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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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 Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:48 am Post subject: The fruitless search for Korean alternative lifestylers |
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I posted a message here a few months ago asking if anyone could count any genuine back-to-nature, tree-hugging hippy types amongst the Koreans they knew.
The general conclusion was that basically, 'hippy' in Korea is nothing more than a clothing style and 'well-being' is an empty marketing gimmick.
But I'm determined to meet genuine, eco-aware Koreans either living, or aspiring to live, back-to-nature type alternative lifestyles.
I've met environmentally aware Koreans through groups like KFEM but I've yet to encounter the more fervently green Koreans who want to turn their backs on Korea's materialistic mainstream society. We've got loads of 'off-the-grid', vege growing types in NZ, and I know the States and Canada have 'homesteaders'. And the UK has lots of smallholders in Wales. But where are Korea's equivalents? |
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crazy_arcade
Joined: 05 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:22 am Post subject: |
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| On islands off the three coasts...for real. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:30 am Post subject: |
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| Due to the lack of diverse information in Korean on alternative lifestyles and the lack of individuality, it's not surprising there are no alternative Koreans. There are some, but they are few, far between and most of them are different enough, and smart enough, to leave the country. |
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normalcyispasse
Joined: 27 Oct 2006
Location: Yeosu until the end of February WOOOOOOOO
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:31 am Post subject: |
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| Locally, check out the southwest part of Dolsan island. If you can hop on a ferry, check out some of the tinier islands like Geomun and An. You might have better luck there. |
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PGF
Joined: 27 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:34 am Post subject: |
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Are you looking for dirty hippie sub culture or intellectuals? I have a class once a week with an older buddhist woman who studies philosophy and is remarkably enlightened.
My wife drags me to a 'buddhist' shaman twice a month and we have great late night discussions on all kinds of crazy "hippie" topics.
I think you need to define what you perceive as hippie. You are looking for what? koreans who recycle? pot smokers. people who like jerry?
what's a hippy? an environmentalist? someone who lives on a commune? |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:05 am Post subject: |
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| Bibbitybop wrote: |
| Due to the lack of diverse information in Korean on alternative lifestyles and the lack of individuality, it's not surprising there are no alternative Koreans. There are some, but they are few, far between and most of them are different enough, and smart enough, to leave the country. |
This is the basic answer I guess  . Many of the green Koreans that I've met in the past have ended up immigrating to greener pastures in other countries. One young Korean woman I met years ago, who planned to live a self-sufficient life in the countryside moved to Germany, as did some Korean friends who were tired of the Korean government making it too easy for people to screw up the countryside.
Normalcy and Crazy - you guys are right, probably the isolated islands are the places that attract Korean alternative lifestylers.
PGF. We got into this discussion last time I posted up about this issue. To many people, 'hippy' has become a dirty word, stirring up images of dope smoking, tie-dyed clothes wearing mystic healers and the like. The kind of people I admire, and would like to meet in Korea, are not the airy-fairy spiritual types but just those who have a respect for nature, an appreciation of simple, environmentally-friendly lifestyles and an awareness of how vulnerable we actually are in our modern lives.
I'm not really looking for either 'dirty hippie subculture' or 'intellectuals'. I'm more interested in meeting people who like growing vegetables, use or plan to use composting toilets and would rather spend money on a wind turbine than a weekend spiritual retreat etc. |
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Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:53 am Post subject: |
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Korean...alternative lifestyle?
To them, an alternative lifestyle is buying New Balance shoes as opposed to Nike shoes. |
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PGF
Joined: 27 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 7:34 am Post subject: |
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| kiwiduncan wrote: |
| Bibbitybop wrote: |
| Due to the lack of diverse information in Korean on alternative lifestyles and the lack of individuality, it's not surprising there are no alternative Koreans. There are some, but they are few, far between and most of them are different enough, and smart enough, to leave the country. |
This is the basic answer I guess . Many of the green Koreans that I've met in the past have ended up immigrating to greener pastures in other countries. One young Korean woman I met years ago, who planned to live a self-sufficient life in the countryside moved to Germany, as did some Korean friends who were tired of the Korean government making it too easy for people to screw up the countryside.
Normalcy and Crazy - you guys are right, probably the isolated islands are the places that attract Korean alternative lifestylers.
PGF. We got into this discussion last time I posted up about this issue. To many people, 'hippy' has become a dirty word, stirring up images of dope smoking, tie-dyed clothes wearing mystic healers and the like. The kind of people I admire, and would like to meet in Korea, are not the airy-fairy spiritual types but just those who have a respect for nature, an appreciation of simple, environmentally-friendly lifestyles and an awareness of how vulnerable we actually are in our modern lives.
I'm not really looking for either 'dirty hippie subculture' or 'intellectuals'. I'm more interested in meeting people who like growing vegetables, use or plan to use composting toilets and would rather spend money on a wind turbine than a weekend spiritual retreat etc. |
I don't think what you are looking for is "hippy" then. Hippy has more connotations than "earth friendly". |
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Yesterday
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Land of the Morning DongChim (Kancho)
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:34 am Post subject: |
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Tjames426
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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Why would they need an alternate lifestyle? This is a Confucian Culture.
I love it, trying to force your cultural convictions upon the helpless natives. |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Tjames426 wrote: |
Why would they need an alternate lifestyle? This is a Confucian Culture.
I love it, trying to force your cultural convictions upon the helpless natives. |
I'm not. I'm simply hoping to meet locals who already realize that mainstream Korean society is materialistic, crass and environmentally unsustainable. |
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kermo
Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Location: Eating eggs, with a comb, out of a shoe.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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| I could introduce to you someone who's very into organic farming, volunteering, waste reduction, energy conservation, reducing carbon emissions, etc., and ran his own chapter of People and Planet for several years, but he's not Korean. Is that okay? |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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| kermo wrote: |
| I could introduce to you someone who's very into organic farming, volunteering, waste reduction, energy conservation, reducing carbon emissions, etc., and ran his own chapter of People and Planet for several years, but he's not Korean. Is that okay? |
Kermo, I'm happy happy to meet any eco-conscious types in Korea, regardless of nationality, so cheers for the offer. People and Planet is a UK-based group isn't it?
On Facebook there is a group called the Korean International Green Group. I set it up to help expats in Korea learn more about environmental issues in Korea, get in contact with Korean green groups and share knowledge about green resources (secondhand shops, bike paths etc) in Korea. |
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kermo
Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Location: Eating eggs, with a comb, out of a shoe.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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| kiwiduncan wrote: |
| kermo wrote: |
| I could introduce to you someone who's very into organic farming, volunteering, waste reduction, energy conservation, reducing carbon emissions, etc., and ran his own chapter of People and Planet for several years, but he's not Korean. Is that okay? |
Kermo, I'm happy happy to meet any eco-conscious types in Korea, regardless of nationality, so cheers for the offer. People and Planet is a UK-based group isn't it?
On Facebook there is a group called the Korean International Green Group. I set it up to help expats in Korea learn more about environmental issues in Korea, get in contact with Korean green groups and share knowledge about green resources (secondhand shops, bike paths etc) in Korea. |
Neato. He looked up that group recently in an effort to get involved with the oil-spill clean-up. |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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| That might have been the group 'oil clean up', which was specifically set up for the Tae-an clean up. Korean International Green Group tries to cover loads of stuff like wwoofing information, links to Korean green groups and so on. You're quite involved with vegetarianism aren't you? Are more Koreans getting interested in meat-free diets? |
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