There is an American man who is very satisfied with his life in Korea. He says that everything is perfect here, except for one thing: a certain chocolate bar that is only sold in his home country.

We are talking about Dominic Dinkins, a man who has lived in Korea for nearly five years now, since leaving his hometown of Detroit in 2009. Nowadays, Dinkins is being increasingly recognized in the online world thanks to his blog "DOM & HYO." His infographics depicting life in a fun, yet candid, manner strike a chord among those living in Korea and, on the other hand, garner curiosity from people outside the peninsula.


Dominic Dinkins arrived for the first time in Korea in 2009. "I knew about this country when I was little," said Dinkins, when asked about the factors that led him to move here. Thanks to his mother, who cared very much about his education, he was exposed to many sports as a kid, including swimming, golf and, finally, taekwondo. "I have a black belt," he said with a proud smile.

When asked what actually attracted him to make the decision to live in Korea, Dinkins explained that one of his best friends moved here and then suggested he give it a try. His friend, then an English instructor, said that life in Korea is very fun and dynamic, and encouraged him to go online to find a job. He gradually developed an interest in the country during his online searches, and it only took three months until he actually got on an airplane. Now, Dinkins works as an English instructor in Incheon.


Dinkins started his blog in 2011, two years after his arrival. As can be assumed from the name of the blog, "DOM & HYO," the blog has been largely influenced by his girlfriend, who goes by the name Hyo, in every aspect, from the beginning until the daily updates. Having majored in graphics, Dinkins made the most of his ability to portray their everyday life in a comic manner.

The first meeting between Dom and Hyo was arranged through an online language exchange website. Worried about the possibility of a misunderstanding, that his counterpart might think he was only seeking romance rather than language exchange, Dinkins brought his pens and notebooks with him, an indication that he came to learn. Hyo also brought writing materials, too. Also, she lied, claiming to have a boyfriend, since she was careful about meeting new people, especially men. However, after a few meetings, they became attracted to each other and, finally, fell in love. From the very first encounter until today, their relationship has been portrayed in the comic strips on "DOM & HYO."

Many of the comic strips make you laugh. In one strip depicting the first day they met, they were shown visiting a café. As Dinkins hates Americanos and orders some tea, Hyo is shown standing there with a surprised look on her face, thinking, "Don't all Americans drink coffee?"

Starting mainly with love stories, the blog has now developed into a site that provides useful tips for people living in Korea. In particular, his infographic explaining some common Korean emoticons and smileys has gained a lot of attention among readers, some of whom recognize the emojis and some of whom learn what they mean for the first time.


For example, many people use, "T_T," to express crying, "*^^*," for blushing, and, "@_@," for confusion. Also, Dinkins introduces some abbreviations, such as, "ㅇㅋ," for, "OK." He provides such useful and fun expressions on a daily basis.

Finally, Dinkins said, "I hope I can offer more comical yet useful information to people."

* Click here to visit the "DOM & HYO" blog.

By Lee Seung-ah
Korea.net Staff Writer
slee27@korea.kr