Tim Bray comments on his observation of airport greeting behavior.  He notes:

"There are some cultures where hugging is just not done, and while a lot of these people are Chinese-looking, it’s not as simple as that."

Korea is one of those cultures although, as he mentioned, it's not as simple as that.  I am Chinese-looking (actually more Japanese-looking than most Japanese) and I am not really into hugging.

It's not that I don't like to be hugged because I certainly enjoy hugging beautiful women.  When a sexy woman hugs me, first thought I have is "She wants me."  Yeah, right.  What I don't do, even with beautiful women, is initiate hugging because I am just not sure if it is the right thing to do.  Aloof in a "only if you want to" way.  Wannabe cool, if you will.  Insecure, I won't complain too much about.

I also don't mind when old ladies hug me because they are motherly hugs.  Comforting.  What I am uncomfortable about are guys hugging me.  It is just awkward even with close friends.  I always get embarassed when hugged by guys and have to scrambled to look natural.  It is like wearing a wet pair of pants.  Amazing what cultural conditioning does to you.

Interestingly enough, Korean guys like to touch each other in other ways like slapping shoulders or holding shoulder to shoulder.  I don't mind that much so it must be the frontal position, a subtle detail in cultural condition.  I think it might have to do with the penis.  When guys are face to face, it's like a game of chicken, but side-to-side is like a line of battle at sea.  Is this why women seem to mind hugging less?  Because they don't have, ahem, cannons?

One thing I did notice when I visited Korea for the first time since puberty was that Korean guys don't mind dancing together.  I was embarassed when I asked a girl I met at a bar out to dance and my buddy followed us to the dance floor.  "What the heck is he doing?", I wondered.  Later I realized this was common practice.  So if you go to a dance club in Korea, you will see guys or girls dancing in clusters and eyeing other groups.  Like Tim, I felt like constructing a bird-watcher's blind to observe the Korean mating ritual.

So, if you meet me in person and feel like giving me a hug, form a line of battle with me instead.  Unless you are a beautfiful woman that is.  This battleship is ready to return to harbor anytime.  <grin/>