Joyful Hub: Real Korean language exchange in Seoul

Hello, Joyful Hub community!

While Joyful Hub is a language exchange, we aim to be a community where we can share our lives, not just a one-time, superficial meeting.
Last week's meetup on "Friendship" was an incredibly deep and meaningful time. We were so moved by the honest stories everyone shared, and it was especially fun to grab a meal together after the meetup! We were also so touched when one member, inspired by the event description, came with their mind map already drawn.

If the past two weeks were a time for deep self-reflection, this week, let's have a fun and lively debate! We're diving into one of life's most exciting topics: Love, Dating, and Relationships! ❤️‍🔥 From dating apps to the unique Korean concept of "ssum" (썸), let's share our stories and laugh about our experiences.

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### ✨ This Week's Main Activity: The 'Dating O/X Debate'! ✨

To get our conversation flowing, we'll kick things off with a hilarious interactive debate on classic Korean relationship dilemmas! It's a fun, lighthearted way to share our honest opinions and learn about different cultural perspectives on dating.
We'll explore fun questions like:

• Part 1: The Mission - 'Dating O/X Debate' ⁉️ We'll kick things off with a lively, interactive debate on classic Korean dating dilemmas! What's your take on the "Perilla Leaf Debate (깻잎 논쟁)"? Can your partner have close friends of the opposite gender? We'll present these fun, controversial topics, and you'll pick a side (O or X) to defend your opinion. It's the perfect way to spark a fun and passionate discussion!
• Part 2: The Deep Dive - Real Talk in Korea 🗣️ After our debate, we'll dive into our personal stories and cultural comparisons. How is the dating scene in Korea different from your home country? We'll talk about everything from the culture of 'sogaeting' (blind dates) to how dating apps have changed the way we meet people.
• Part 3: The Big Question - What Are We Really Looking For? ✨ Finally, we'll get to the heart of it all. What are the most important values you look for in a partner? How have your views on love, relationships, and marriage evolved over time? We'll also touch upon the unique joys and challenges of international relationships (국제연애).

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### Meet This Week's 7 Unique Korean Crew Members! 👋

This week, you'll have the chance to have deep conversations with our 7 amazing, dedicated volunteer crew members:

• Geon-yeong (The Empathetic Bridge): A Korean-Chinese friend with a unique perspective who has experienced the challenges of adapting to a new culture firsthand. He's here to listen to your story with deep empathy.
• Sunkyung (The Attentive & Supportive Friend): A calm and observant friend who loves sharing delicious food and is a fantastic listener for any career or life worries.
• Yegwang (The Empathetic Listener): A warm and listening friend who used to work in youth career counseling. He's genuinely curious about your life story, both the joys and the difficulties.
• Hakjong (The Positive & Curious Connector): A super positive and curious friend who is genuinely excited to hear all about your home country, culture, and stories.
• Jaeyoung (The Passionate Musical Enthusiast): A high-energy friend with big reactions who loves all things music and stage. He's ready to sing along with you, even if he's a bit tone-deaf!
• Hyunwook (The Global Explorer & Big-Picture Thinker): An NGO worker who has seen the world. Hyunwook is the perfect person to talk to about big ideas, different cultures, and what it means to live a meaningful life.
• Juyoung (The Expert Guide to Real-Life Korean): A professional Korean teacher and a dad who can offer both expert language help and a stable, long-term relationship perspective.

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Who is this for? (참가 대상) This meetup is designed for internationals who are living, studying, or working in Korea and are looking to build a genuine community and form real, lasting friendships with local Koreans.
About Our Community & Korean Crew

• This is a KOREAN-focused meetup. We encourage using Korean as much as possible. However, if you are a beginner, please don't worry! We will happily mix Korean and English to ensure everyone can be a part of the conversation.
• Our Crew are Volunteer Friends. Many of them do not speak English fluently, and this is intentional! It creates the best environment for you to practice real-life Korean.

✅ Important:

• This week's meetup is limited to a maximum of 12 international participants.
• This is a 100% reservation-only event. Please RSVP to secure your spot!
• Find more details at joyfulhub.kr and follow us on Instagram: @joyful.hub

📍 How to Find Us (오시는 길)

• Address: International Computer Building (in the Daiso building), 2nd Floor, Cafe
• Subway: We are close to Namyeong Station (Line 1, Exit 1) and Sookmyung Women's University Station (Line 4, Exit 7).

We can't wait to see you there! 🤗