Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nourozi]

I will be moving to Korea in April and am wondering whether teachers usually hang out with each other or do teachers hang out with Koreans?

From what I hear on this site, it seems teachers don't really hang out with Koreans and that they just stick together like Asians in a western country.

I was in Australia for a few months and had a group of Korean friends. They are the ones that got me interested in tutoring english in the first place. They were a nice, friendly group to get along with.

I guess its different with everyone. Would like to get your views on this.

[coralreefer_1]

As you mention it is different for everyone. Some like to be around their own kind, while others enjoy mixing with the natives.

That being said, the idea of a "friend" here among Koreans seems to be quite different than we may think. To many Koreans, "friend" may be someone you can only call once only twice a year when you need help with some issue, or can be a person you are truly close and share/communicate of a more frequent basis. That works both ways as well, but I would not give that kind of acquaintance the title of "friend" I suppose some things are lost in translation between the Korean word we commonly associate as translating to friend, and the meaning that it has with us personally.

In my opinion, it doesn't matter how well a foreigner can speak the language, or how much they try to immerse themselves in Korean culture, they will always be considered an "outsider" to most other Koreans. We will always be a 외국친구 (foreign friend) rather than being the same kind of 친구 (friend) and having the same kind of relationships that Koreans have with each other.

I have a few Koreans that in my mind I consider friends. These are people that helped me move, spent hours and hours doing taekwondo together, and that I travel across the country to meet on occasion. However if we are at dinner/drinking and someone calls them and asks them what they are doing, they will typically respond something like "우리 외국친구와 같이 놀다...which basically means "I am out with my foreign friend" I don't care for the distinction between foreign friend and just normal friend. Its not a big issue, but just a reminder that in their mind there is a distinction.

I'm sure others here have a different take on the issue. From my limited experience,(4+ years) this has been the case.

Koreans are generally friendly and you should have little trouble meeting people. How many of those people actually develop into genuine friendships is a different story..but nevertheless, good luck to you and welcome to Korea.

[Robot_Teacher]

No hangin out with Koreans as they don't talk to me nor invite me, but I chat a little with other foreigners. No real social life. This is tiny town/rural area; not Seoul. What few Koreans come to me barge in at 7AM Monday morning and can't explain or show any regards nor understand why I'm offended and don't like them. I honestly don't like most of them.