Park Seo-Yeon, a woman from South Korea, makes $9000 a month from people on the internet who like to sit and watch her eat for hours on end. Park, who is known online as 'The Diva', cooks her meals and chats with fans on her webcam while she eats, as if she's conducting a dinner party.
In the trend known as Meok-Bang, her fans pay for the privilige of joining Park for her evening meals. The Korean internet craze does not cater to porn fans, though; there is no sex, nudity or suggestiveness involved and it's all extremely chaste. People log on to join Park to cure their loneliness and Park says that it actuall helps people on a diet if they have food cravings.
In South Korea, people living alone is very common and this trend is still rising. So much so that this could comprise one-third of the population in 15 years time. The advent and ease of access of the internet has made it a lot easier to contact people and form friendships without having to leave the house.
Park spends around $5000 on food per month for her elaborate dinners including steak, pasta and pizza, as well as tradionally prepared Korean food. Park always makes sure to prepare the most elborately designed dishes with the most ostentious food she can. Streams of her eating start at around 8 or 9pm and run on for hours with many different courses.
