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Asia News Network
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Asia News Network
‘Teto' or ‘egen'? Young Koreans turn to hormone-inspired identity tests
July 14, 2025 SEOUL – Bae Sung-jin, a 30-year-old office worker, says there's now one more way to check compatibility during blind dates. 'I get emotionally drained easily and tend to be very sensitive in relationships. So I make sure to check their MBTI and whether they're a 'teto' or 'egen' type,' he said. Twenty-two-year-old Lee, who recently got into so-called 'identity tests,' introduced herself as follows: 'I'm an 'egen woman,' so feminine clothing suits me well. But my personality is more like a 'teto woman.' — I'm bold and outgoing.' A new personality classification trend has taken hold among young singles in Korea, with the rise of the 'teto-egen' test. The test uses analogies to testosterone and estrogen levels to analyze interpersonal styles and energy types. Social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube Shorts are awash with users sharing their results. The trend has spilled into pop culture as well. Young K-pop fans analyze celebrities based on the theory: Aespa's Winter is labeled a teto woman, Karina an egen woman, Suzy a teto woman and IU an egen woman. Countless videos and comment threads speculate about celebrities' personality types by combining their clothing style, speech patterns and dating histories. Hormonal archetypes go viral The 'teto' and 'egen' arcetypes are derived from the hormones testosterone and estrogen, respectively. According to the typology, a teto man is masculine and athletic, while an egen man is gentle and appearance-conscious. A teto woman is expressive and extroverted, whereas an egen woman is reserved and traditionally feminine. The teto-egen test from the personality test platform, Types, had attracted over 1.16 million participants as of Thursday. The test, consisting of 28 questions, produces results such as gentle egen man or commander-like teto woman. One of the main draws of this test is its romantic compatibility analysis. Emotionally sensitive egen men are said to be attracted to charismatic teto women, while strong-willed teto men are seen as well-matched with caring egen women. The test gained even more attention after the final episode of 'SNL Korea' season 2 on Coupang Play last month featured a skit titled 'When a Teto Man Falls in Love.' In the episode, boy group BTOB's Yook Sung-jae, cast as an egen man, is dumped by his teto girlfriend for a more masculine partner. He undergoes a brutal teto transformation that includes growing a thick beard. The origin of the trend dates back to June 2021, when a diet content creator first posted about it on his blog. It gained popularity through a web cartoonist on Instagram, going viral soon after. For Gen Z, who seek quick ways to define themselves, the trend is a form of self-expression. Online content now covers dating, marriage, fashion, beauty and workplace behavior based on these archetypes. One beauty YouTuber posted a makeup tutorial titled 'Makeup for egen women,' featuring a clean and neat look. There are also countless videos on topics like 'The ideal woman for an egen man,' 'How teto women talk to teto men' and 'How teto women date egen men.' History of typing the self Self-categorization trends are nothing new. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, blood types were a popular personality metric in Korea and Japan. Statements like 'type A people are timid' and 'type B people are selfish' were commonly accepted, even though they originated in racially motivated studies by a Japanese eugenicist that have since been rejected by scientists. Later, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, became the most popular personality clasification tool, dividing people into 16 types. People began using MBTI types to explain themselves in conversations and check compatibility on first dates. It even found its way into career planning and hiring processes. Professor Lim Myung-ho of Dankook University's Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy explains the popularity of such trends as rooted in a desire for self-discovery and understanding. 'The trend reflects the MZ generation's effort to understand themselves and build positive relationships with others,' he said. Curiosity or confinement In a nationwide survey by Embrain Trend Monitor involving 1,000 Koreans aged 19 to 59, 76 percent of respondents in their 20s and 71.6 percent in their 30s said they 'want to understand themselves accurately.' The 86 percent of those in their 20s and 87.6 percent of those in their 30s said they were 'curious about who they are,' yet only 22.4 percent and 36.8 percent, respectively, felt they had truly learned about themselves through experience. The results highlight a growing reliance on type-based classifications to explore identity and match behavior to social expectations. In essence, these tests are light-hearted forms of entertainment, but they also serve as tools for introspection, self-expression and social communication. 'In an anxious society, it reflects a desire to feel a sense of belonging and create intimacy in relationships,' said Lim. 'As long as the intense competition among young people continues, these types of classification trends will persist.' However, some experts caution that such identity tests risk reinforcing oversimplified binaries. Framing behavior and traits in terms of gendered hormones can make stereotypes further entreched. 'Humans are wired to categorize and group things. Just like with MBTI or blood types, categorizing people into 'teto men' or 'egen men' is another attempt to simplify complex human nature,' said Kwak Geum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University. She warned that while such classifications begin as curiosity, they can become self-restrictive if taken too seriously. Professor Lim echoed the concern, 'Blindly believing in these tests can lead to overgeneralization and binary thinking. Identity tests should be treated lightly and used for reference only,' he said.
