Korean Job Discussion Forums

[John Junior]

Examples:

Driving: running red lights at full speed as if either the laws of probability or physics do not apply to them. With the highest I.Q.'s in the world, you'd think this was a no brainer.

.[/quote]

Koreans have a high I.Q? Are you serious?

[Steelrails]

Okay John, we get it. Koreans are the biggest idiots on the Earth and you are better and smarter than them.

By the way, how's work?

[motiontodismiss]

[John Junior]

[John Junior]

[John Junior]

[The Cosmic Hum]

[Julius]

Cars accelerating at you even if they have nowhere to go
Ajosshis hoking and spitting as if it was the defining act of an alpha male
The squishing sound of people eating with their mouths open
The way ajosshis "own the room" by shouting to eachother constantly
The qeue-jumping by anyone older
The demented fake parrotted chorus of 'anyonghaseyos" by service staff
The refusal to use the aircon in hot weather, to save money
The bumping, prodding and touching on public transport
The way ajoshis rest their head on your shoulder or fall asleep in your lap
The slow, inept service and careless attitude of service staff
The ameteurish, substandard way everything is manufactured or done
The way that all the front doors are kept locked except for one
The never-ending ajosshi staring contest
The blatant throwing down of litter, even in the countryside
The way men selfishly take up too much space on public transport
The ridiculous fear of all creatures from moths, dogs, flies..you name it.
The careless way all objects are slammed, dropped or roughly handled
The unwanted ajosshi "supervision" of every conversation or interraction
The selfish obstruction of escalators, doorways or pavements
The way people walk directly into you but expect you to move out the way
The not covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing
The way people will stop dead when walking right in front of you
The hypocritical anti-foreign agenda of the media
The way people think they are great parents yet their kids behave terribly
The massive prostitution industry hiding behind claims of conservatism
The lack of adventurous or independent spirit, or thought
The unoriginal copycat sheep mentality
The hideously ugly architecture
The smell of sewage in warm weather, throughout the city
The impossibility of working out in a gym without unwanted interference
The cynical exploitation of honest and well-meaning foreign workers
The stealing of other peoples ideas, or work, without permission
The inescapable crowds of noisy people, even in remote areas
The impossibility of travelling or going anywhere during public holidays
The way people recline their seats to the max on public transport
Restaurant food takes too long to arrive and longer to cool down
The way eat-in food deliveries don't taste as good as restaurant food
The use of kraft slices in place of cheese
The over-use of pickle or corn on everything
The scooters and motorbikes ploughing through pedestrian-only zones
The tolerance for domestic violence
The way traffic does not give way for emergency services
The massive tailbacks that form after every minor accident
The hurtling cyclists that come straight at pedestrians
The blocking of intersections by selfish drivers who can't make the turn
The way cars lurch forward at pedestrians

[slothrop]

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[rambler]

I'll never get used to everyone on their smart phone all the time. I'm not sure if that's happening all over the place these days, though.

It's sad that this turned from a thread about cultural differences into one listing all the things wrong with Korea.

Some of you folks need to focus on the good things you can't get used to around here:

- parks along both banks of rivers all over the country
- have a beer anywhere you feel like it
- great public transportation
- no need to leave a tip when you have a meal out
- cheap taxi service
- high quality, flavorful food for reasonable prices
- beautiful mountains almost everywhere you look

When I think of these things the minor annoyances don't bother me much.

Cheers!

[Janny]

I was in Korea for 8 years. I have been back in Canada since July 2010.

I am infinitely happier. I am broke, but I am happy.

I will never be desperate enough to return to Korea. The drawbacks greatly outweigh the benefits, for me.

It's a very sad place.

[Who's Your Daddy?]

ㅅㅅ Korea is a sad place. But I survive here by:

1) Not taking public transit. Driving my own car.
2) Not living in a large city. Then driving is possible. Also the people seem happier.
3) Living in an expensive area of my town. Few low-class people.

[Sorry if that sounds arrogant. But you have to move into high-end areas to escape the riff-raff (that includes some foreigners too). A lot of the annoyances aren't there.]

[fermentation]

[motiontodismiss]

[Steelrails]

I wonder what people imagined before they came here. I also wonder how much research they did before they came here. I also wonder that if they did do some research, why in the world are they so surprised.

Very little here has surprised me. I guess that's because I came in with few/low expectations. I think I'm one of the few people who came in actually expecting to potentially be screwed over on my money and facing xenophobia as opposed to visions of piles of cash and fawning locals.