One-Sided Love? How Valentine’s Day is Changing in Korea

Chocolate and a death note

안녕! It’s Ari, your chatty Korean friend and weekend reminder. 🎉 Today’s newsletter covers a Buldak recipe, Valentine’s Day, and a death note.

📢 Before we dive in, I have an announcement!

My first short read is coming soon! I Like You, But Not Your iPhone is a project I’ve been working on for a while, but the martial law crisis delayed its completion. Now, it’s nearly finished and set to be released in a week or two!

This book explores patriarchy, anti-feminism, and the famous 4B movement in South Korea, blending my personal experiences with some shocking real-life stories. Stay tuned! 😘

Buldak Gyeranjjim

Buldak Gyeranjjim (@baeksubap)

Do you know Gyeran-jjim? It’s a Korean-style steamed egg dish with a creamy, custard-like texture. It's a popular side dish, especially with spicy food, because it balances heat with its mild and fluffy taste.

For example, if you love Buldak but find it too spicy, pairing it with Gyeran-jjim can help tone down the heat. But what if you could combine the two so you don’t have to prepare two separate dishes?

Recently, Buldak Gyeran-jjim has gone viral in Korea, and I’m excited to share this simple recipe with you. (Recipe credit: 백수밥) It requires just a few ingredients and takes minimal effort—perfect for a lazy weekend brunch or a quick meal.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Buldak (Fire Chicken) instant noodles

• 2 eggs

• Hot water

Directions

1. Prepare the Noodles: Pour hot water into the cup of Buldak noodles, allowing them to soak for about 2 minutes.

2. Drain and Cut: Drain approximately one-third of the water. Using scissors, cut the noodles into smaller pieces for easier mixing and consumption. (Ensure the lid is completely removed for safety.)

3. Mix in the Sauce and Eggs: Add the provided spicy sauce packet and crack in two eggs. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is well combined.

4. Microwave: Place the mixture in the microwave and cook for 5 minutes and 30 seconds to 6 minutes, depending on your microwave's power.

5. Garnish: Once cooked, sprinkle the contents of the accompanying sesame seeds and seaweed flakes packet over the top.

6. Enjoy: Grab a spoon and savor your spicy, creamy Buldak Gyeran-jjim!

💡 This method makes the dish milder than regular Buldak! If you love extra heat and have a Buldak bottle sauce, feel free to add a few drops of it. 🔥

One-Sided Love? How Valentine’s Day is Changing in Korea

Last week on Valentine's Day, a poll was released asking, "Which male celebrity would you like to give chocolate to the most?" The winner? K-pop idol and K-drama actor Cha Eun-woo.

If you're wondering about the female celebrity poll—unfortunately, there wasn't one. Why? Because in South Korea, Valentine's Day is all about women giving chocolates and gifts to their boyfriends or crushes, not the other way around.

This tradition has been around ever since the holiday was imported from Japan, where girls make chocolates for their boyfriends on Valentine’s Day. Homemade chocolates are considered the most special, so every February, grocery stores and shops stock DIY chocolate-making kits like chocolate cookies and cupcakes for girlfriends preparing their gifts.

On Valentine’s Day, social media feeds are filled with girlfriends proudly showcasing their handmade chocolates and gifts for their boyfriends. But this year, things took an unexpected turn.

A South Korean female YouTuber who shares her daily life with her Chinese boyfriend uploaded a video last week that quickly went viral—especially among Korean women.

In the video, her boyfriend surprises her with 10,001 yuan (1,400 USD) in a red envelope (hongbao, 紅包), explaining that she's so special that she's "one in ten thousand." He added, "Buy something you want with this money."

This video hit hard for many Korean women, especially those who had spent days of hard work preparing handmade chocolates and gifts for their boyfriends—but got nothing in return.

And then, things escalated further.

Another viral post introduced Chinese Valentine's Day customs, revealing that on May 20 (520 Day)—a day when "520" sounds like "I love you" in Chinese—it’s common for boyfriends to give their girlfriends 520 yuan (72 USD) or 1,413 yuan (195 USD), along with chocolates and gifts. The number 1,413 is also significant because "1413" sounds like "one life, one love" in Chinese.

At this point, Korean women collectively lost it. The comment section was flooded with reactions like:

💬 "Why was I born in this cursed country?"
💬 "I should start learning Chinese."

Although this tradition is slowly changing, with more couples exchanging gifts rather than it being one-sided, Valentine’s Day in Korea is still largely seen as a day for girlfriends to prepare gifts for their boyfriends. But after this viral video, who knows? Maybe this will speed up the shift.

Now, all that’s left is for Korea to finally conduct a poll asking which female celebrity people would like to give 🍫 to the most. Looking forward to that day!

National Crisis Update: Death Note

For those of you wondering what’s been happening in my country since the abrupt declaration—and swift repeal—of martial law, I’ve prepared an update instead of the usual mini Korean lesson. It has now been over two months since the crisis began. As the investigation unfolds, shocking new revelations continue to emerge. One of the most disturbing discoveries is a handwritten note from one of the key orchestrators of the self-coup.

The note contains a list of individuals and groups marked for “disposal.” Among the names are Moon Jae-in, the former president of South Korea; Kim Eo-jun, a prominent news show host; and even Cha Bum-kun, a legendary footballer who played in Germany’s Bundesliga from 1979 to 1989. The reason why the retired football legend—who has stayed out of politics—was listed as a target is widely suspected to be his past endorsement of a political rival of President Yoon. 🙃🙃

The list doesn’t stop at individuals. It also includes entire groups, such as liberal media employees, opposition-aligned YouTubers, National Assembly representatives elected during the Moon Jae-in administration, and even a group of progressive Catholic priests.

Chillingly, this “death note” also outlines various methods of “disposal.” These include confining detainees in several ships and then bombing them at sea, as well as imprisoning them in a detainment facility and poisoning their food.

Despite these horrifying revelations, President Yoon Seok-yeol remains defiant, insisting he will soon return to office “to lead the country.” Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is expected to reach a decision on his impeachment by mid-March. Wish us luck! 🙏

Thanks for reading! 🥰 If you’d like to help make future issues even funnier and better, consider buying me a coffee! ☕️ I’ll be back next week—possibly with I Like You, But Not Your iPhone. 📕 안녕!