Straits Times
13-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Straits Times
‘Teto' or ‘egen'? Young S.Koreans turn to hormone-inspired identity tests
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The teto-egen test from the personality test platform, Types, had attracted more than one million participants. SEOUL - Mr Bae Sung-jin, a 30-year-old office worker, says there's now one more way to check compatibility during blind dates. 'I get emotionally drained easily and tend to be very sensitive in relationships. So I make sure to check their MBTI and whether they're a 'teto' or 'egen' type,' he said. Twenty-two-year-old Lee, who recently got into so-called 'identity tests,' introduced herself as follows: 'I'm an 'egen woman,' so feminine clothing suits me well. But my personality is more like a 'teto woman.' — I'm bold and outgoing.' A new personality classification trend has taken hold among young singles in South Korea, with the rise of the 'teto-egen' test. The test uses analogies to testosterone and estrogen levels to analyse interpersonal styles and energy types. Social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube Shorts are awash with users sharing their results. The trend has spilled into pop culture as well. Young K-pop fans analyse celebrities based on the theory: Aespa's Winter is labeled a teto woman, Karina an egen woman, Suzy a teto woman and IU an egen woman. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Hormonal archetypes go viral The 'teto' and 'egen' archetypes are derived from the hormones testosterone and estrogen, respectively. According to the typology, a teto man is masculine and athletic, while an egen man is gentle and appearance-conscious. A teto woman is expressive and extroverted, whereas an egen woman is reserved and traditionally feminine. The teto-egen test from the personality test platform, Types, had attracted over 1.16 million participants as of July 10 . The test, consisting of 28 questions, produces results such as gentle egen man or commander-like teto woman. One of the main draws of this test is its romantic compatibility analysis. Emotionally sensitive egen men are said to be attracted to charismatic teto women, while strong-willed teto men are seen as well-matched with caring egen women. The test gained even more attention after the final episode of SNL Korea season 2 on Coupang Play in June featured a skit titled When A Teto Man Falls In Love. In the episode, boy group BTOB's Yook Sung-jae, cast as an egen man, is dumped by his teto girlfriend for a more masculine partner. He undergoes a brutal teto transformation that includes growing a thick beard. The origin of the trend dates back to June 2021, when a diet content creator first posted about it on his blog. It gained popularity through a web cartoonist on Instagram, going viral soon after. For Gen Z, who seek quick ways to define themselves, the trend is a form of self-expression. Online content now covers dating, marriage, fashion, beauty and workplace behavior based on these archetypes. One beauty YouTuber posted a makeup tutorial titled Makeup For Egen women, featuring a clean and neat look. There are also countless videos on topics like 'The ideal woman for an egen man', 'How teto women talk to teto men' and 'How teto women date egen men'. History of typing the self Self-categorisation trends are nothing new. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, blood types were a popular personality metric in Korea and Japan. Statements like 'type A people are timid' and 'type B people are selfish' were commonly accepted, even though they originated in racially motivated studies by a Japanese eugenicist that have since been rejected by scientists. Later, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, became the most popular personality clasification tool, dividing people into 16 types. People began using MBTI types to explain themselves in conversations and check compatibility on first dates. It even found its way into career planning and hiring processes. Professor Lim Myung-ho of Dankook University's Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy explains the popularity of such trends as rooted in a desire for self-discovery and understanding. 'The trend reflects the MZ generation's effort to understand themselves and build positive relationships with others,' he said. Curiosity or confinement In a nationwide survey by Embrain Trend Monitor involving 1,000 Koreans aged 19 to 59, 76 percent of respondents in their 20s and 71.6 per cent in their 30s said they 'want to understand themselves accurately'. The 86 per cent of those in their 20s and 87.6 per cent of those in their 30s said they were 'curious about who they are', yet only 22.4 per cent and 36.8 per cent, respectively, felt they had truly learned about themselves through experience. The results highlight a growing reliance on type-based classifications to explore identity and match behavior to social expectations. In essence, these tests are light-hearted forms of entertainment, but they also serve as tools for introspection, self-expression and social communication. 'In an anxious society, it reflects a desire to feel a sense of belonging and create intimacy in relationships,' said Prof Lim. 'As long as the intense competition among young people continues, these types of classification trends will persist.' However, some experts caution that such identity tests risk reinforcing oversimplified binaries. Framing behavior and traits in terms of gendered hormones can make stereotypes further entreched. 'Humans are wired to categorise and group things. Just like with MBTI or blood types, categorizing people into 'teto men' or 'egen men' is another attempt to simplify complex human nature,' said Professor Kwak Geum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University. She warned that while such classifications begin as curiosity, they can become self-restrictive if taken too seriously. Prof Lim echoed the concern. 'Blindly believing in these tests can lead to overgeneralisation and binary thinking. Identity tests should be treated lightly and used for reference only,' he said. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Korea Herald
