Korean Job Discussion Forums

[IncognitoHFX]

[Scotticus]

[jkelly80]

[nicholas_chiasson]

Let's eat the koreans like irish babies!

[Real Reality]

[RJjr]

[jkelly80]

[RJjr]

[JongnoGuru]

For some damn reason, despite the many times I've opened and read this thread, whenever I'm looking at the main menu page my brain insists on seeing "Is there no mahogany in East Asian countries?"

[Whistleblower]

I haven't read the whole thread but I thought I would contribute what I have learnt (by meeting people, speaking to Koreans and visiting Korean weddings).

I find that some traditional Koreans (who follow the traditional route of marriage) really marry to get the money, get a big house, live a life of luxury and probably spend as little time together.

My wife made the biggest statement about Korean weddings. She mentioned that Korean weddings is more of a business arrangement between the bride and grooms parents. They want to get some financial gain from the package and I have personally known friends that have had their potential marriage ripped apart because the parents of the bride and groom could not get along.

Then comes life after the wedding. They are whipped away to a honeymoon straight after the wedding and driven at 200mph to Incheon Airport with flowers all over their car. If you have driven to Incheon International Airport, you will see a huge number of cars with flowers all over it. Anyways, the couple will spend 3 days (at most) in Thailand and try for a honeymoon baby. This will secure the relationship for another 18 years and will force the husband and wife to work together.

Now, I met some good friends when I first arrived in this country with my wife. She introduced me to a high school friend that she went to school with and before she was married she was kind, calm and professional. She was a secretary for a big Korean conglomerate. Anyways, she found Mr. Right, or should I say Mr. Rich, who was also calm and kind but also a certified accountant. We were introduced to him and we got on really well. So after a short while of dating they married and had a honeymoon baby. The wife packed in work and the husband was the breadwinner. He owned his own accounting firm and earns good money but money isn't everything. You got to have a good work/life balance and the husband (who is hardworking) has to work, entertain clients and take his employees out, ends up coming home at like 2am in the morning most nights. The wife is getting angry, the baby is only spending time with the mother and the husband is growing distant from his wife. He ended up going out with me to a bar and (as he doesn't speak English) he was complaining about his wife. When his wife phoned up, he would give me the phone and he just wanted to relax and forget about marriage life. So now, they are talking about going their own way (divorce) and hardly spend time together. The wife has not spent a day away from her daughter and is really over protective with her. The wife won't let her husband look after her baby and she doesn't want to go out by herself and leave her baby with her husband. This is really unhealthy, mentally, as there is no "me" time, no time to yourself and the wife has no hobbies or interests.

So the example above, really illustrates the kind of mentality that Koreans have when it comes to marriage. They see it as a business and want some financial gain from it but they don't think long term. In the end the wife cannot relate to her husband and the husband grows to hate his wife. But the wedding was already organised by the parents. I notice that Koreans don't really marry because they have met Mr or Mrs Right, they just marry because the potential husband/wife is Mr or Mrs Rich.

Sorry for the long post, but society in Korea is developing and people are starting to realise that they no longer want to live with someone they don't love. Remember happiness is more important than money.

[endo]

[jkelly80]

[endo]

[jkelly80]

[endo]