Interview with Deputy Secretary Allen and the Dua Sisters
Focusing on the MBTI craze in Korea
MBTI is used in recruitment as well
Evolved into a communication tool

On December 1st, US Deputy Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, Liz Allen, visited Korea for a public diplomacy dialogue between the US and Korea.

I was able to interview Deputy Secretary Allen, hosted by the US Embassy, and the topic she was most interested in was the ‘MBTI’ craze in Korea.

In my conversation with Deputy Secretary Allen, I explained that the role of MBTI in Korea has evolved beyond a simple personality test, becoming a ‘tool of communication’.

In the Republic of Korea today, MBTI is the main topic of small talk when people meet for the first time. The MBTI discussed in small talk becomes key information for understanding each other and communicating accordingly.

For example, as a power ENTP, when I meet someone with a strong I personality, I try to be considerate and tone down my energy a bit. When I meet an F, I try to communicate more carefully, paying attention to their emotions, and when I meet a T, I communicate directly as usual. In this way, MBTI is used as a key tool for communicating based on the person you are interacting with.

Recognizing that communication becomes smoother when you get to know the other person, Gen MZ has been using MBTI in dating as well. Countless ‘how to date someone based on their MBTI’ content, or to be more direct, ‘how to charm someone based on their MBTI’ content, is uploaded to YouTube and blogs. The comment sections of content that analyzes everything from ideal types to breakup reasons based on MBTI personality types are always hot with people sharing their experiences and relating to the content.

Along with trying to communicate with each other in a way that suits the other person, the attempt to find a lover with a matching MBTI personality type is also common in the dating market.

At a booth during a university festival, they held an event where people could put their phone numbers in a basket with their MBTI personality type written on it, and they would match people accordingly.

In fact, recently, while facilitating a blind date, I experienced this phenomenon firsthand, receiving requests like ‘I prefer F partners, please avoid STs,’ and specific requests like that.

MBTI is naturally a major topic in Korean memes that are trending. Recently, the hottest content, mainly on Instagram Reels, was about the various reactions people have to ‘I'm depressed, so I bought bread.’ Generally, Ts responded to this question with ‘What bread did you buy? Where is the bread?’ while Fs responded with ‘Why are you depressed? It's okay.’ The dramatically different responses to the same question were very funny and became a meme, creating a sense of shared understanding.

What about MBTI in the Korean job market? MBTI has started being used as a reference in the hiring process. On online recruitment platforms, you can easily find job postings that state that they prefer ‘Es’, who are lively and outgoing, or ‘Js’, who are methodical and organized. There are also job postings that require applicants to introduce their MBTI personality type in their cover letters or to introduce their strengths and weaknesses based on their MBTI personality type.

Of course, there are also concerns about this. Some experts have pointed out that over-reliance on MBTI is not only unhealthy but also lacks scientific evidence. It can be a very sensitive topic, especially in the job market, where survival is at stake, to think that success or failure is decided by MBTI. It’s okay to use MBTI appropriately, but blind faith is a big no-no. Be careful about using MBTI as a tool for discrimination.

However, beyond that discourse, MBTI is used as a key communication tool in Korea, so if you’re like ‘I don't believe in that stuff!’ and haven’t even taken the test, take the test immediately and join the conversation.

Otherwise, you could end up being the butt of a joke. A few months ago, on a comedy show, Kim Jong-in, former chairman of the National Power Party, was asked about MBTI, but he didn’t understand the question and responded with ‘MB’ (referring to former President Lee Myung-bak), which became a hot topic. Not knowing about MBTI was itself a funny thing.

MBTI has become ‘common sense’ in Korea, to the point where you can’t communicate without knowing about it.

From small talk and dating to memes and job hunting, MBTI has transcended its status as a simple personality test and is now a powerful communication tool in Korea. So, get to know MBTI. That’s how you communicate!

※ The author of this article is me, andit has been taken from an article on the Woman Economy newspaper..