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
‘Teto' or ‘egen'? Young Koreans turn to hormone-inspired identity tests
Though seen as playful route for self-discovery, experts urge moderation to avoid stereotyping, self-limiting beliefs Bae Sung-jin, a 30-year-old office worker, says there's now one more way to check compatibility during blind dates. 'I get emotionally drained easily and tend to be very sensitive in relationships. So I make sure to check their MBTI and whether they're a 'teto' or 'egen' type,' he said. Twenty-two-year-old Lee, who recently got into so-called 'identity tests,' introduced herself as follows: 'I'm an 'egen woman,' so feminine clothing suits me well. But my personality is more like a 'teto woman.' — I'm bold and outgoing.' A new personality classification trend has taken hold among young singles in Korea, with the rise of the 'teto-egen' test. The test uses analogies to testosterone and estrogen levels to analyze interpersonal styles and energy types. Social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube Shorts are awash with users sharing their results. The trend has spilled into pop culture as well. Young K-pop fans analyze celebrities based on the theory: Aespa's Winter is labeled a teto woman, Karina an egen woman, Suzy a teto woman and IU an egen woman. Countless videos and comment threads speculate about celebrities' personality types by combining their clothing style, speech patterns and dating histories. Hormonal archetypes go viral The 'teto' and 'egen' arcetypes are derived from the hormones testosterone and estrogen, respectively. According to the typology, a teto man is masculine and athletic, while an egen man is gentle and appearance-conscious. A teto woman is expressive and extroverted, whereas an egen woman is reserved and traditionally feminine. The teto-egen test from the personality test platform, Types, had attracted over 1.16 million participants as of Thursday. The test, consisting of 28 questions, produces results such as gentle egen man or commander-like teto woman. One of the main draws of this test is its romantic compatibility analysis. Emotionally sensitive egen men are said to be attracted to charismatic teto women, while strong-willed teto men are seen as well-matched with caring egen women. The test gained even more attention after the final episode of 'SNL Korea' season 2 on Coupang Play last month featured a skit titled 'When a Teto Man Falls in Love.' In the episode, boy group BTOB's Yook Sung-jae, cast as an egen man, is dumped by his teto girlfriend for a more masculine partner. He undergoes a brutal teto transformation that includes growing a thick beard. The origin of the trend dates back to June 2021, when a diet content creator first posted about it on his blog. It gained popularity through a web cartoonist on Instagram, going viral soon after. For Gen Z, who seek quick ways to define themselves, the trend is a form of self-expression. Online content now covers dating, marriage, fashion, beauty and workplace behavior based on these archetypes. One beauty YouTuber posted a makeup tutorial titled 'Makeup for egen women,' featuring a clean and neat look. There are also countless videos on topics like 'The ideal woman for an egen man,' 'How teto women talk to teto men' and 'How teto women date egen men.' History of typing the self Self-categorization trends are nothing new. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, blood types were a popular personality metric in Korea and Japan. Statements like 'type A people are timid' and 'type B people are selfish' were commonly accepted, even though they originated in racially motivated studies by a Japanese eugenicist that have since been rejected by scientists. Later, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, became the most popular personality clasification tool, dividing people into 16 types. People began using MBTI types to explain themselves in conversations and check compatibility on first dates. It even found its way into career planning and hiring processes. Professor Lim Myung-ho of Dankook University's Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy explains the popularity of such trends as rooted in a desire for self-discovery and understanding. 'The trend reflects the MZ generation's effort to understand themselves and build positive relationships with others,' he said. Curiosity or confinement In a nationwide survey by Embrain Trend Monitor involving 1,000 Koreans aged 19 to 59, 76 percent of respondents in their 20s and 71.6 percent in their 30s said they 'want to understand themselves accurately.' The 86 percent of those in their 20s and 87.6 percent of those in their 30s said they were 'curious about who they are,' yet only 22.4 percent and 36.8 percent, respectively, felt they had truly learned about themselves through experience. The results highlight a growing reliance on type-based classifications to explore identity and match behavior to social expectations. In essence, these tests are light-hearted forms of entertainment, but they also serve as tools for introspection, self-expression and social communication. 'In an anxious society, it reflects a desire to feel a sense of belonging and create intimacy in relationships,' said Lim. 'As long as the intense competition among young people continues, these types of classification trends will persist.' However, some experts caution that such identity tests risk reinforcing oversimplified binaries. Framing behavior and traits in terms of gendered hormones can make stereotypes further entreched. 'Humans are wired to categorize and group things. Just like with MBTI or blood types, categorizing people into 'teto men' or 'egen men' is another attempt to simplify complex human nature,' said Kwak Geum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University. She warned that while such classifications begin as curiosity, they can become self-restrictive if taken too seriously. Professor Lim echoed the concern, 'Blindly believing in these tests can lead to overgeneralization and binary thinking. Identity tests should be treated lightly and used for reference only,' he said.
