Some young Koreans are looking for love in bookstores, but are they reading the room?

Joo, 25, was flustered when a stranger handed her a book as a romantic gesture at a large bookstore in Gangnam District, a neighborhood popular among young people in southern Seoul.
 
“I sensed the man’s gaze on me for a minute or two inside the bookstore,” Joo said, recalling the unexpected meeting last June. “He kept wandering around the same section where I was.” 
 
Some young Koreans in their 20s and 30s no longer daydream about coincidental romantic encounters in bookstores. Instead, they take the initiative and turn their fantasy into reality.
 
Instead of meeting potential partners through blind dates, dating apps or random encounters at cafes or on the street, Korean Gen Zers are going offline and seeking love the old-fashioned way by picking up potential dates at bookstores. 

Large bookstores in Korea, which are usually located in urban areas with heavy foot traffic, have evolved into multifaceted spaces with cafes, stationery shops and digital device stores. They have also become common meetup spots among the youth. 

Joo initially assumed that the man had an interest in the same genre of books that she was looking for. But her assumption was proven wrong when the man stopped her on her way out of the bookstore. He then offered her a book, explaining that he had bought it for her. 
 
Inside the book cover, Joo found the receipt on which the stranger had written his phone number.
 
Despite what could be considered a courageous and romantic move from some perspectives, Joo was stunned and disconcerted. Now, she finds it difficult to be fully at ease in bookshops and has become more sensitive to others’ glances.
 
And Joo is not alone in her discomfort. Others have started to express their frustration toward people who only go to bookstores because they’re on the hunt for love.
 
Why bookstores?
 

Instagram Reels show users' experiences of trying to get a phone number or be asked out on a date at Kyobo Book Centre branches. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
Bookstores largely appear to be distinct from typical spaces where young Koreans search for dating partners, such as bustling streets in youth-filled districts with trendy establishments, nightclubs and pubs.
 
“I thought being asked out for a date at bookstores only existed as anecdotes on the internet,” Joo said. “In bookstores, you barely think of the possibility of being asked out.”
 
But it appears that old-school love is returning to Korea's dating market at emerging key spots, such as Kyobo Book Centre or Youngpoong Bookstore.
 
Another woman in her 20s who requested anonymity told the paper that she had visited a Kyobo Book Centre branch in Gangnam earlier this month and waited an hour to see whether any man showed interest in her.
 
“After seeing a few Threads posts that the bookstore is the most trendy place [to find a date], I intentionally went to one during peak business hours on the weekend,” she said. “Although there were some well-groomed men who did not appear to be looking for or reading books, I was not approached by them. However, I am willing to visit and try again.” 
 
Some experts attribute the phenomenon to people's tendency to avoid risks, given the uncertain and vast dating pool. 
 
For example, Lee Yun-suk, an urban sociology professor from the University of Seoul, described the trend as a result of young Koreans’ desire to “find a compatible partner in a relatively secure environment.”
 
“Koreans in general are implicitly pressured to follow a certain trajectory for their lives, such as entering a prestigious college and landing a stable job,” Prof. Lee said.
 
“In this structure, dating and marriage become the first choice they make for themselves, which means that they’re fully responsible for their choices. As the conventional image of bookstore visitors is not associated with either clubbing or heavy drinking, people find the place appropriate to find their suitable partners.”
 

An art exhibition is held at a Kyobo Book Centre branch in this undated photo. [KYOBO BOOK CENTRE]

 
Kim Mee-young, a space sociology professor from Hallym University, said that young Koreans appear to employ “an unspoken premise in bookstores that the visitors share and relate to a certain intellectual appetite.”
 
Kim also noted that hybrid features in modern bookstores — equipped with cafes, exhibitions and cultural events — blur the traditional notion that “bookstores are only for readers.”
 
“In bookstores, people tend to behave in a relaxed manner and linger around for a considerable time, creating physical spaces that allow people to observe each other’s behaviors and attempt to meet potential partners.”
 
 
Unwelcome reactions
 

A Christmas wreath is attached on a bookshelf at a bookshop in Seoul in December 2025. [YONHAP]

However, not everyone perceives such intentions as innocent.
 
Some find the act of looking for love inappropriate for bookshops — a place meant to be tranquil and for reading and learning.
 
One uncomfortable Instagram user left a comment on a short video showing someone trying to ask for a phone number at Kyobo Book Centre's branch in Gangnam, writing, “I hope the bookshop does not become a popular spot for this kind of behavior.”
 
“I used to feel so much happiness when reading and buying books at the bookstore, but after seeing this video, I think I would not go there again,” the user added. The comment gained 1,294 likes as of last Wednesday.
 
The largest bookstore chain in the country, Kyobo Book Centre, is aware of the recent trend and is discussing ways to handle certain behavior, including randomly asking strangers for their phone numbers.
 
“It is tricky to strictly judge whether [a meeting between two people] is positive or negative,” a source from Kyobo Book Centre told the Korea JoongAng Daily. 
 
“As blocking those behaviors unilaterally is a bit challenging, we are responding to reports that our customers make to our staff. Currently, our employees simply instruct people to refrain from asking others for their phone numbers.”
 
Prof. Kim suggested that bookstores should reinforce their conventional role to naturally and indirectly discourage people from engaging in flirting.
 
“Altering space designs in bookstores [...] to make people focus more on reading and browsing books can be more effective,” she said. 
 
However, Prof. Kim warned, “Bookstores cannot simply forbid people from initiating conversation with those of the opposite gender. While bookstores can put extra effort into designing their spaces, customers should follow basic etiquette in bookstores so that everyone can have a pleasant experience.”
 
In Korea’s ever-evolving dating scene, bookstores appear to be the next chapter.


BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]