Korean American lifestyle vlogger Simply SSOL shared that often, women in Korea are put in one of two categories: the fox and the bear.
I’ve heard men say, ‘You can live with a fox but you can’t live with a bear.’ So, basically, men are attracted to foxes compared to bears.
—SSOL
To be clear, SSOL explains that these are generalizations and no one can really be fit into just one box and these are just her impressions based on what she’s seen and experienced while living in Korea.
Foxes are pros at flirting, whereas bears need help attracting a male because they’re so innocent and naive. The downside to being a fox is that you might be perceived as being insincere—maybe you’re not really into the guy, you’re just flirty!
With bears, there’s no faking. They’re their true selves. They’re just really bad at flirtation.
—SSOL
Foxes, as their animal association implies, are cunning and know exactly how to get what they want from a man, while the bear-type person is giving and does everything for the man. Foxes are also riskier than their bear counterparts, who tend to be more trustworthy.
Foxes have a lot of aegyo, and Korean men, I feel like they love aegyo. Aegyo makes me cringe. I cannot do aegyo. It’s like acting cute and getting the guy’s attention by acting this way…
—SSOL
SSOL revealed since living in Korea, she can now imagine like, oh, this person is a fox or a bear and she knows exactly what other people are talking about.
Some women relate to bears, some to foxes, and some to shoebill storks.
Whatever animal you relate to, we don’t have to identify each other by preconceived notions, however, it’s definitely interesting to learn more about Korean culture from a Korean American living in Korea!