Time Out
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This cute 'LimSimi' personality quiz is going viral in Singapore – here's why everyone's taking it
You might remember the "You Simi Flavour" quiz that went viral around this time last year. This year, there's a new personality quiz making waves in Singapore, and just in time for National Day too. Introducing the ' Lim Simi ' personality quiz, a quirky and hyper-local take on your typical MBTI or Enneagram test. Loosely inspired by those personality quizzes we all love to hate, 'Lim Simi' sorts you into a type based on, you guessed it, local drinks. There's teh C kosong, kopi gao, Milo Dinosaur, sugarcane juice, avocado shake, and even soursop juice. Created independently by local creator @tyeckh, the quiz doesn't ask for your email or personal details, just a few minutes of your time and your gut instincts. You'll be taken through a mini-narrative of ten choose-your-own-adventure-style questions. Along the way, you'll travel through a stylised version of Singapore, making pit stops at landmarks like the Merlion, Haji Lane, Gardens by the Bay and even the MRT, all while being asked to choose between options like whether you want to reach your destination quickly and efficiently or take the scenic route. At the end, you'll receive a drink card that reveals your personality type, core traits, strengths and weaknesses, the drinks you vibe with, and the ones that might 'taste funky' to you. For such a short quiz, we found it strangely accurate and we definitely felt attacked by the weaknesses section. The quiz has already gone viral on WhatsApp group chats and Instagram Stories, with thousands sharing their results and comparing drink personalities with friends. It taps into our collective love for fun, low-stakes personality quizzes, plus who wouldn't want to be associated with all our favourite kopitiam drinks?
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Personality test: Is the man running towards or away from you? What you see first reveals your thinking patterns
Photo: Marina Winberg/ Instagram Personality tests are fun and engaging ways that claim to reveal a person's true traits, behaviours, and preferences. They offer insights into how people think, feel, and interact with others. These tests can range from scientific assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to fun quizzes and optical illusions. Since most of these tests are fun and easily accessible, they have become quite popular on social media. This particular test, for instance, was shared by Marina Winberg -- a Neuraleaner and Antistress expert, on social media recently. It is based on a weird image and depending on how you interpret the image, a lot can be revealed about you, she claims. At first glance at the image, a person can either see a man running towards them or away from them. Based on what they notice first, Marina says that the test can reveal a person's true thinking patterns. To take the test and know more about yourself, simply relax and look at the above image. Now, read its meaning below: 1. If you see a man running toward you, it means... "This indicates you have a more "male" brain. Your motto: *Less talk, more action.* You're pragmatic and prefer solving problems using analytical skills, facts, and solid reasoning. You focus easily on a single task and learn quickly when something interests you. However, multitasking is harder for you—you prefer concentrating on one thing at a time," Marina shared in the social media post. 2. If you see a man running away from you, it means... "This suggests a more "female" thinking style. You rely on feelings and intuition and don't rush decisions. Your brain thrives in creative environments. You love order in both your surroundings and thoughts, excel at planning and organizing, and effortlessly juggle multiple tasks. You have an excellent memory and openly share your emotions with loved ones. While logic may sometimes take a backseat to emotions, your structured approach helps you stay balanced," she explained. However, one needs to know that this test is not scientifically proven and it is only for entertainment purposes. And so, if the result doesn't truly match your personality you shouldn't worry too much about it and take it lightly. "Remember: No matter your thinking style, maintaining a balance between emotions and common sense is key," Marina further says. How true was this test result for you? Tell us about it in the comments section below. Revealed: Signs that prove your love life is still rock solid
