Karrot, the go-to app for buying and selling secondhand items, is increasingly becoming a hub for forging friendships, particularly among foreigners seeking language exchange opportunities in South Korea.

In Seoul's Yongsan-gu on Tuesday, a search for “Korean friends” revealed several postings reflecting a growing trend of cross-cultural connections on the app, which is South Korea's largest community marketplace platform.

One user, identified as "chamhug," wrote: "I am a Japanese woman in my 20s, an international student in Seoul. I would like to meet a female friend to practice speaking Korean." She emphasized that her interest is purely platonic.

Koreans also use the platform to make international friends.

A user named “Hwang Doo-cheol” posted: "I am looking for a friend to chat with in English for about an hour, once every week." Another user, "Scorpion," commented on this post: "I’m a foreigner living in Yongsan. I can help you with your English and would love to learn Korean in return."

According to Karrot, there is a significant rise in interactions like these, with the number of users searching for "Korean friends" and "foreign friends" jumping 4.3 times and 3.1 times, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

This occurs on Karrot’s neighborhood-based community forums, which connect users within their local areas.

“The forums are becoming vibrant spaces for cultural interaction, attracting users from diverse backgrounds,” a company official said.

Posts seeking language exchange partners or friendships with Koreans have also increased by 30 percent on-year, according to the company's data.

However, when asked by The Korea Herald on Tuesday, the platform declined to disclose specific search figures or the share of non-Korean participants among its users.