"Attractive and Frugal Women Gather Here"... From Bookstores to the New 'Buntta Hotspot'

The so-called "Buntta" (asking for someone's phone number) trend, which began at Kyobo Bookstore, has now spread to Daiso, further fueling controversy. As content identifying certain locations as "hunting hotspots" circulates on social networking services (SNS), complaints from users about discomfort are also increasing.

A customer is looking at cosmetics at the Daiso Emart Mokdong store in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul.

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On the 17th, several social networking services (SNS) saw the spread of posts such as, "The Kyobo Bookstore Buntta trend ended a long time ago. These days, it's all about Daiso Buntta." The author began by saying, "I've been doing Buntta a lot for two years, so I know this well."

The author claimed, "Don't go to Kyobo Bookstore-get the number of a woman standing in front of the cosmetics display at Daiso. Shopping at Daiso likely means she is frugal and probably saving a lot of money."

They continued, "Shopping for cosmetics means she knows how to take care of her appearance," adding, "Trust me, and get the number of the woman in front of the Daiso cosmetics display."

The post quickly became the center of controversy. Criticisms such as, "If you're going to do Buntta, just go to a hunting bar," "Why does buying cosmetics at Daiso mean someone is frugal?" and "Why would someone like that want to meet you?" poured in. Many also responded, "I think I'll feel uncomfortable shopping at Daiso from now on."

Particularly at the Daiso cosmetics section, where many customers are students, concerns have been raised about the possibility of people approaching minors.

A Daiso store located in Jongno-gu.

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However, some defended the practice, saying, "It's okay if you approach politely," "There are many attractive women at Daiso, so why not be brave?" "If she doesn't like it, she can just say no," and "Don't miss your chance with a woman shopping at Daiso."

Previously, Kyobo Bookstore also emerged as a "Buntta hotspot" and "hunting hotspot." On SNS, videos titled "Getting a number at the bookstore" and "Visiting a hunting hotspot" have been uploaded one after another, garnering tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of views. Some videos even share "strategies," such as pretending to read a book in a particular section to start a conversation.

Kyobo Book Centre Gwanghwamun Branch, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

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There are also an increasing number of posts describing unpleasant experiences. One user wrote on SNS, "Someone asked for my number, and I refused by saying I had a boyfriend, but they persistently followed me, so I hurriedly left the bookstore." Others wrote, "They kept following me, and it was terrifying," and "Do I have to be cautious even at bookstores now?"

As the controversy grew, Kyobo Bookstore posted a notice asking visitors to observe the etiquette of the reading space. Kyobo Bookstore stated, "Please respect the time for immersion," and "Be considerate so that precious reading moments are not disturbed by unfamiliar conversations or gazes." They added, "If you experience inconvenience due to unexpected situations, please do not hesitate to contact a staff member nearby."

Search result for 'Kyobo Bookstore' on Instagram. Instagram screenshot

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