Seoul women line up to buy chocolates for men for Valentine's Day
Seoul, South Korea - Unlike most harried men in many other countries around this time each year, Korean men don't have to worry about shopping for jewelry or flowers or writing nice cards to give to their significant other on February 14.
Instead, for South Koreans Valentine's Day is when women shower men with chocolates.
It's also just one romantic day in a whole series of calendar-dictated romantic days.
Next up is March 14. Known as White Day, on this occasion men gift women with candy. Fact: Chupa Chups is the most sold candy.
Next is Black Day on
April 14, when downbeat singles who didn't receive any goodies head to
local Chinese restaurants to commiserate over their loneliness while
eating jjajyangmyeon, or "black noodles."
Surprisingly, one of the most popular gift-giving days of the year is November 11, or Pepero Day, so named in honor of a favorite Korean stick-shaped snack. (Link in Korean only)
Catering to women
Buying handmade chocolate at Jubilee Chocolatier in Seoul.
Throughout the country,
stores selling confectionery prepare for months leading up to February
for one of their best-selling days of the year. As February 14 nears,
visitors to the country will notice lines and lines of women at such
stores. Naturally, retailers need to cater to the female shopper's eye.
"Valentine's Day is one
of our top five days of the year," Chul-hyun Yoo, the public relations
representative for CU convenience stores, told CNN. With 7,900 stores
throughout the country, CU is the number one convenience store chain in
South Korea, recording almost ₩3 trillion (US$2.8 billion) in total
sales last year.
"You can tell what
concerns women and men is different by comparing the sales of
Valentine's Day and White Day," said Yoo. "Women tend to go for value
for money, while men buy big, flashy baskets."
One translation: women
are comparatively stingy, while men like to show off. Some of the
best-selling items on Valentine's Day are the Ferrero Rocher chocolates
sold in packets of three or five. Fellas, don't eat all at once.
Becoming unhealthy?
At the more upscale
Jubilee Chocolatier dessert cafe in Seoul, women line up on the days up
to Valentine's Day to buy handmade chocolates that can be customized
with their loved one's initials.
"Our Valentine's Day
sales make up 20 percent of our entire sales," said Gae-ra Lee, public
relations representative for the cafe.
Although the series of
romantic days used to cater more towards couples, or those wanting to
confess their secret loves using a romantic day as an excuse, in recent
years, goodie-gifting on Valentine's Day and White Day has expanded to
include family, co-workers and pretty much anyone you come into contact
with on those days.
"I'm buying chocolates
for my father. I feel like Valentine's Day should about confessing
romantic love," said Jin-hee Oh, 28, an office worker shopping at Lotte
Department store.
"Nowadays, you don't
give chocolates on Valentine's Day because you really like that person,"
said Chun Kyung-woo, a culture reporter for a local newspaper.
"The custom has evolved
so that now you have to give small crappy candy that no one actually
wants to all your friends and everyone at the office down to your
security guard as a show of goodwill," said Chun. "It's unhealthy."
So what did I do? Along
with the other female members of the Seoul office, we each gave the
Turner Korea boss some chocolate. Not that he needs it.
Read more: updatallnews
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