Korean Job Discussion Forums

[kimchipig]

It was really great to read the posts from King of Kwanju and Patrick in Busan because they were posting, along with me, on this board around my heyday in Korea. I was in Korea pretty much non-stop (with a one year interlude) from 1995-2004, a total of over eight years. When I read stuff like this, it gives me an enormous feeling of nostalgia.

What really struck me about Korea in 1994 when I first visited was the incredible energy and optimism of the place. It flew around at warp speed and people were really pumped about the future. When I arrived in Teajon in Feb of 1995 the expat community was really tiny; there were like ten of us in the whole Yusong area. They were really cool, adventurous people and we had absolutely obscene amounts of fun. Coming from regulated Canada, being in Korea was absolute scream as the rules basically didn't apply to you. Add to that were the bags of money we were making at the time; the cost of living was cheap as dirt, accommodation free and good paying private lessons were there any time you wanted. I made W1.6m a month in those days and the rate was W524 to the Canadian dollar. Living like a complete king I still saved W1.2 a month. I never rode a bus, ate at home or did my own laundry, lived in bars on weekend and had a jolly old time. The real problem we had was the exchange controls, so we went to all kinds of lengths to change our money into hard currencies. Anyone remember the Mink Blanket shop in Iteawon? It had a cash counting machine on the counter and didn't sell blankets. Getting imported stuff was a major challenge for us; we used to scour the black markets in Seoul on the weekends. Really, it was outrageous fun for a 31 year old single guy with loads of money in his pocket.

Korea was raw, rough around the edges and gritty. People either loved you or hated you and most were in the former category. Everything changed when the economy crashed in 1997. I saw it coming and skipped off to Japan for a year. I came back in August of 1998 and the place was totally changed; the exuberant feeling was gone and people had a hang dog expression. You could, at that time however, get yourself a good job, which I did. I still made good cashola but nothing like before the crash.

What really made me sad was how politicians, and commie agents turned the population against foreigners. I went from being a star to a pariah in a very short time. Some restaurants wouldn't serve us. I was shameless how it was done and it reached its frenzy when the two school girls were tragically run down by the tank in 2002. That was not a good time for a foreigner in Korea. I hung on until early 2004 and went back to Canada to start a life here.

I was in Korea for a week in 2010 and found it very different. I had a great time and the local people were excellent. However, Korea has become like a lot of places in the world, with the same shops and brands. Sure, the food is still fantastic but the old aura of gritty rawness is gone and I miss it. I suppose it is because I associate it with my youth.

My wife in Chinese so we spend a fair amount of time in China, which reminds me of Korea on the old days. China, however, is on a much higher scale. Shanghai is a brilliant place, the people do not express the kind of xenophobia Koreans and everything works a lot better. Chinese do not have the constant chip on their shoulder Koreans carry. In many ways, China has become what I wanted Korea to become. Instead, Korea got hobbled by Kim Dae Jung and Comrade Roh and the Keystone Commies. It has never recovered those lost years.

[Yaya]

I think 1994 was a unique year in Korea. Economic growth hit 9.1 percent, the whole "globalization" movement was in full swing, and Koreans were so darn eager to learn English. Other people who were there at the time say it was easier to hook up with a Korean girl (I have to agree with this) and such.

I'm not sure that Korea overall is necessarily better now. The job market, especially for young people, is horrible, companies are downsizing, the country needs new growth engines as China has eroded Korea's competitiveness in many sectors, the cost of living has shot up considerably, and the like.

And well, many of the Western things that are so readily available in Korea now weren't so back in the 1990s, and I guess that made them that much more pleasurable when I got them.

[matthews_world]

Along with the dragonfly thing, do kids 'paint' their fingernails with dandelions anymore? I rarely see this.

Having come at the end of 2002, I don't think I'd want to have lived here prior to the World Cup.


On the credit card thing, Korean households have far less liquid cash these days as many are in a credit card frenzy as their cash goes to paying off revolving credit card debt and mortagages. Hagwon teachers should be aware that wihen little Min Su and So Min come into their school, that their parents are working extra hard for the kids to try to get a leg up on their peers.

It's also observable that goods have become a lot more expensive over the past decade. My first taxi ride in Seoul cost only maybe 1600 won for the first kilometer or however they measure this. A subway ticket was maybe 700 won. I remember 4,000 won movie ticket prices, and this was for the regular evening showings.

[matthews_world]

Although there were a few classic pop bands and singers back then. The music these days is totatally better.

Who can't forget Fin.K.L, g.o.d, h.o.t, Turbo (Kim Jong Kook vehicle), Um Jung Hwa (the Korean Madonna), etc.

[IncognitoHFX2]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[kimchipig]

[Jarome_Turner]

Very interesting read indeed. I only moved to Korea in 2004, and left in 2008. My (now) wife and I returned in 2010 after both being away for 2 years (she's Korean), and were blown away by the differences that occurred in such a short time. The city where I spent my entire 4 years, Cheong-ju, had westernized at a tremendous pace. Krispy Kreme, Kraze Burger, Burger King. The people in general weren't bothered at all by the site of a foreigner, which was a huge difference from 2004 even.

I was also pretty sad to see that some of my favourite parts of town were being redeveloped - "Soju Street" near Cheongju University had lost a lot of the old traditional style restautants and hofs, and were replaced with modern kalbi-style places. My wife had grown up a block back from there and swore she never thought she would see the change.

My wife returned again in 2012 (about 2 months ago), and was once again amazed by the level of change. Her biggest gripe this time was the increase in food costs. Places we use to frequent for late-night, post soju feeds are now selling portions of sam-gyup-sal for 12,000-15,000 won where they used to be selling for 4,000-5,000won. Even more traditional dishes that we used to enjoy cheap like boodae chigae, kop-chang, and soon-dae have risen in price dramatically. I was again saddenned to hear this, as those late night cheap meals and booze-ups are some of my fondest memories of K-Land.

This is an excellent thread - it made me log in and post rather than creep for one of the first times in almost 4 years, haha.

[Jarome_Turner]

Oh yah, one other thing I noticed after returning in 2010 was the actual westernization of the korean western pub/club. It seemed like in 2004, western-style pubs in Cheong-ju were simply korean bars where foreigners hung out. They were all still limited to Cass, Hite, and Korean Budweiser. Getting a hamburger and fries was almost unheard of - there was one pub in town that served a decent burger, as well as fish and chips, and it was located in Hae-Bong Cheong (the name escapes me at the moment)... Upon returning in 2010, I was amazed that seemingly every second bar had Guiness on tap, a huge selection of Western spirits, and a modern western menu to choose from - burritos, burgers, you name it.

On an unrelated note, my wife and I always discuss why the Western chicken wing hasn't caught on in Korea. They're spicy and made up of the bits of chicken that Koreans like, and also would make for a great 'share-dish' at any Korean Hof.

[kimchipig]

[pegasus64128]