Find a Local Meet-up

Small, regular, in-person gatherings, organised by neighbourhood and city. The emphasis is on regular: a weekly fixture with the same people is what turns acquaintances into friends, and a one-off event is not.

Finding one

Post what you are looking for and where. Be specific about the area, because in a large city "Kathmandu" or "Seoul" is not a location.

Then the uncomfortable truth about all of this: almost nobody makes a friend at a first meet-up. The people who build a circle pick two or three groups and become a familiar face, which takes about a month of turning up. Go four times before deciding whether something is for you.

Starting one

Easier than it sounds and badly needed in most places.

Pick a fixed slot and a fixed place and announce it. Keep the format simple. Expect three people for the first month. Accept that you will be the one who reminds everybody, every week, for a while.

Free rooms exist if a cafe gets too small: city global centres in Korea, district community centres in both countries, and university spaces will often host a group with a clear purpose.

Where else to look

In Korea, finding meet-ups covers the apps and open chat rooms where most of this actually happens, and joining a club covers the higher-commitment version that works better. For an ongoing interest group with its own board, use groups.

Sense, and safety

Both countries are safe by most standards, and the ordinary caution still applies to a first meeting with strangers from the internet.

Meet in a public place, tell someone where you are going, and leave if something feels wrong. Be wary of a group that turns out to be a recruitment pitch, an investment opportunity or a religious organisation, all of which occasionally use a social meet-up as the entry point.

A genuine group will be happy to tell you exactly what it is before you come.