Korean Job Discussion Forums

[John Stamos jr.]

I'm mostly a big city person and always have been; but I've spent time in and enjoyed many small town experiences on multiple continents. However, small town korea is extremely creepy to me. Especially the smaller beach towns in off-summer months. I liked small town Vietnam, Mexico, France and even Macedonia. But the only people I ever met who enjoyed living in the koboonies were either Canadians or Americans from Bummstick, South Dakota, or some place like that. I personally can't imagine spending more than a week in the Korean country side. It seems generally miserable.

[Fox]

I like the Korean countryside a lot. Reasonably quiet, beautiful scenery, very safe, but without any of the typical sacrifices of countryside life like poor Internet/cell phone access, and no matter where you live here you can probably get to a reasonably sized city within an hour or two, so it's not hard to visit. I can see why it might be painful for people who depend upon things like night clubs, western-style restaurants, movie theaters, and so forth to have fun though. If you cannot entertain yourself without such facilities, yes, you'll probably won't be very happy in the countryside.

[John Stamos jr.]

As I stated, I've enjoyed the country side in many other countries without a need for the comforts mentioned. I taught myself the beginning elements of flamenco guitar sitting on a rock outside of a 200 person village in the mountains of Andalucia for three weeks, living in a cabin in the middle of the woods with little more than a furnace and a bunch of lazy ass French hippies hanging around. I ate the same meal everynight in a bar filled with boonie spanish laborers who got drunk and silently watched the 101 Dalmatians movie cartoon at the bar. Perspective and background is a very important factor.

When I was traveling a lot I'd often just walk off of the train and wing it. I ended up spending a lot of time in small towns. They were generally pleasant. Korea is a different matter in my mind though. I don't like the country side and I think people who choose to live there indefinitely are missing a screw.

[Fox]

"I was okay spending a few weeks in a cabin, so clearly I'm down with country life, but I don't like the Korean countryside for some vague reason, so people who do are crazy."

Dress it up however you like fellow, but if you can't handle it, I agree you should avoid it. Most westerners are probably a bad fit for rural Korea.

[John Stamos jr.]

Thanks for the limited summary of my personal experiences compared to your own, likely moreso, limited experiences. I know you're living like fox the monk wherever you are, but you're an exception. Korea is an ugly small town country. I've had my moments, but it's just downright ugly and inconvenient in most small towns, full of weird old people. Duluth is probably better.

[Fox]

Why are you being so defensive in response to someone endorsing your decision to avoid rural Korea? You can insult rural Korea and those who live here a dozen more times, and you can brag about whatever wonderful experiences you feel you've had as much as you'd like, and my response will continue to be that you're obviously right not to live here if you cannot tolerate it.

I for one do not think it is ugly, inconvenient, or creepy, nor do I think most of the "old people" here are weird or crazy.

[matthagwon]

Living in rural Korea can give you cabin fever even though your surrounded by people. I think that I must go to Seoul on the weekend to stay sane. I never had a full conversation in almost two weeks. Rural Korea can mess with a person.

My boredom meter is reaching record heights, I've tried to fit in with the locals but they see me as a foreigner and the people I do talk to mostly are women who I feel are the equivalent of that guy in america who had yellow fever.

[markness]

[No_hite_pls]

Real Rural Korea (town <100,000) can be isolating and the average age of Koreans will be about 70. Because of this fact it could be hard to make Korean friends. All educated younger Koreans <60 that have a job will try their best to move out of small towns.

[Nester Noodlemon]