May I borrow your cell phone?

The following is a tip on traditional Korean language and customs in response to a query from a Mr. Gibbs, who wrote to us from Seoul:

Q. Mr. Gibbs:
What I find interesting about living abroad is experiencing new cultures. But what worked back home doesn’t necessarily work in a new country. What are some popular pickup lines used by Korean men of the younger generation?

A. IHT-JAD:
According to our informal survey, the two most common pickup lines in Korea are universal: “Sigan isseoyo?” which literally means “Do you have time?” and “Eodiseo bongeot gattayo,” which means “You look familiar.”

A popular pickup line among young Koreans of both genders is telling the person of interest that your cell phone battery has died (“Jeonhwa batteriga da tteoreojyeot neundeyo...”) and asking if you can borrow their phone (“Jeonhwa jom billyeo jusillaeyo?”). Because cell phones in Korea are equipped with caller ID, this move lets you find out your prospective date’s number by calling your own mobile. Their number in memory, you can ring them or leave romantic text messages later.