YouTuber Ko Jae-young, who has 760,000 subscribers, used a ‘girlfriend for hire’ service ahead of Christmas. It was reported that Ko paid a total of 1.98 million won for the 33-hour overnight service.
Ko Jae-young enjoyed a two-day, one-night date with a ‘rental girlfriend’ in a video uploaded to YouTube on the 24th, which was Christmas Eve.
According to the released video, the girlfriend for hire service can be easily booked over the phone. You just need to specify the desired date and time and the style of the person you want to meet. The expense is 60,000 won per hour. Ko explained, “Rather than specifying an ideal type, having someone available for filming was a priority, so I only mentioned the date and time when filming was allowed.”
The woman who met with Ko Jae-young did not disclose any personal information, such as her name or contact details. She called with ‘caller ID restriction’ and used a ‘nickname’ instead of a name. On the first day, Ko and the woman enjoyed a date at Heyri Art Village in Paju. After a simple meal, they got matching couple rings at a workshop, shopped at a nearby mart, and grilled meat at a campsite.
However, they slept separately. When it was time to sleep, the woman went to a nearby accommodation, not the campsite. This accommodation was also booked by Ko Jae-young.
The next day, the two went to Lotte World in Songpa-gu, Seoul. They briefly rested in the car after expressing fatigue just two hours into their visit. They then went to the Lotte Tower observatory, sang karaoke, and ended their date at Seokchon Lake before parting ways.
Ko Jae-young noted, “I couldn’t predict the date at all, but it was really amazing and fun. The one-night, two-day period passed in an instant. Honestly, many of the preconceptions I had were broken. It just felt like hanging out with a fun friend.”
The woman said, “It’s a shame to part ways like this. It was like a dream. I hope we don’t forget the memories,” and added, “I will cherish the ring we made together forever.”
However, the woman also clarified the misconceptions surrounding her occupation. She emphasized, “There’s nothing peculiar about it. Although some might view it strangely, there aren’t any weird clients, and I’m not a strange person either. We all come from respectable families. It's not weird.”
She continued, “I discovered this unique part-time job while working other part-time gigs like wedding guest jobs. The demand is tremendous, with around 7 to 8 people seeking the ‘girlfriend for hire’ service each month.”
The woman, describing herself as an ordinary office worker, asked for restraint from malicious comments. She added, “It’s a wholesome date. I hope there’s no misunderstandings. Although I'm holding back, I feel tears might fall due to the regret of parting.”
During the date, the woman spoke casually with Ko Jae-young but used formal language when it was time to settle the bill. After entering 1.98 million won into the card reader, she said, “Would you like to pay in installments?” and, “Please sign here.”
Meanwhile, most agencies offering girlfriend for hire services state that while holding hands or hugging is allowed, anything beyond that is ‘absolutely prohibited.’ The service has different rates: 50,000 won, 60,000 won, or 70,000 won per hour.