Korean Job Discussion Forums

lowpo · Joined: 01 Mar 2007

Hey, all you foreigners who have a Korean girlfriend or wife. Do they let you kiss or hug them in public, or is it impolite to do this in public in Korea?
My friend has a Korean wife and I have never seen them show emotion in public or even Korean couples.

polonius · Joined: 05 Jun 2004

I have seen foreigner/Koreans show public displays of emotion. I think it is an individual choice. But what really bothers me is when a Korean girl will pick the zit off her boyfriend on the subway. I have seen this more times than I have seen public displays of emotion.

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

The Everlan Express Bus from Gangnam is a romantic ride. Seen a few couples sneak a quick kiss on there (they never noticed me peering over the seat either)

excitinghead · Joined: 18 Jul 2005

My Korean wife and I have no qualms about hugging, and apart from a drunk mentally handicapped guy once I've never been hassled about it, before or after we had our baby daughter in tow. In my own experience most Korean university students here in Busan are still pretty reserved, but some are very touchy-feely these days, much more so than when I first came in 2000.

But kissing? Back in NZ I probably would, but I met my wife here and I've been here for so long that it never even occurs to either of us to give more than just a quick peck on the cheek. The only publically kissing couples I've seen here were either very drunk or in makeout spots around Universities. Speaking of which, on TV recently a comedy show made a 20-something couple french-kiss on the street in various locations around Seoul to get the reactions of passerbys on camera, which just goes to show how outrageous and bizarre most Koreans still find it!

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

My Korean friend kissed his girlfriend for the first time two weeks ago. They had been going out for over eight months.

seoulman1 · Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Location: Jamsil

Koreans dont like to kiss because everyone has kimchi breath..

excitinghead · Joined: 18 Jul 2005

seoulman1 · Joined: 02 Feb 2007 Location: Jamsil

long enough to realise why koreans dont kiss. Korean breath is like a lethal weapon. Sometimes when I get on a packed train and it feels like a wave of toxic gas has hit me in the face.

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

MissSeoul · Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Location: Somewhere in America

JohnTeacher · Joined: 10 Mar 2007 Location: Ansan-Si, South Korea

Hi,
For the most part, it's generally the young couples who are seen kissing in public. I suspect there are a number of reasons:
1) They both live with Mommy and Daddy and can't afford a room.
2) The girl's parents don't approve of the young man and so they can't go
to her home.
3) The boy's parents don't approve of the young woman and they can't go
to his home.
4) Young love----its usually more URGENT than older couples. Hey...if we feel like it now...we'll feel like it later...right? (When you're young, it can sometimes be a case of "I want some...and I want some NOW!")
5) The relationship is supposedly a secret...and those stolen moments and kisses are somehow not noticed by the thousands who see it. (This also goes to "love affairs"...my fiancee's sister opened the door to a room at her restaurant the other day to find a man's secretary riding him on the floor.)

babtangee · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 8:47 pm Post subject:

Sometimes my wife pressures me to hold her hand in public. I hate doing it. Of course people are going to look. Sometimes she tells me to kiss her in public too. Thankfully she's only teasing me when she does that.

I don't think anyone but kids and idiots are making any excessive displays of affection back home. It's just not taboo like it is here.

JMO · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Location: Daegu

I've seen the old skinship quite a bit with people on the train. Unfortunately the only action i get is old woman stare.

bluelake · Joined: 01 Dec 2005

I've been married to my wife (Korean) for twenty-three years now. I think times have changed quite a bit since then. Back then, society here was quite conservative and even holding hands was a no-no in most circles. At that time, when she and I were obviously alone in public areas, we would hold hands, but that was the extent of it. When she and I lived in the US (back in the mid-80s), of course there was no hang-up about it. Nowadays here in Korea, a little public display of affection is no big thing.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

From what I remember public displays of affection were considered kind of rude back in Canada too. But I don't really care. The worst thing that'll happen here is some old woman will glare at the back of my head.