Exclusive: Sean Solo On Being More Than Just Hongdae Guy
More than meets the eye
If you’re chronically online and love doom-scrolling your way around TikTok and Reels, there’s a good chance you’ve come across Hongdae Guy multiple times on your algorithm. Usually clad in a black leather jacket and speaking in an exaggerated Korean accent, the man’s gimmick involves asking women around the Hongdea area (notorious for its bustling nightlife) questions such as, “Do you live alone?” and “Are you open-minded?”
It didn’t take long for the gag to go viral, as many viewers could relate to encountering or knowing someone who fits the archetypal flirty sleazeball in their lives. Thus, Hongdae Guy emerged in 2025 and gained popularity, with videos reaching millions of views.
But beyond the persona, there is Sean Solo. A 28-year-old content creator who found himself at the centre of online fame (he currently has 1.5 million Instagram followers)—and chose to step away from his famous character despite striking viral gold.
Ahead, we speak to the South Korean personality to find out more about his online journey to success (spoiler alert: there were many failures), being more than just Hongdae Guy, and what else he has up his sleeves.
Let’s start with the obvious: Hongdae Guy. What was the inspiration behind his character?
We have to go way back for this. Before I started doing Hongdae Guy, I was a streamer. I did that for a year, and it wasn’t getting anywhere. I was about to give up when my brother was like, “Hey, just go out and make something funny.” So I went out, and the video I made was me saying, “Do you live alone?” And the catchphrase is actually said by Korean guys, like, it’s an actual thing that they say to pick up girls! [laughs] I’ve heard many stories about men like this, so that’s where the line originated from. So I guess that’s where it originated. And I’ve heard stories about it many times. I’ve never seen it happen in person, but I thought it would be interesting if I played this type of character.
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When you started to see that it was picking up traction online, what were your reactions to that?
Oh, it was completely unexpected. I’m sure a lot of people can agree that when you work on something so hard, and you don’t get the result you want, it’s quite heartbreaking. My brother and I had no idea that it was going to go viral. We were thinking the best scenario was maybe 100 or 200K views on a video? But then we completely exceeded that, so it was very unexpected.
Honestly, I got quite emotional because it was working. After a year of nothing working, something was finally sticking, so I think I was more grateful than anything else.
You mentioned you tried streaming for a year, to no avail. What was that like, and why do you think it didn’t work out?
Initially, I was streaming on Twitch in 2024, but South Korea banned it, so I had to move to YouTube. That was when things went downhill. [laughs] I wasn’t a gamer, I spoke to my audience, and I tried everything, from Reddit stories, true crime, and even street interviews. I remembered doing a bunch of challenges and stuff like that. Nothing worked. It was devastating. Ultimately, I just lacked direction and a clear purpose, so it was only a matter of time before I eventually quit.
Did you always want to be a content creator or an online personality?
No, not really. My whole journey with social media content creation actually came from my friend, who introduced the idea of posting content on TikTok to me. At first, I thought it was just a dancing app, but he told me it was more than that, and there are a ton of niches on it. So, I gave it a shot—it was a very silly video—and uploaded it, thinking it was gonna get five million views. Next day, I woke up, and it was, like, 50. [laughs] So I was like, “Okay, this is harder than I thought!” After that, I started doing TikTok lives, and I gained a little audience there. Then, I moved to Twitch, and you know the rest.
You speak English very well. Do you feel like that also gave you a different edge and charm to your content?
I thank God I speak English. [laughs] Because without that, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. If I only spoke Korean, I would only be in the Korean market, but fortunately, the language meant that I was able to reach a wider, more global audience.
A lot of people are curious about how I learned English. I was born and raised in South Korea. I have spent my whole life here. I actually went to an international school, so my Korean wasn’t as good, actually. I speak English at home with my family and friends as well. And it was after I went to the military that my Korean improved.
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Was there a time when you actually felt your online fame?
I remember some people coming up to me in Korea asking to take photos with me. That was a wild and crazy moment. Also, when I first visited Malaysia last year around June, I held a little fan meet and greet. Hordes of people showed up, and I was completely blown away! It was so overwhelming, but in the best way possible. That experience set me up for my future meet and greets, so I’ll never forget that. I think that’s why Malaysia has a special place in my heart. It was my first sort of fan meeting, so it’s a fond memory of mine.
Portraying someone like Hongdae Guy, do you think that you are similar to him or not at all?
I think he’s a very, very exaggerated version of me. Like, he’s an extension of me, and that’s why I believe I’m the only one who can portray him. I think being his friend would be funny, and he’s someone you would definitely want to go out with for a fun time. Because he’s such a strong personality, about 95 percent of people who approach me are very careful because they don’t know if I’m going to be like that in real life. But no, I’m very, very shy as a person.
