Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Catullus]

I am preparing to move to Seoul in September. I understand that there are many Western teachers in Seoul, but I have also heard that there are many other groups of non-western foreigners living and working in Seoul. For example, Chinese and South East Asians. Have any of you had experiences with non-western foreigners in Seoul? I am always interested in meeting new people and learning about new cultures, and I am also eager to begin studying Chinese. How easy is it for Westerners to meet and socialize with non-western foreigners in Seoul?

[spliff]

Why would you wanna hang out w/ the the DDD's?

[nicholas_chiasson]

It stands for
dirty dangerous and difficult
as in
Spliff is dirty
He will kill you, so he is dangerous
SPliff is difficult to know.

[spliff]

[IncognitoHFX]

[moosehead]

Ha!

men like Spliff have tried and all have failed to break this one's independence...

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

OP, in a word, Ansan. It's south of Seoul.

[R-Seoul]

They're not all doing DDD jobs you know. I worked in the corporate world in Korea; my boss was Indian and he wasn't the only one I met either. I remember a meeting at RSM where one of the senior guys was a Pakistani and another Thai.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I work with 2 Chinese men, 1 Chinese woman, and a couple of Japanese (they will be new this term, so I don't know gender).

I hear there are quite a few Nigerians in Itaewon.

[i]

I moved back to Seoul a month ago, so not an expert. But the ones I've seen seem to group with their own countrymen. But, going to where they have their restaurants and stores, you can meet quite a few. I've talked with many from the Middle East, since I frequent their restaurants, and a couple from Uzbek/Khazakistan. However, few speak much if any English. I've had to communicate with many in Korean, and my Korean sucks as did theirs. But as for striking up a conversation on the street with someone, I only see Koreans doing that trying to get a few words of English exchange. I used to live in Gwangju years ago and we foreigners would talk to each other, or at least acknowledge someone you'd not met before. Doesn't seem to happen in Seoul.

[betchay]

if you're interested to meet some filipinos here...

[nicholas_chiasson]

I prefer my pinos to end with an 'a' if you know what I mean
I'm here all night!

[ttompatz]

[PRagic]

If the OP were really eager to begin studying Chinese, the best move would be to....

here it comes....

wait for it....

Yup, GO TO CHINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WoBW]