Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dev]

So, you're a foreigner. Unless you're Asian or Gyopo, you probably get a lot of attention from Koreans because of your different looks.

Generally, would you say that the attention you get from Koreans is positive?

I'll be the first to admit that after living in Korea a couple of years I feel jaded. I'm tired of the blank stares I get from Koreans on subways and on the streets. I feel marginalized from Korean society because very few Koreans will make small talk with me. Koreans who do suddenly get an audience around me and the brave Korean who does. I hear people talking about me behind my back, but not to my face. I get a weird feeling from people here.

How about other foreigners? Do you feel that the attention you get is positive? Maybe I read too much into everything. I don't know.

[VanIslander]

++++-+--++++++++-+---+++++++++++++++++++++-++++++++++++++++-+--++++++++-++++++++-+++++++-++-+++++++++-+++++++++--++-+++++++++++++-++++-++++++

+'s outnumber -'s easily

[Ozabout7or8]

Who wants small talk with strangers?
Who cares what people on the street think?

People on the street in NZ, USA or Canada are just the same do you seem to have forgotten? The world outside yuor front door makes you no promises of kindness anywhere in the world, so why expect it in Korea?

Make a few close relationships with Koreans and you will stop worrying about the man on the street, trust me.

OZ

[ella]

Definitely positive.

Who's that in your avatar, Dev?

[doggyji]

[Ginormousaurus]

Positive by far.

Dev, do you actually realize how much you whine and complain? Seriously, man, nearly every thread you start is just about you crying about something.

[mehmeh]

I get the occasional stare or ogle from time to time but I don't let myself feel wired about it. I guess I feel positive about it since it seems flattering to me. I usually chuckle and play along when a random old woman points out my small face or when an old man tells his grand daughter to say "hello". When it's obvious that someone just wants a free English lesson, I start speaking German.

[VirginIslander]

Koreans can be very superficial. If you are good looking, white, thin and healthy, then most of the stares and comments will be postive. If you are unattractive, dark, overweight or out of shape, then most stares and comments will be negative. This can be especially true for woman.

Unless its from an old man on the last ride home. Then it will be the latter no matter what.

[oneofthesarahs]

Generally positive.

Although yesterday I got catcalled by a bunch of construction guys, and instead of feeling offended, I was overcome with a sense that all is right with the world. No matter where you are, construction guys are going to be pigs.

[IncognitoHFX]

[mercury]

[sojourner1]

There are several reasons why you get positive or negative responses.
Some foreigners experience Korea to be very friendly and accepting and some find it to be xenophobic misery. I find it very xenophobic in the small town I live in, but have had many positive experiences with Koreans during my trips to Seoul and Busan.

Many factors include, but not limited to:

1. How internationally cultured are the locals where you live? Big city? Small town? Affluent neighborhood? Poor working class neighborhood?

2. What is your attitude of living in Korea? What do you look like? What is your gender? What is your age?

I live in a small working class neighborhood of a small city where people stare at me in disgust and nobody wants to talk to me. There are mostly old people, many still carrying on old traditions of pulling rikshaws to collect waste and carrying things on their heads to the tiny local street market. I notice thier are few children in my local area, but the few present tend not to be studying English who put thier efforts more into Taekwondo, PC bang gaming, and public school attendance. I have gone to my local PC bang many times in my first couple months and not one young person or anyone spoke any English nor were friendly. There are several young couples with children, but they appear to be struggling to make ends meet. You have land ajummas who are doing very well and then you have the renters who seem to not be doing very well. Not once have I had a local approach me in a friendly manner where I live, but just disgusting stares. The few kids in my neighborhood are not getting much English education, if any at all, because they don't say, "Hi," like kids in many other areas do. Despite the fact a very expensive English hagwon is present for which it's students are bussed in from the other side of town where people are well off, I do not see any locals on the streets speaking English here until I go into more developed areas that have big stores and modern amenities. I see no other foreigners ever when I go out for walks in my local area, because it is discomforting that many of the locals are not friendly, making for a tense environment. There are a small handful of foreigners here, but they keep a very low profile in their apartments.

My neighbors, a young couple with 2 toddlers and a baby, living in a small apartment identical to mine are not a bit friendly. They are always home and have their door open all day each day and I have to walk by it every day. It appears they don't have jobs as they are here all the time with thier door open. I said, "Hi," to them a couple times when I first moved in, but they just gave me disgusting stares and wouldn't talk. They continue to stare and grunt at me when I walk by as they are often outside their apartment smoking in the outside walkway. I found out recently that the man speaks English as he came to my window last Friday night at 8:30 to tell me to turn my laptop sound off with very rude and aggressive voice inflection!!! "Can you turn it off, OK?!" I said, "Yes," and he left. I could hear him talking in his apartment a minute later in a negative tone of voice. I can understand that they wouldn't like me, because they know I am living in a small place like theirs by myself, rent free, and making more money than they are. People do know your business here allot more than you would like to think they do.

I know that much of the xenophobia extends from the fact that you are making more money than many locals who may not be able to afford to put their kids in English hagwon, especially one that costs in excess of 1 million Won a month. If you seeing a significant level of xenophobia, it's probably because you're living rent free with higher income in an area where people are economically struggling and generally uneducated. Not all of Korea is wealthy, despite the fact the economy is booming. It is very difficult for poor working class locals to accept a foreigner waltzing in here with ease and making more money than they are.

I just want to make to the end of my contract and leave since this is a very uncomfortable and meaningless situation I got myself in so I'm keeping a low profile outside of work. This is one lonesome sojourn I am on this year.

[philogirl81]

I live in the brothel section of seoul and I feel like 90% of all the blank stares are negative, especially all the drunk ajoshi's looking at my ji ji's all of the time and saying "How much massaggggeee".
Mostly, when I go to other areas of Seoul, it is fine and the attention becomes more of the "Look at the person who looks differnt" kind.
I was downtown Seoul today and was told by a korean boy (around 20 I think) that I "Looked like a prostitiute and she should change my clothes".
He said it in pretty clear English as I was walking by. I thought that he said it to be helpful. The strange thing is that I was wearing a normal one-colour t-shirt that was not tight and a pair of loose fitting jeans. No makeup, tennis shoes, hair tied back. I'm still confused by that comment.
Maybe he was being an a**?

[shaunew]

I just get the stare's and the you look so strong. I have been here 3 years left and back again. But this time I don't like the little sh!tt bug me.

[brento1138]

I usually am pretty upbeat about Korea, but last night I was walking with my girlfriend in Gangnam, and someone shouted "go back-uh to your country!" to me...

Well, you would think in a more sophisticated area like Gangnam, you wouldn't see that kind of idiocy. But nope. It happens... and it's not Korea's fault... it's humanity's...