"Korea I'm Coming": American Woman's Rent-a-Boyfriend Video in South Korea Fools Fans

• Rachel Kwon shared a video of herself trying South Korea's rent-a-boyfriend service during a festive outing at the Hyundai Christmas market
• The video was filmed as a playful skit, though many viewers were convinced the experience was genuine
• The clip quickly gained attention, with fans from around the world saying they wanted to try the service themselves

American-born content creator Rachel Kwon had viewers doing a double take after she posted a lighthearted video on 11 November 2026 that appeared to show her hiring a boyfriend for a sightseeing day out in South Korea.

Filmed in selfie-style at the Hyundai shopping mall in Korea, the clip placed Rachel in the middle of a stunning New York-themed Christmas market, complete with festive lights, towering trees, and glowing neon signs. Using on-screen captions to narrate the experience, she wrote things like:

"I rented a boyfriend in Korea. He was so much fun."

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The man in the video greeted her by name, asked if she spoke English and guided her through the market, even sharing food along the way. One caption noted:

"He said feeding people is Korean culture."

The skit that fooled everyone

What made the video take off was the reveal hiding in plain sight. The man was not actually a rented companion but Rachel's real husband JHeart (Jaehwan Kwon), the former leader and member of the second-generation K-pop boy group N-SONIC.

The two played the scenario so convincingly that many viewers had no idea it was a setup, with some rushing to find the booking website and others already packing their bags for Seoul.

View the Instagram video below:

Fans around the world react

The comment section on her page turned into a mix of laughter, longing, and pure delight:

@pinkydollrealb wrote:

"I want one 😂😍"

@rachelheheh joked in her own comments:

"He should raise his prices"

@yokoyokogirl noticed more than just sightseeing:

"Rented bf and you're kissing 😂😂😂 I love it though 😉"

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@gabyamaro90 admitted:

"Girl I was about to ask for the website to hire one! Lmaooo"

@souky_ba2 declared:

"Korea I'm coming 😆😆"

@rm_btsworld had a specific request:

"Hey Google how can I rent Kim Namjoon as my husband???? 😍😍😍"

@annaisnaomi said:

"😂 Before reading the comments, and learning that he was your husband, I thought it was not a bad idea at all."

Rachel's video landed at the perfect moment, tapping into the global fascination with South Korean culture and the country's festive season charm. Whether viewers believed it or not, the clip left plenty of people dreaming of a Christmas market date in Seoul.

More Briefly News stories on South Korea

• A South African English teacher in South Korea hilariously mispronounces his Korean students’ names, sparking laughter, praise and viral global banter online.
• Abo Mgidlana's South Korea trip budget breakdown reveals costs for flights, food, and activities, surprising South Africans with a total of R35,000 for two weeks.
• Travel vlogger @hitchhikertimo from South Korea shared a look at his journey to South Africa after experiencing an aggressive encounter with drivers demanding money in Zambia.

Source: Briefly News