Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Homer]

jajdude,

After 4 years and some basic language lessons you feel able to pass judgement on the contents and depth of Korean culture?
Would you accept the same comment about a person moving to Canada, the US or a european nation and after a couple of years and some language training would say: There is not much to (insert your home countries name) culture. I find it to be.......

You have to be careful about making sweeping comments about culture based on your very limited personal experience. Like others said on here, the longer you stay the more you notice how little you know or understand about the culture here.

Finally, saying a country "doesn't have an interesting culture" is a judgement call. Have you been t these other parts of the world long enough to learn anything substantial?If not your comparison does not hold water.

[On the other hand]

Three Dog Night:

[jajdude]

Homer,

That's just my opinion and experience. Of course it's limited and prejudiced. And there simply isn't time in one's life to spend years in various countires and make well-based impressions. Yes, I am positive many other people all over the globe go to foreign countries for years and have ideas similar to mine. You think four years in a foreign country is a short time? I do not think so. It's a long time. How many people spend four years in a foreign country? Less than one per cent of the world's people I bet. So I stand by what I said. Korea, for me, does not have an interesting culture. But it's easy to find work and the pay is not bad.

[weatherman]

[Zyzyfer]

What I'm seeing is a bunch of hippie hocus-pocus from those who say Korea doesn't have any culture. I mean, hell, the country was a pothole on the road to Asia just a few generations ago. Rebuilding, replanting, reestablishing. For such a short time, a lot has been done. I really do feel that Koreans as a people are beginning to move into the personal development phase, after putting so much work into putting the country back together.

And I'm gonna be brutally honest : I spent a year studying in Australia and felt just about as left out of the loop as I did my first year in Korea. While I might understand the roots of today's typical young Aussie guy/gal a bit better than Joe American, I definitely am no expert.

What's with all the pressure on Korea? Personally, I find Japan even more void of any interesting culture, but I digress.

[hojucandy]

i just can't believe yu people! the reason i came back to korea after my first year here was the culture! admittedly korean modern life seems to obscure most of it, but, tap into the art world or the traditional music world and yu will find a fascinating and beautiful culture alive and well among a friendly and open section of society - the artists and musos.

tonight for instance, at the national centre for korean tradition performing arts (right next to seoul arts centre - take a taxi from sadang station exit 1 - ask for gung-rip-guk-ak-won) there is a free concert at 8pm. they have these nearly every weekend. there was one last night too.

i suggest yu learn korean and talk to people. you'll find culture a-plenty

[schwa]

Theres something flawed about this thread. Every nation, every people, has the same amount of 'culture' -- just enough to get you through the day & through your life.

If youre talking about 'cultural difference' or exoticism, its all contingent on your base of comparison. To state that someone else's culture isnt 'interesting' says more about the speaker than the culture in question.

[ThreeDogNight]

[Mashimaro]

Korea has culture its just not particularly interesting to 'most' foreigners. Japan's art, architecture, history (samurais, geisha etc.) just capture your imagination compared to Korea which just seems bland to me by comparison.

[gomurr]

I agree with Mashimaro. Korea has it's own unique culture, even after 6 years here i'll be damned if i could pipoint it. After being in japan. China, Indonesia and the Philippines I would have to admit being more interested in those cultures more than Korea. Don't get me wrong, i've seen and lived in alot of different Korean cities and the one that I like the best is Kyong-Ju. But as far as I can tell, Korea is just a pale shadow of what Chinese culture is. Koreans are great borrowers just like the Romans were. Koreans have an inferiority complex when it comes to the rest of the world. ( To all Koreans don't worry all countries have some kind of complex, for Canada it's the old identity crisis)

[Watchful]

Hi ~ !

So, you all have some good outlooks & opinions regarding the culture: would you consider joining my MSN group to share your thoughts & help get some good discussions going?

It's called "Seoul Cafe" and the purpose of it is to gain greater understanding between Westerners & Koreans (particularly in Seoul, but from anywhere is okay), and to have a place to vent/chat/& gain broader perspectives with not only other foreigners but Koreans & Foreigners.

http://groups.msn.com/SeoulCafe

The first message posted has 6 questions to get one started in sharing your experiences/opinions/arguments/questions, so I look forward to hearing from you there...

Watchful

[mokpochica]

I have a different perspective to offer. When I first came to Korea in 2000 (my first time in Asia) I felt like I was bombarded with the obvious marks that Korea was a very different culture from mine--the biggest things being the different language and different writing everywhere. As time has gone on, I've gotten used to many of these differences and even found many similarities between Korean culture and my own. I still think that Korea has a very vibrant culture though--both modern and traditional.

I found the Moon Guidebooks to South Korea (by Robert Nilsen) is a great way to read up on some Korean culture and find interesting cultural things/tourist sites to see in Korea. You should check it out.

[Homer]

jajdude,

"Korea, for me, does not have an interesting culture."

Out of curiosity which country has an interesting culture and how do you define "interesting" in the case of culture?

[Zyzyfer]