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Young people chat at a “communication party” hosted by Lee Ji-wan on Dec. 23, 2022, for Christmas. (courtesy of Lee)

Lee Ji-wan, a 23-year-old office worker, has taken a shine to throwing what he calls “communication parties.”

Since August, he has organized six parties for 50 or 60 perfect strangers in Gangnam and other neighborhoods in Seoul — the kind of get-togethers that Koreans are more familiar seeing in foreign films.

Dozens of strangers linked through social media spend time getting to know each other over food and drinks.

“The best part is that you can hear about various experiences while talking about your work and interests with people who don’t have any preconceptions about you,” Lee said.

In recent years, an increasing number of Koreans in their 20s and 30s have been warming up to attending dinner parties and other social gatherings with people they don’t know.

Through candid and casual conversations with people from a wide range of experiences, attendees at these gatherings hope to expand their skill set while also having a good time.

“It’s fun to get together with close friends, but meeting with people who have no prejudices or preconceptions about me was a chance to have a greater variety of conversations,” said a 24-year-old surnamed Lee who was one of 200 or so people at a party last Christmas Eve.

There are similar reasons for the surging interest in social dining, a concept that began to emerge in the early 2010s.

Social dining company Fidelio has already seen more than 2,000 young customers since December 2021.

“Our guests converse without revealing their job, age, or social background. That allows our guests to discover another side of themselves and gives them the experience of seeing their routine through fresh eyes,” said Park Won-sang, 29, the company president.

Some see meeting new people itself as a means of self-improvement.

“Socializing is enjoyable in and of itself, but many of the people at these parties are definitely angling to gain information for the purpose of finding a new job,” said Lee Ji-wan.

Some analysts regard this trend as illustrating younger people’s pursuit of pleasure and desire to live their best life.

“The experience of communicating with random people online has helped the younger generations grow accustomed to forming relations based on interests, rather than academic connections, blood relations or regional affiliations,” said Choi Set-byol, a professor of sociology at Ewha Womans University.

“They regard meeting new people as both a source of pleasure and a form of personal success. That reflects their pursuit of ‘radial growth’ through the expansion of one’s experiences rather than the ‘rocket success’ of moving upward,” Choi added.

By Ko Byung-chan, staff reporter

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