However, the pendulum is beginning to swing. While financial and social status remain important, there is a growing counter-movement seeking authenticity. A recent survey by matchmaking company Duo found that the most important criteria for both men and women when selecting a partner were "personality and values," chosen by an overwhelming 72% of participants, far surpassing "appearance" (13%) or "family background" (3%).

By auditing their boundaries ("checking") and redesigning their connections ("repacking"), they are creating a new blueprint for urban survival. Whether this hyper-rationalized approach to human connection will solve the loneliness epidemic or exacerbate it remains to be seen—but it is undeniably the definitive lens through which to understand modern Korea.

: Roughly 77.5% of Koreans identify the divide between conservatives and progressives as the nation's most serious social conflict.