MBTI tells you more about your personality than blood types or zodiac signs ever could.
Here’s what MBTI is and why Koreans are totally obsessed with it!
Quick Summary
- MBTI has become popular in Korea since the late 2010s.
- Whether you’re an analytical INTJ or a bubbly ESFP, chances are someone in Korea has already guessed your MBTI type after a five-minute chat.
- It may not be that scientific, but it helps me understand others better.
What Is MBTI or Myers-Briggs?
MBTI stands for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
It’s a personality assessment based on four simple dichotomies.
- E vs. I: Extraversion or Introversion
- S vs. N: Sensing or Intuition
- T vs. F: Thinking or Feeling
- J vs. P: Judging or Perceiving
Combine one letter from each category, and you get one of 16 unique personality types like ENFP, ISTJ, or INTP.
It’s like a mix of psychology and astrology, with just enough structure to feel scientific.
MBTI originated in the United States and was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers during World War II.
Why Is MBTI Big in Korea?
Before MBTI, blood type was our go-to way to gauge someone’s personality. Like, type A is introverted and type O is confident.
But Myers-Briggs became super popular in Korea in the late 2010s, completely taking over. Even my parents use MBTI.
It’s big in Korea because it’s a fun, relatable way for people to understand themselves and others.
It’s become so mainstream that MBTI types appear on dating apps, job resumes, and K-pop fan forums.
According to Sisa Journal reporter Kim Min-ji, Korea is even using MBTI in hiring.
So, it’s a big deal.
There’s Always a Drama Between Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F) Types in Korea
There’s one MBTI dimension that causes the most drama in Korea, it’s T vs. F.
- T (Thinking) types are logical, direct, and sometimes a little too honest.
- F (Feeling) types are more empathetic, gentle, and focused on harmony.
So, in Korea, the test to distinguish them is when someone says, “I felt sad today, so I bought bread.”
T types usually ask “What kind of bread did you buy?” while F types say “Why were you sad?” or “What happened?”
Whenever F friends are unhappy with T friends’ response or feel offended by their brutally honest truth bomb, F types will sarcastically ask, “Are you a T?”
Judging (J) and Perceiving (P) Types Might Be the Worst Travel Buddies
Another MBTI dimension that Koreans love to analyze is J vs. P.
It’s more like planner vs. go-with-the-flow.
- J (Judging) types like schedules, to-do lists, and knowing what’s for dinner in advance. They LOVE Excel files!
- P (Perceiving) types thrive in chaos. They’re spontaneous and flexible. They would book a trip last night for tomorrow morning.
You’ll often hear, “Why are you like this? Are you a J or a P?”
And if someone shows up 30 minutes late or changes the plan last minute, we might say “You must be a P.”
I actually love knowing this trait, because it helps me understand others better and not get annoyed when they don’t arrive on time.
Is MBTI a Mirror or Just a Fun Game?
While psychologists often debate how scientific MBTI really is, most Koreans don’t care.
For many of us, MBTI is just
- A fun icebreaker on dates or at MTs (university retreats)
- A perfect small talk topic that works better than weather
- A tool for self-reflection in a stressful, competitive Korean society
- A shared language that helps explain the unexplainable, like why my oppa (brother) is always late
MBTI in Korea has become a cultural phenomenon and maybe a modern-day superstition.
If you’re an F type and having a bad day, just don’t tell a T type unless you’re ready for some hard truth or looking for a solution to your problem.
