Looking to find love? You no longer need to go on blind dates, have the right connections, or go to popular spots. Nowadays, your next special someone can come right to you–with the help of dating apps! Dating apps have been gaining more and more popularity as it helps people meet that special someone in their lives.
In Korea, love is always in the air with these popular dating apps! More and more Koreans have turned to dating apps that have been proven and tested to find you the perfect match–if you’re using it right! If you seem skeptical, don’t worry. We’ll break down each of these popular apps and tell you why you need to make an account ASAP!
1. Tinder Korea
Tinder is not just popular globally; it’s made a name for itself in Korea as well. But actually, it wasn’t always as big as it is now. Tinder Korea started off rocky–Koreans didn’t know what to make of the app and found it too foreign for them. Luckily, the brains behind Tinder switched their strategy to appeal more to Korean culture and sensibilities.
Ever since then, Tinder Korea has been taking the dating world by storm. Aside from being a dating app, Tinder Korea is also an app for finding friends with similar hobbies and job interests. Now, it’s become one of the most successful lifestyle apps in the country. It’s become many Koreans’ preferred medium for finding like-minded people. Additionally, many foreigners in Korea also use this app!
2. Amanda
If Tinder is more international, next up we have a dating app that’s 100% for the locals. Amanda has over 5 million users, making it one of the most popular dating apps in Korea. What’s unique about this app is its member scoring system.
If you want to join, you should first pass a screen test by 20 existing Amanda users. You must get a score of at least 3.0 on this test so you can join. If you fail, you can always try again!
This guarantees that only people seriously looking for dates can join–no creeps or pranksters! Once signed on, users can upload photos as well as other facts about themselves like hobbies, religious views, careers, and more.
3. Noondate
Next up we have the dating app with one of the cutest concepts: Noondate! Every day at 12:00 noon, two profile cards will arrive for you to choose from. Both of these profiles were chosen based on their proximity to you, but you have the freedom to choose between them based on looks, hobbies, and other things you can see on their profiles.
Once you match, the app will open a chatroom for you so you can message each other. Because the getting-to-know starts around noon, you have the rest of the day to talk or even meet up and have a date!
Noondate also has a pretty strict review process for new users–which can take up to 24 hours. If they find anything suspicious, you will get banned permanently. These safety measures are in place to make sure their users can use the app safely. Aside from being a mobile app, Noondate is also available online as a web version!
4. Korea Social
Some people don’t like dating apps because they feel like they can’t just judge a potential partner based on a few photos they upload on the app. Well, Korea Social was designed to remedy that! Here you can upload not just photos, but videos as well. Videos definitely show a more realistic portrayal of the person behind the screen, so this function allows you to build stronger connections with potential matches.
In Korea Social, there are also various chat rooms or group social chat rooms, not just one-on-one messages like in other apps. Let’s face it; it can be scary to talk to someone one-on-one for the first time. With Korea Social, you can meet people in a group setting first, which is a lot less intimidating.
5. GLAM
Next up we have GLAM, a well-established Korean dating app that even won “Best Social App” in Korea at the 2017 Google Play Awards–that’s how you know they’re legit! What’s cool about GLAM is they separate their users by Tiers. You can move up a tier if you make your profile more attractive to other users. One way to do this is to be true to yourself and upload things to let other users get to know you better.
Only users within the same Tier can be matched together. But even more matching takes place wtihin tiers! GLAM finds users with similar interests in the same Tier and matches them together.
One of the best things about this app is it also has a “Block People You Know” feature which allows you to block your contacts and Facebook friends. This is perfect for people who want to keep their dating life a little more private!
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6. DangYeonSi
DangYeonSi is a dating app that appeals to Korean sensibilities. Here, aside from inputting personal information like their name, age, and occupation, users must also input their blood type! If you didn’t know, blood types are commonly asked in Korea because they treat it kind of like a zodiac sign. So different blood types correspond to different personalities!
Another fun feature of DangYeonSi is their tournament feature! Here you can pick your ideal type from 16 potential matches. DangYeonSi is also kind of like “The Bachelor,” in that you can like another user’s profile for free, but you’d have to purchase a ticket on the app to chat with your matches. They made it this way so you can choose your matches wisely and not waste time on people you’re not really interested in!
7. HelloTalk
Do you speak the language of love? Well with HelloTalk, now you can! HelloTalk is unique because it actually started out as a language-learning app. Here people can learn new languages together and challenge each other with different goals, forming a sort of community among new language learners.
But eventually, this app also became an avenue for finding love! One great thing about this app is you already have one thing in common with everyone: your interest in learning new languages. After all, what better way to flirt than by using some sexy phrases you picked up from another language?
8. Between
Between is definitely one of the best datings apps to use in South Korea.
Whether you’ve just started talking to that new special someone or you’re already in an established relationship, Between is for you. It’s specially designed for all kinds of couples as a sort of time capsule for your relationship! Here you can document all your special moments together–like photos, videos, and even cute messages!
Between also has a calendar so you can save all of your special days and upcoming schedules like date nights, romantic getaways, and anniversaries. This app even has a countdown function for all those special days so you can build anticipation with your partner.
Read More: Why Korean Celebrities Don’t Get Married
9. KoreanCupid
Up next we have one of the most beloved dating apps in Korea: KoreanCupid! Branding itself as the “#1 Asian Dating Site,” KoreanCupid has over 4.5 million users and is just growing more and more every day. The aim of this app is to connect Korean singles with potential partners from all over the world–so anyone can join!
The app has advanced messaging features to make connecting with your potential partners easier. There’s also an instant notification feature to make sure you won’t miss out on anything your match says. After all, the talking stage is often the most important one when it comes to establishing a relationship!
10. 1km
Some dating apps can be intimidating because there are just too many choices. It’s hard to keep up when an app matches you to dozens of random people every day–some of whom you don’t even have anything in common with! But luckily, 1km is here to change that.
It’s actually not necessarily a dating app, but an app for finding people with similar interests. Here you can find all sorts of “culture clubs” for hobbies like watching movies, hiking, rock climbing, art, and more! You can even create your own clubs for your own hobbies.
The app then matches users that are located 1 kilometer away from each other. The close distance is great because you can then invite that user to do your shared hobby together. While not “officially” a dating app, many have used 1km to find love! Of course, a good relationship is built on a solid foundation, and you can only have that if the two of you share things in common.
11. Sky People
Next up, we have undoubtedly one of the most unique dating apps on this list. The Korean school system can be brutal. Only the best of the best are able to make it to the top, and with that comes prestige. Being from a top university definitely gives you an edge in your dating game, and this app proves it.
In Sky People, only men from the top-ranking universities in Korea can join. Of course, they would need to submit proper documents and proof that they indeed come from one of the top schools in order to be approved. The app also accepts men from prestigious professions like doctors, lawyers, or major businessmen. As for women, anyone can join as long as they’re 20-39 years old!
12. WIPPY
And last but not the least, we have WIPPY! WIPPY is a fun app for meeting new people. The app offers daily personalized matches with users who have the same hobbies and interests as you. Once matched, you can begin messaging now that you know you already have some things in common. WIPPY also has a voice chat function so you can talk to your matches in real-time.
WIPPY also has one of the best features we can have in a dating app. It has a “Never meet people I know” function where you can block your contacts to keep your dating life private!
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I hope you liked this article on the best Korean dating apps! Which app are you most excited to try?
Each dating app has a unique algorithm to help you find your perfect partner. Let’s face it–in today’s modern world, dating apps are a must!
If you liked this article, make sure to check out our other posts on Korean Female Beauty Standards and Korean Male Beauty Standards.