Recently we posted Tips for Making Friends in Korea and we mentioned embracing your hobbies. Of course, that’s easier said than done. You’ve moved to a new country and language limitations may make accessing your hobby difficult. I want to help make it easier by connecting you with groups in Korea where you can search for connections.
About the Following Hobby List
Koreans absolutely love indulging in hobbies. The country is filled with clubs, academies, and groups for just about any hobby you can think of. Additionally, if you join something like a climbing gym the other climbers will likely want to engage with you and hang out after hours. Assuming of course, you act open to friendship.
The following list does not even come close to touching on all the hobbies available. Just because a hobby isn’t on this list doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist in Korea. You can surf
The following list of hobbies list is based on easy-to-access information. The hobbies included here have information available in English or online support groups that help you connect. Consider these your gateway to discovering many more wonderful things to do.
South of Seoul volunteers love to support the development of hobby-based groups. If you don’t see something you love here, create a group focused on the hobby of your choice and let South of Seoul know!
Tips for Joining a Hobby Community Online
Of course, once you find a community, how you interact within that community may heavily impact your ability to find friends and support within that community. Remember, you likely joined such communities to make friends and find support. Since yo have a goal, you want to approach others in the groups with the same care and support that you seek to find in return.
In order to find the support you seek within online groups, emotional labor may be required. In my 20 plus years of online community management, I’ve found that group members who do the following things have a higher success rate in building strong relationships within online communities:
Read and Follow Group Rules
Always read the group’s rules. I can tell you right now, group admins and moderators create those rules for a reason and we need you to go by them for a reason.
Go Slow
Remember that you are stepping into a community that already exists. Get a feel for the relationships that already exist, the patterns of communication the group values, and what information already exists in the group (search the group before asking questions).
Give Back to the Community
Many people join communities only to take. This quickly gets tiring for those involved with the group. Make sure that you are contributing to the community by commenting, sharing information that’s on topic, and communicating in a way that adds value to the community.
Be a Safe Communicator
Clearly articulate your needs and requests for information in a way that values other people’s time and effort. Remember that nobody knows where you live, what you value, or your current emotional needs. In other words, avoid asking things like “What’s the best place near me to get herbs.” Instead ask something like, “Where in eastern Pyeongtaek can I find oregano and Indian curry?”
Demonstrate Gratitude
Thank those that provide you with support and let folks know what you were able to accomplish with the help. Remember that group admins, moderators, and contributors volunteer their time to support you. Thanking them and letting them know how much their support helped helps fill their often heavily depleted emotional gas tanks.
Home & Lifestyle
When building a new life in Korea, ‘nesting’ may become a big part of feeling ‘at home’ in a new country and culture. It’s very natural to want to create a safe and comfortable home life where you can decompress after a stressful day.
Food
Learning to cook new foods or groups that focus on your dietary preferences can be a great way to build community. Have friends over to cook food together or throw a potluck. Food helps bring everyone together. Search your area for food-related groups like the ones below.
Cafes
The hunt for the best cafes can be a fun experience. You could even create some meetups or trips for exploring the best cafes.
Craft Beer & Brewing
Korea has two very awesome craft beer focused communities that work together to create events and community for beer lovers! Join these groups for meetups and to learn how to brew your own beer!
Gardening
Gardening has the most chill of all the people. People who take the time to grow their own food often take the time to grow friendships as well. Gardening also gave me a way to connect with others in the agricultural area where I live. The slow food movement was awesome and I loved being a part of it. I even had the honor of speaking and presenting at the Aisa Gusto Slow Food Festival in 2013.
Since there wasn’t support for ex-pat gardeners at the time, I co-founded the Expat Gardening in the ROK Facebook group. Of course, you don’t have to grow the garden yourself. You can just go pick fruit with friends as a bonding activity and then make jams, pies, etc.
Board Games
Board game groups are popular across South Korea and so are board game cafes. To find board game cafes in your area search 보드게임카페 and your city name in Korean. Board games cafes provide space and games to play with your friends.
To connect with friends who love board games: join either a local board game group, start a local board game group, or join this national board game group and find some friends.
Animal Rescue & Support
South Korea has many different animal welfare and support groups to choose from. Such groups tend to be very popular with the international community in South Korea.
Sports
Exploring the many indoor sports and outdoor sports in South Korea can be a great way to support your mental health and build a fun community.
Skateboarding, Inline Skating, and Roller Skating
Do you love skateparks? Our skate-loving friends are dedicated and fantastic friends. We stay connected forever! Since there wasn’t a group, I started the Skate the ROK Facebook group to connect with other folks who love skating as much as we do. Please join our group and share your skating adventures!
Hiking
Hiking might be Korea’s national sport. In fact, if you aren’t hiking do you really live in Korea? There are easy and hard routes for everyone. Hiking communities also love to have meetups!
Rock Climbing
The Korean rock climbing community includes both indoor and outdoor activities and annual events to attend. You can find indoor climbing gyms near you by searching in Naver Maps using the term “클라임짐” and the name of your city in Korea. Additionally, you can join the following Facebook Communities.
Cycling
You might be surprised how many people loving cycling in South Korea. Join one of the following groups and meet others who share your love of bikes.
Surfing
Korea has surfing options on both the west and east coasts.
Education and Learning
Community Classes
Taking local dance classes, art classes, or music classes gives you a chance to do something fun with others. Maybe you can get someone to take the class with you and maybe you meet other people while taking the classes. Often times the classes are not in English and it can be a fun way to face your fears of managing life in a foreign language environment.
Korean Language Classes
Language classes are a great place to expand your community past your own visa type. I took KIIP classes and met amazing people doing all sorts of different things in Korea. I’m still connected with many of them years later.
Language Exchanges
Korea has an almost endless number of language exchanges. These groups are often a way to meet new people and find a community to hang out with. In Pyeongtaek South of Seoul volunteers manage the South of Seoul Language and Culture Exchange which has many different language exchanges throughout the week.
Travel Around Korea
Of course, getting to know Korea can also be a great way to make friends and build community.
Planning Trips
Korea has a number of small tour operators that specialize in affordable trips for folks traveling alone or in small groups. These pre-planned adventures may provide a great opportunity to meet other like minded folks. You can also join a group like Pyeongtaek Travelers to talk about travel planning and maybe find travel partners.
Camping
Korea has many great camping opportunities. Camping is also a fantastic way to make friends.
Other Posts You May Find Helpful
If you found the Hobbies for Making Friends in Korea post helpful, you may also want to read the following posts:
- Tips for Making Friends in Korea
- 5 Tips for Conquering Culture Shock
- What to expect when you’re settling into a new culture
- All You Need to Know about Making Friends in Korea
Lanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert.
Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities.
Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea.
When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains.
