Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cazzy3]

so my wife and i have been married for just about three months now and everything is going well, but i feel like i'm hoarding the television at night. i have two questions for those of you that are married or have helpful suggestions.

i speak korean fairly well, but prefer to watch english channels- i'm sure my wife is getting sick of Discrovery Channel and CNN. are there any good korean programs that are easy to follow??

second question: my wife is starting to see the 'negative' parts of korea more (i hope it's not because i point them out!!) and gets more upset when kids say 'waygook' or when we see kids hanging out of sunroofs as mom is talking on the cell phone driving down the road. Have any of you married for a few years or so noticed your wife's feelings about korea change over the years?? thanks for any info!!

[bassexpander]

My wife and I like to watch Korean dramas focused on olden days. Those can be interesting and quite funny. There is a drama with Moon Geun Young that started recently (I think). I've just seen it once. She plays a boy artist, but she stole a woman's clothes and painted a bunch of women bathing. It was interesting, although my Korean sucks.

We used to get into that drama "Lee San", or whatever it was called, earlier this year.

[RACETRAITOR]

My wife fortunately prefers foreign TV shows over Korean ones, but the one she does watch is titled "Young-ae" and it's about a girl who's considered ugly. It's a little more realistically written than similar Korean shows, and some of the plot twists are hilarious. Sometimes it seems kind of like the Korean version of The Office.

I'm a little burned out on it though because they started showing it way too much.

[itaewonguy]

MY wife watches korean tv I DONT!
she likes all those variety shows, and some mellow drama you know the ones where someone is either crying or shouting! I hate the negative social shows in korea.. I watch the pc my family watches the box...

I dont need to point out koreas negative points to her because she knows them better than me, but what can we do about them?

[sistersarah]

For us it's just give and take. If I think he's watched enough Muhan Dojeon (during which I've been quietly knitting), I just ask if I can change the channel, and that's always cool. We usually alternate like that. Also, I have a DIVX player, so we can download and watch western shows we both like. There's nothing good on the TV anyway...

[zpeanut]

I think it's natural that your opinions will grow to become alike. So don't be alarmed about your wife becoming more concerned about some aspects of korea.

In terms of TV... well. I am fortunate enough to have a bf who speaks fluent English. I can speak so-so Korean so we converse in English. We don't have the same issue.

That said, I can only understand about 60% of show programs but I like watching them, so we sometimes do together. I usually get to choose the shows though. Otherwise, the Arirang channel is always good - Subtitles. If you can get subtitles, things would be much better.

[pidgin]

I don't know how big your place is, but we have two TVs, two pcs AND a PMP player at home. (but then there are three of us (two wives one hubby)

That said, you may want to consider setting up some kind of a system that revolves around sharing the remote. That way you can ease into the Korean programming.

One decent talk-show to watch together might be that one with a gaggle of korean-speaking foreign women. (Beauties Chatterbox)
Here's an interesting article:
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2007/08/201_9097.html

As to her becoming more sensitive to what's "wrong" here, etc... I don't quite see what the problem is.

This is natural imo, and you might expect more as time goes by. As long as you keep it on the table and discuss it from time to time, I think any healthy couple can deal with it.

[Scott in Incheon]

One computer for me...so I can watch my shows...all downloaded.

One compute for my wife...does what she wants. Computers are side by side.

On TV for the kids who own it from until the go to bed around 8:30. Then my wife will watch some of her programs while I stay on the computer.

[OBwannabe]

"but then there are three of us (two wives one hubby"

Please...do tell.

[pidgin]

I'm a polygamist. Lets not hijack this fine thread.

[Horangi Munshin]

Hmmm Korean TV. Thank god my sister in-law works shifts! She likes to watch all the irritating shows like the crappy game variety shows and every single drama that's running. That stuff drives me out of the living room.

My wife prefers western stuff, we watch CSI together. She also watches Tyra etc sometimes, the only Korean show she really watches is "In-gang guk-jang"

I really only watch CSI. I get a lot of Power Rangers and Cinderella through my kids .

[PRagic]

In all healthy marriages, no matter the cultural differences, people fight for the remote. That's life.

You are not necessarily giving her a more negative picture of Korea, you are now privy to what a lot of Koreans say amongst themselves and now share with you. Only been married three months? You're in for an earful! You'll do the same when it comes to your country should you two ever move back there.

We watch some TV together, but I can't hang with some of the stuff. We watch movies together (Korean and foreign), and if one person really wants to watch something, then the other just reads, watches something on the other TV, or hits up the computer. After 14 years together, the system appears to be working. Some of it is gender specific. I like Discovery, Science Channel, History Channel, and CNN, and she likes the shows where the same people from other shows dress up like condoms, act like middle schoolers, and yell alot. To each their own.

[Eedoryeong]

I have to give a point to the give-and-take approach on tv, but I find supplementing with a serious English DVDs with Korean subtitles collection is great.

[blackjack]

We have two tvs, she watches her dramas and reality crap, while I watch mine. We watch movies together

[SeoulFinn]

WHAT? When did I-guy get married? With who? I remember reading that you had some dates/wanted to have some dates with few women, but you are already married? Wow! That's fast, man, plenty fast.