The typical line: "hey baby, what's your sign," won't go over too well in Korea. Instead, you might hear "what's your blood type?" To be honest I'd be impressed if a man asked me. Well...either impressed or I would assume he was on bath salts and looking for potential victims. A lot of emphasis is put on personality and blood type in Korea. Can you imagine filling in your blood type on a resume? If you're Western do you even know your blood type? I, myself am an O. Despite being a very common question in Korea, as well as a way of observing and guessing character traits, the history is often forgotten. The ABO bloodtype system was established in the early 20th century as the base theory for “scientific” racism used by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. In modern day Korea it is as light-hearted and fun as the idea of astrology and "call me now for your free tarot reading," commercials. Or is it?
I read a fantastically funny article about a man named Lee, who had trouble finding a girlfriend due to his blood type. Being a type B, women assumed he was selfish and hot headed. Blood type B are your typical bad boys, right? So surely women should be lusting after them, throwing themselves at their feet and wishing just to catch a sniff of their studded leather jackets! There is even a book dedicated to women who are looking to date blood type b men, chocked full of tips and strategies.
Perhaps the icing on the very biased cake, comes from the very successful Korean film "My boyfriend is Type B," which tells the frustrations of a type-A woman who falls in love with a horrible type b man. So my question is...if women in Korea are continuously rejecting and discarding these type b bad boys..does that leave more for me?
Wanna be my type b bad boy or just find out more about your type.Here are the blood types as described by Korea 4 Expats:
Blood Type O:
Best Traits: Ambitious, athletic, robust and self-confident.
Worst Traits: Arrogant, insensitive, ruthless and vain.
Referred to as ‘warriors’, Type O’s are viewed as natural leaders and are often, also, natural athletes. They tend to be outgoing, expressive and passionate, but can also bore others to death with their obsessive drive for success coupled with their absolute convictions that they are winners. This certainty that they will always win explains why they aren’t afraid to take risks or gamble. They have a strong physical presence and are unlikely to ever be overlooked.
Blood Type A:
Positive Traits: Conservative, introverted, reserved, patient, punctual and inclined to be perfectionists.
Worst Traits: Obsessive, stubborn, self conscious and uptight.
Referred as ‘farmers’ in some descriptions, Type A’s are said to be considerate of others and loyal to a fault. They can also be secretive and reluctant to share their feelings. Apparently they don’t hold their liquor well, either.
Blood Type B:
Best Traits: Animal-loving, creative, flexible, individualistic, optimistic and passionate.
Worst Traits: Forgetful, irresponsible and self-centered.
Referred to as ‘hunters’, Type B’s have very independent natures and tend not to be concerned about what other people think of them. Although often described as shallow and lazy, they can be quite passionate about the things they hold dear. Patience is not their strong suit either.
Type B men have acquired a very negative reputation in Korea and are not considered by many to be good husband material. Often described as ‘players’, they are perceived as being selfish and mercurial, quick to anger and not terribly reliable. That said, their bad boy image makes them very attractive to women, but not for the long term. (Type B women do not share in this bad rep, for some unexplained reason).
Blood Type AB:
Best Traits: Cool, controlled, empathic, introverted and rational.
Worst Traits: Aloof, critical, indecisive and unforgiving.
Referred to as ‘humanists’, Type AB’s are said to be controlled more by their heads, than by their hearts. They are rational, good with money, but unpredictable. Although inclined to be distant, they prefer harmony and as such, work well with mediators. Some consider them two-faced, and therefore untrustworthy.
Looking for a blood type soul mate? Check out the compatibility chart
- A is most compatible with A and AB
- B is most compatible with B and AB
- AB is most compatible with AB, B, A and O
- O is most compatible with O, and AB
I must say my blood type fits my personality pretty accurately! How about yours?
