Korean Job Discussion Forums

pangaea · Joined: 20 Dec 2007

I was standing on the sidewalk outside a pizza place with my friends when two elderly men spotted us and actually walked over to stare at us. One of them stood uncomfortably close to me with an amused expression and stared right into my face. Made us all uncomfortable and we immediately left the area.

One time in a convenience store I walked out from between two aisles, surprising a little boy who gasped and stared at me, grinning from ear to ear like he'd just seen Santa Claus. So unexpected and cute that I had to laugh.

Ruthdes · Joined: 16 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul

I live in Gangnam, so I don't get stared at much on the street b/c there are lots of white people around. When I walk with my black boyfriend, he/we get stared at a bit more. The main place I really get stared at in Seoul is when I'm going into my apartment building. There seems to be a genuine fascination with the fact that I actually live somewhere. A bit like when you were a kid at school and you'd run into your teacher at the supermarket. It was hard to believe that your teacher was actually a normal person who had to go to the supermarket!

Now when I went to Daegu, it was a different story. My (white) friend and I were waiting for another friend at the top of the subway exit downtown, and almost every person coming out of that subway was staring at us. One even got out his mobile phone and started filming us! That was a bizarre experience.

I would say the staring is rarely rude or hateful. It's curious, and sometimes I even get "so beautiful!" from young men, which just makes me smile. The Daegu situation was starting to make me feel uncomfortable though. If it's an adjumma, and it's going on for a while, I might use "gwenchanahamnida?" (gwenchanayo? for a middle age person, or gwenchana? for someone younger or who's starting to annoy me). But this is only occasional and I've only had to pull out the "moolba?" once or twice in over two years. These were situations where I felt like I was being eye-raped by an adjosshi.

DorkothyParker · Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Location: Jeju

I've noticed people looking at me, but hell, I look at them. I don't know if I've been stared at very much.

As I've said before, there are A LOT of teachers in Bucheon. However, as the weather has warmed up, I've been going out on weekends sans tights and I have noticed older folks looking at my tattoos. My husband gets more attention as he has a full beard. He's started wearing his mirrored aviators out again so he probably looks famous. Wink

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

Everyone stares at everyone. Koreans stare at Koreans. Koreans stare at Foreigners. Foreigners stare at Foreigners. Foreigners stare at Koreans.

That and once people are in the zone of what they are focusing on they stare at no one. Someone could get shot by they wouldn't notice as they try to get to the next store or yap on their cell phone or chowdown on their street food. This is 90% of people.

pangaea · Joined: 20 Dec 2007

I don't like being filmed or having my picture taken without my permission. I am not a tourist attraction. I was with a large group of friends at the beach once when a Korean man started filming us. He was pretending to film something else, but as he was filming the sand and the bathrooms facing away from the ocean and focusing on our direction, we didn't buy it. None of us took it too seriously. We were a little annoyed but just laughed about it.

That same day, a group of Korean teenagers sat on the wall behind the beach staring at us until I finally got up and quite obviously took their picture. They left after that. Smile

Yeah, I know I said I don't like people taking my picture without permission but I don't sit out in the open staring at people for hours on end either.

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

danxtptrnrth · Joined: 15 Apr 2010 Location: Boeun, South Korea

I just always thought that they assumed I was gonna do something crazy any minute, so they should keep an eye on me. But yeah, I get stared at all the time. When I walk down the street, there are less people who don't stare at me than people that do.

curiousaboutkorea · Joined: 21 Jan 2009

Sometimes we go out in public because things are not available in private. Those things include grocery stores, places of employment, places to exercise, etc.

Underwaterbob · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Location: In Cognito

I'm a big guy (6'5", 220lbs) and live in a small city. I get stared at regularly. It doesn't really bother me, and I hardly even notice it anymore unless it's severe. Occasionally I make little children cry. I'm a monster.

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

Banana_Man · Joined: 01 Mar 2010 Location: Busan

How do you all know people are staring at you? Is it because you are staring at them??? hmm. Chin being stroked. Twisted Evil

Kurtz · Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Location: ples bilong me

My food gets stared at too. How I wish I could get a tarp and throw it over my trolley when leaving COSTCO. Seems every Korean is taking an inventory of what I eat. Mind your own business!

Banana_Man · Joined: 01 Mar 2010 Location: Busan

^ that is a good point. Whilst I personally am never stared at more than I stare at others (not much) - my food does get stared at. Usually, I buy fairly healthily but there are nearly always sausages in there (what can I say, i'm British). I stare at others trolleys in Costco too though - some people just go to town there!!! And it's both Koreans and foreigners.

Radius · Joined: 20 Dec 2009

oh please! theres no way in heck 40% of these people dont get stared at. the ones who answered they dont get stared at are either gypos or pathetic horrible liars