You’re shy? Really?
I am, yeah! Very introverted. I do have social anxiety when there are a lot of people around. But not with people that I know, I can have fun with them. But if I’m in a room with people, I don’t know how to react sometimes.
And that must be hard when you’re going up to strangers for your content, right? It’s an extraverted job!
Oh, for sure. Street interviews are horrible! You’ve got to be prepared for everything. I remember the first time I did it, I was so nervous and shaking. Plus, some people can be really mean and rude. So you kind of have to develop a thick skin and be prepared for that.
Some days were really tough. Especially when the weather isn’t good, and you’re standing there in, like, negative 12 degrees, freezing your butt off and you only managed to interview two people. I would take the car ride home in shame. Every day was demotivating. [laughs] But, I think because of those experiences, I learned a lot, and I’m still very grateful for everything.
Going viral with Hongdae Guy, did you feel a sense of pressure to keep up with the same shtick when you also wanted to experiment with different types of content?
Yes, absolutely. There was a phase I went through where I seriously had to ask myself, “Do I want Hongdae Guy to go viral?” Many other questions were swirling in my head: Am I going viral only because of this character? Am I a one-trick pony? Am I not creative enough to make skits go viral without Hongdae Guy?
I remember one day, my brother, who’s also my closest advisor, told me I should start doing videos as Sean. And that really shocked me. Because I was so caught up with seeing every single idea I had through Hongdae Guy’s eyes. And I didn’t know how to do videos as just Sean yet, and he called me a one-trick pony. That really struck a nerve with me, but in a good way, because it motivated me to think outside the box. I’ve barely done Hongdae Guy content in the past few months, and fortunately, it’s been great.
Was it scary to think you might’ve alienated your audiences by moving away from Hongdae Guy?
Yeah, I had a lot of people disappointed that I’m not doing Hongdae Guy anymore. But I needed to prove to myself that I could do it without Hongdae Guy. And I did, so, yeah, I’m very happy about that. Right now, my code is humour. As long as I have that, and I make good videos, I believe my supporters will see that.
Plus, Hongdae Guy is never off the table. He’ll come out when I need him to, maybe in some skits and things like that.
How would you personally define success now?
For me, it’s eventually moving to YouTube long-form content. I think that’s the endgame for a lot of content creators. I think everybody defines success differently. For me, I do have an end goal, but I like to take baby steps. I like to focus on the now, do the best I can in the present, and not worry too much about the future or the past.
You mentioned constantly thinking as Hongdae Guy and not as yourself, as Sean online. How would you convey authenticity so audiences know who you really are?
Yeah, that’s tricky, because I’m not a daily life YouTuber where I upload vlogs all the time. I think people with charming personalities can pull that off. They could literally just record themselves eating a pizza, talk about their day, and get a million views. I’m not like that, but I know my strengths, and I know my weaknesses. I think Hongdae Guy was able to get so big because nobody had done it before, and nobody can do it but me, so that’s why it was impactful. So for me, authenticity is making content that is original and creative.
What advice do you have for other aspiring content creators out there?
Honestly, I’m still learning. I’m still a student and always will be. But if I were to explain what worked for me, I think number one, you have to figure out what you’re good at. I’m telling you, most people don’t know what they’re good at. Some people know instantly. The process of finding that out can be tricky, but it’s so worth it.
Another thing is to do what only you can do. And then your content needs to serve some sort of purpose, whether it’s humour, education, or motivation. It took a whole year of failing for me to figure these things out. I really believe if you have those three down, there’s no way you can’t make it. Because nowadays, everyone just tries to do the same thing. But if you’re unique and you give some sort of purpose and you’re good at what you do, I don’t think there’s any way you can’t make it. This is what worked for me, at least. Maybe if you come back to me in six years, I can give some proper advice. [laughs]
Lastly, what’s next for Sean Solo and what can your supporters look forward to?
Getting into long form. That’s definitely top on my priority list. The thing is, I don’t like talking about the future because I don’t want to jinx it. I have a curse. If I say that something’s going to happen, it doesn’t happen. I have to keep it to myself, and then it happens. [laughs] I know it’s weird. It’s funny because whenever I’m vocal about it, it doesn’t work out. But if I keep it to myself and quietly work at it, it somehow works out. So I’m gonna just say, please stay tuned, because exciting new things are coming.
WATCH SEAN SOLO TEST HIS OPEN-MINDEDNESS WITH DURIAN:
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