Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cam83]

I only started going to these areas about 18 months ago as it was full of military and too many wananbe hipsters in my opinion but I went there this weekend for the first daytime experience since last summer and it is more 'touristy'... with a LOT more Koreans.

Personally I didn't like the fact that everywhere had lines going around corners with 45min waits at some places (I think Churrito's is one such place) but at least it was not a hipster scene. It was a pretty cheery/chilled vibe. I was sad to see some of the places I used to hang at were being 'taken over' but that's part of the social trend cycle back home too.

I have heard several people complain that it's becoming less of the 'foreigner paradise' it once was and that b/c of the Korean patrons and higher rent prices, Korean businesses (commercial cafes etc) are moving in, attracting more locals but lowering the quality compared to previous establishments.

However I didn't really understand the complaints towards the locals b/c of greedy business owners. I also feel that more foreigners should support their local places so they stay open/quality and keep prices low. I also don't know many foreigners who are willing to set up a business in the area.

I am actually wanting to write a paper about the development/rise of Korean social culture and find it interesting in comparison to say Thailand (where there are plenty of western bars/restaurants that also attract locals), yet here westerners often establish a new 'hip' place to go, word spreads to the locals and then complain about the locals 'moving in'.

I think it's pretty bad for any area that was once unique (Garosu-gil) to become commercialized with Forever 21's etc and become a tourist zone but I remember when many Koreans wouldn't dare go to HBC/KRD... maybe they are becoming more open or maybe the fact that the US military moved location, not sure.

Have any of you guys visited recently? or live there? Do you feel the change has more pros/cons?

edit: Churitto's > Churro's ? (is this an ice cream place?)

[BackRow]

Foreigners here are temporary residents, it's better for people in those areas to establish more dependable customer bases.

I do find it hilairous when certain groups of foreigners try to act like an area is "theirs", as if somehow someone on a teaching visa has more ties than actual citizens.

[Zyzyfer]

[seoulsucker]

I've lived in the area since 2009. The growth there has been really explosive, and a lot of the quiet charm of the neighborhood has been sucked right out.

Thankfully I live one street back from where most of the development is occurring, so I'm spared a lot of the foot traffic and noise.

The big issue for me, like in other areas of Seoul, is parking. "Trendy" self-entitled idiots in luxury cars are double parking on tiny streets, sometimes on sidewalks, etc.

Having to steer my kid's stroller INTO TRAFFIC because some jaggoff couldn't be assed to leave his ride at home and take a taxi is beyond annoying.

I know some of the business owners and I'm happy for them, but I'll probably move out as soon as my cheonsae period is up. I get the feeling that cheonsae rates will jump up ridiculously by this time next year.

[jdog2050]

Hmm, as an owner of one of the businesses in KYD, it's definitely a double edged sword.

On the one hand, business is great and that's great for us. On the other hand, we all (the owners and a lot of the staff) live here and yeah, it's getting a little frustrating.

One thing that bothers me, at least, is how inconsiderate a lot of the newer businesses are. The churros guys are doing well, that's fine, but get some crowd control going so that you're not pushing people into traffic. Same with Sweet B; don't have people literally clogging one entrance to the underpass.

Another things is, yeah, the quality of a lot of the new places is just super questionable. A lot of the new "craft beer" places don't have their own recipes. They just rebrand Kabrew or 7 Brau. It's been pretty lawl-worthy to see so many new "Pale ales" and "Poters". That's not a misspelling, there's like 3 places selling "Poters".

That's just beer. You know that area to the left of the police box down from Tours Les Jours? Looks like it's booming right? Well, it is, but almost every business is owned by one guy--he's renting the properties and just gives them to his friends to do whatever. Thing is, most of them are just amateur chefs. One sushi restaurant chef over there was trained in Taiwan. So, the whole neighborhood looks cool but it's really just kind of amateur chef stuff.

But yeah, like another poster said, the bigger issue is that the neighborhood literally just can't accomodate so many people. There's too many big streets and not enough little back alleys like in Sinsa or Samcheondong. Hell, there's barely sidewalks in some places. At some point Yongsan-gu is gonna have to fix things up or it's gonna be a mess.

Not only that, but my real fear is that now that all of the crappy businesses have been bought out (budongsans and cell phone stores that were limping along for years), the only places left to buy are the actual good businesses that provide a legit service/meal.