-Korean who wants to become more familiar with the language and culture while also meeting some great guys. If you’re into K-Pop, you’ll find plenty of potential matches here!
HelloTalk
Like MEEFF, this app has a strong language-learning focus. Many Koreans use HelloTalk to work on their foreign language skills, which makes it a good choice if you’re a foreigner looking to do some language exchange with a great Korean guy. HelloTalk is more of a “make friends” than “get a date” kind of platform, but it can definitely be used for the latter if that’s your goal.
Amanda
This Korean-language app requires you to be “graded” before joining. Before you’re permitted to join Amanda (operated by the Korean company NextMatch), a pool of 20 randomly-selected users evaluates and grades your profile and photos. If you don’t grade high enough to join the first time, you have the option to refine your photo and profile and keep trying. Once you’re in, you’ll find a fairly standard dating app that matches users based on shared interests. This is a Korean app that’s conducted entirely in Korean, so it’s not ideal if you don’t have solid Korean language skills. Amanda has some 5 million users in Korea. It’s also the highest-rated app among young adults in Korea.
Korean Cupid
This longstanding app has a range of helpful features. Korean Cupid has been around since 2004, which presents some pros and cons. It’s not as popular with young adults as some of its newer competitors, for instance, especially among Korean men. That said, Korean Cupid has a range of customizable search criteria, security features, video message options, and translation features that make it easy and effective to use even if Korean isn’t your first language. The message translator function isn’t perfect, of course, but it does a good job of translating a message from English to Korean, for example. Like most dating apps, Korean Cupid has multiple membership levels: the free “Standard” membership and the paid “Gold” and “Platinum” memberships.
Noondate
Check this app each day at noon for a pair of potential matches. Noondate adds a unique element to the typical dating app: each day, at noon, you’ll receive a pair of “cards” containing photos and profiles of two potential matches. It’s up to you to choose one of the cards, and if that person also chooses you, the chatroom feature opens up so you can get to know each other. Noondate is known for doing stringent profile reviews that put new accounts on hold for the first 24 hours while they’re evaluated. The Korean tech company Mozzet created and operates Noondate. It has over 5 million users in Korea. It’s also a top-10 dating app among young adults.
1km
Try this app if you’re seeking very local Korean guys. This Korean-built app’s innovative hook is that it only looks for potential matches within 1 km (0.62 mi) of your current location. It also has interest-specific “clubs”—like “movie club” and “study club”—that you can join or create in order to match with friends or potential dates with shared passions. This app is a great choice if you’re in Korea (where it’s a top-10 dating app among young adults) or somewhere with a sizeable Korean population. But skip this one if you’re seeking Korean guys from afar!
Glam
This app uses profile “tiers” to identify potential matches. Glam, created by the Korean tech firm Cupist, groups you into one of several categories (called tiers) based on your profile info. It also encourages you to regularly upload pics that document your everyday life. So it’s a good option if you already do that kind of thing on other social platforms! Glam allows you to block your Facebook contacts and friends from becoming matches. This is a nice touch if you want to meet “new” Korean guys or just don’t want your pals to know you’re using a dating app! Glam is another homegrown dating app that Korean young adults put in their top 10.
SkyPeople
Use this app if you only want to find “successful” Korean guys. While any female between 20 and 39 can join SkyPeople, males must also have at least one of the following: a prestigious college degree; a job at a major company; or a career as a doctor or lawyer. Users tend to appreciate that it narrows their potential matches to the kind of guy they’re looking for. Males have to send in documentation of their credentials in order to join! SkyPeople has a smaller scale than many similar apps, with around 150,000 users in Korea, but it’s very highly rated by those who do use it.
OkCupid
This one’s a rare non-Korean dating app that’s popular there. One of the most popular dating apps worldwide, OKCupid is known for the series of questions it asks you—at least 10, but many more if you wish—to inform its matchmaking process. This means it takes longer to develop a profile than most dating apps, but that the quality of matches you get may be better. Similar to Tinder (or, in a more extreme case, 1km), OkCupid is particularly useful at connecting you with guys in your local area. This makes it a good choice if you’re in Korea or somewhere with a sizable Korean population. OkCupid makes it easy to start a chat with a potential match.
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