What do you like to do in your free time when you're out with friends? Go shopping in the mall, eating out in a restaurant or maybe chilling in a park? Well in South Korea, young people do all of this and more! Recently, places such as Noraebangs, Multibangs and DVD Bangs are rising in popularity – a trend otherwise known as '방' (room) culture. We'll be talking about why the younger generations in South Korea are particular fans of these places.
The concept of each '방' is to be a room of entertainment, with each type offering different facilities. A Noraebang is a karaoke room, often offering songs in both Korean and English, DVD Bangs are private movie rooms with big screens/projectors accompanied by comfy sofa seating and Multibangs offer a bit of everything with video games to play too. Each of these are dotted all around South Korea in varying sizes. Some of them are quite small, only intended for couples, and others are big enough to accommodate a large party of people.
But why are they so popular in South Korea, of all places? We think that it's due to the culture of the younger generation of Korean society. Many of them still live at home with their parents due to the current high expense of living alone. However, this means that they don't get a lot of privacy. With the cheap rental rates and super comfy seating, it's the perfect way for young people to just get away from their home life for a little while.
Although Noraebangs are almost commonplace in many large cities all over the world, the others haven't caught on yet. We love this latest trend, and wish that there was a '방' everywhere!