Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pangaea]

I was walking with my dog in the park one day and a man started following me and asking me questions. I got used to being asked personal questions by random strangers in Korea, but this guy was unusually nosy and persistent. I was trying to get away from him but he kept following me. The conversation was something like this:

Creepy guy: "Where you from?"
Me: "America."
Creepy guy: "You married?"
Me: "Um...no..."
CG: "You have boyfriend?"
Me: "Um...yes." (a lie)
CG: No ring?
Me: "Um...I took it off."
CG: "You live by yourself?"
Me: (Too creeped out to pretend to be polite)"Bye!"

He asked me other questions but that's when I started to get really uncomfortable. Keep in mind that I was walking very quickly, practically running, and the man was running to keep up with me. We were on a hill with no one else around and I was trying to get back down to the main path where there would be more people. I was trying my best not to be rude but when he asked me if I lived alone, I pretended my dog was pulling me along and I ran the rest of the way down the hill. I managed to lose him when I got down to the main path in the park. I'm just really mystified by his behavior. Was he just trying to make conversation and asking me the only questions he knew how to ask? Was he fishing for friendship? A date? Was he trying to figure out if my...services...were available? I tried to give the guy the benefit of the doubt just in case his motives were innocent, but really...back home, any strange man who followed me through an isolated area and asked me if I lived alone would get a kick to the crotch just before I ran screaming bloody murder on my way to call the police. Anyone have any insight into this situation?

[Jeonmunka]

There are a lot of creeps, especially homeless men in parks.

[benji1422]

What's the matter with you?

It's called TRYING TO GET A DATE.

[nomad-ish]

[Old Gil]

[RyanInKorea]

[seoulsucker]

"Do you live alone?" isn't exactly a standard question for a casual dating approach. Creeeeeeeepy.

That's like being at a club and asking a girl, "Are you going to be walking to your car by yourself later?"

[Draz]

[Old Gil]

[Zulethe]

He just wanted to be your friend. Talk about over-reacting. Perhaps it's time to stop watching all those horror flicks, they're starting to make you paranoid.

[Goku]

My current girlfriend before we were even dating asked me that question early on, "Do you live alone?" I think it's supposed to be some invasive way to establish if you have a living partner or with family. It could also be a conversation starter. But it isn't the first time I've had people ask me if I live alone. Usually when girls ask me that, I think they are looking to freeload off me cause I'm a weigook or something (like live in my house or something), but there is probably some deeper culture dating culture type reason to this question. I mean, it's pretty freaking obvious I probably live alone. I'm a frigin foreigner.

Also, the reason the guy seems so creepy COULD be because of the limited English. I've tried to ask a few girls out in Korea and the best line I could come up with is "Boyfriend isayeo?"

Yes, it's the same exact equivalent to the creepy guy's question. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. I come off as creepy all the time and I have absolutely no trouble finding girls. In fact, girls usually approach me... But sometimes it's just hard to approach a girl you have interest in with the right mood and the right conversation starters.

Think about it from a man's perspective. Reverse the roles. You see a gorgeous looking man and you definitely want to get to know how him or at least talk to him. Assume he's this Daniel Henny of a man with gorgeous eyes and firm chin. Hot figure and ass to boot. But you have no connection with him and he's jogging along. Well you decided. F*** it, I'm asking him out. But you speak jack squat Korean. So the questions you come up with are like... Girlfriend isaeyeo?

Although I do have to admit, the way he's approaching you is pretty desperate. Because you usually start off with questions like... are you from around here? Maybe he just doesn't want to waste his time talking to you if you already have a boyfriend.

[Old Gil]

She was walking at a brisk pace and he kept following her, that's the creepiest part about it. Korea is ostensibly a high context culture, you'd think Mr. Suavecito would have picked up on that.

[redaxe]

It happens. My friend (a thin, attractive young white woman) got followed home by a creepy Korean dude who started a conversation with her on the bus. She gave him her number at some point to make him go away (bad idea) but she ended up having to threaten to call the police, or have her American boyfriend beat him up, or something like that.

She didn't stay in Korea long.

[RyanInKorea]

[beercanman]