Korean Job Discussion Forums

capebretoncanadian · Joined: 20 Feb 2005

is it possible?

faster · Joined: 03 Sep 2006

Many of my closest friends are Korean, including my best friend from childhood.

shaunew · Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Location: Calgary

My best friend is my wife so yes. We have a lot in common. I like playing my Xbox 360 and she likes watching me play it. Ain't life grand.

GoldMember · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

Can you be friends with Koreans? Yes.
However maybe I'm being harsh but an important test of friendship is honesty.
Here is an example:
I ask a Korean, "My back is saw, I heard an Anma is a good place to go, how about the Anma I saw down the road"
True friend says, "No don't go there it's not legitimate it's a place of prostitution"
Nationalistic liar says, "Oh no that's not a good place for a massage"
Me, "but why"
Nationalistic liar says, "They don't do good massages"
Me, "how do you know this"
Nationalstic liar ums and ahs, and avoids the truth

So far, when it comes to the darker side of Korea, I've yet to get an honest answer.

esetters21 · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

It is not easy. Koreans have a lot of seriously screwed up education and culture to overcome and western people have problems,too. I think it is usually a friendship of convience and not real friendship.

capebretoncanadian · Joined: 20 Feb 2005

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Yes, but it takes a lot of time and effort. No "Half-ass" are they. Wink

lowpo · Joined: 01 Mar 2007

capebretoncanadian · Joined: 20 Feb 2005

renzobenzo1 · Joined: 08 Sep 2007 Location: Suji, Yongin

I have a close Korean guy friend and other not so close friends.....

Sure there are differences, but it is possible IMO.

Ginormousaurus · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit

I have absolutely no Korean male friends and tons of female friends. That's just the way I like it. (I'm a guy, btw)

excitinghead · Joined: 18 Jul 2005

Of course it's possible. Were you really being serious when you asked the question?

If you want practical advice about meeting and making Korean friends, then I recommend teaching adults. I met my wife and my closest Korean friend that way. It more then makes up for the split shifts, especially if you're in your early-twenties.

My other close Korean friends were originally language-exchange partners (although now when we meet we talk in Korean so they can relax). It may seem a bit obvious, but if you want genuine Korean friends then planning to stay and learning Korean certainly helps. For instance, if I was back in New Zealand I'd be friendly to any Koreans I met of course, but if they didn't plan to study English at all, just hung out with Korean speakers, and wanted to leave after one or two years, then I probably wouldn't bother trying to be friends with them. Call me picky, but personally I can't really be friends with someone I know I'll never ever see again in 12 months.

I also don't have any Korean male friends and never have had. I've thought a lot about the reasons why, but I don't feel like opening that can of worms for now!

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:09 pm Post subject:

Sure it's possible, I just think we have a tougher time finding true and/or sincere friendships becuase we have not grown up in their cirlces. Their middle/high school classes are pretty tight, and meet well into adulthood. There are other examples of such strong relationships coming from other types of social situations that we were never a part of. We aren't part of the group, so it's tough. It can be done, but it takes patience.

adventureman · Joined: 18 Feb 2003