Korean Job Discussion Forums

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

Just curious over the type of unique or unusual people you've met in Korea. I'm not trying to start another "freakiest foreigner" thread, by the way.

I just saw on a Korean program this Japanese guy who married a Korean woman in the late 1980s or early 1990s. They had like three or four children and moved to the countryside and restored hanok-style homes and such. I'm not sure what the guy does for a living considering how depressed economically the provinces in Korea are, but he and his family seem really happy. The program also centered on just how devoted the father was to his children instead of spending nights in the office and such.

You would think that most Japanese would never want to live in Korea given how comfortable and more efficient (but far more expensive) it is to live in Japan, but I've found quite a few.

isisaredead · Joined: 18 May 2010

kvacum · Joined: 21 Jan 2012

I've met a lot during my life in Korea.

coralreefer_1 · Joined: 19 Jan 2009

I had a guy from couchsurfing.com stay with me last summer who was on a "round the world" type bike trip. The guy had already ridden across Europe, China, down the Korean peninsula, and was returning back the same way~

Joe Boxer · Joined: 25 Dec 2007 Location: Bundang, South Korea

coralreefer_1 · Joined: 19 Jan 2009

Adventurer · Joined: 28 Jan 2006

I met a guy from New York who was half Italian and half Japanese.
He also lived in Florida for many years and oversaw elections in Florida, and he was responsible for many counties. I don't remember all the details. He was a great guy.

rollo · Joined: 10 May 2006 Location: China

Met a Korean woman who had owned a business in Busan , she was retired, as a child, her and her brother had walked out of North Korea during the war, her family dead her and her brother made it to Busan her brother died. she was around six years old She survived on the genorosity of the U.N troops until an aide agency helped her. A survivor and tough as nails. She had watched modern Korea built, living history and a great woman.

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

I also remember an article about a Hungarian woman who married a Korean guy who ran a dancesport studio. She said in the article that she found him ordinary but noticed him after he danced (they were working together at Lotte World).

Both competed in dancesport competitions in Korea and ran the studio together. I tried looking them up and voila, they are still running a dancesport hakwon near Guui station on the No. 2 line. She speaks no English surprisingly, just Hungarian and Korean, hehehe.

Kimchifart · Joined: 15 Sep 2010

nate1983 · Joined: 30 Mar 2008

toby99 · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 11:44 am Post subject:

Buddy of mine came here a few years ago at 22yo, fresh out of college, and was a virgin prior to arriving on the peninsula. He had kissed a girl and reached "third base", but he was a very shy person. Handsome, good looking, but shy. Flash forward about a year and he's like a young Hugh Grant - addicted to prostitutes, making monthly trips to the Philippines, hitting up red light districts in seoul on schoolnights, etc. Very intellectual, intelligent guy, but turned into one of the most sexually, ahem, adventurous lads I've ever gotten to know. After a night of hard drinking (which was most nights), 9/10 times he'd wake up in a brothel of one form or another, wondering where the heck he was and how the heck his life had come to this.

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

Skippy · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon

Met. A contractor for the US miltary that had come back to Korea after about 20 years when he had served in military. Came with his Korean wife. Found it unique of his coming back after all that time. Wife wanted to stay in America.

Heard about. A German Catholic priest. He had been here for a long time, like since the 60s or 70s. Taught German at a local University on the side. Would like to have heard about his time here.

I find some of the long long timers interesting and would like to hears some tales.

matthews_world · Joined: 15 Feb 2003

I, as well as many other board members and attendees, met the one and only Dave Sperling on his visit to speak at a KOTESOL conference in 2004 I believe it was. The funny thing about his presentation was when he went to display to members of the audience his web prowess, there was no internet hooked up in the lecture hall and he had to adapt his whole speil. Total Korean gaffe.

Shook his hand and got his autograph as many others did.