CNN writer highlights continued awkwardness for solo diners in Seoul restaurants, despite rising global trends.
FO Take · Score 30
The loneliness economy fails in Seoul. Despite tech and global shifts, old habits die hard. Collective culture dictates, shunning individual pursuits. A city that prides itself on modernity yet refuses to accommodate basic human independence reveals a deeper, uncomfortable truth: belonging demands conformity. Is this progress, or a desperate clinging to outdated social norms that stifle personal freedom?
The strongest counter
Solo dining is a Western construct. Korean culture values communal eating, fostering connection. It is not stigma, but preference, preserving social fabric.
