Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bosintang]

I have just done some extensive travelling after finishing a one-year contract in Seoul, and now I have recently returned here.

Seoul prides itself in being -- or at least attempting to be -- a large, cosmopolitan city.

However, I think it takes more than having a few McDonalds and (Korean-owned?) italian restaurants kicking around to be a true cosmopolitan city.

Now that I've returned here after doing some travelling, and have some perspective, one thing I can't help but notice about living in Seoul is how I have never, ever, felt like I fit in here. I've never ever felt like my influence -- my attitudes, my habits, my tastes -- have rubbed off significantly on the community. To the contrary, I've always felt like I've been the odd man out, sort of assimilated into the culture, but never truly a part of it.

In no other large, cosmopolitan cities have I visited have I felt this way. In other large cities, foreigners seem to bring their own culture with them, and with a little time -- I think remarkably quickly -- their culture just blends in with the city to the point where the foreign culture just becomes a part of the city.

In Seoul, it seems to me that anything with an "International flavour" sticks out like a soor thumb, is hidden away, or is just an inferior imitation; not an actual true part of the city or the culture.

So why is that? Is it because of the low expat to native ratio (and if so, why is this true)? I have not been to to Japan or China. Are Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai simular to Seoul in this regard?

[Newbie]

I completely agree with you. This city is so far from cosmopolitan it ain't even funny!

They are way too xenophobic to be anywhere near a decent cosmopolitan place.

Of course this comes from living in Toronto (something like 40% immigrants), going to a high school where me and "Doug" were the only ones who spoke English or played hockey, and spending my life traveling all through North America where being "cosmospolitan" is a fact of life.
I would say it's next to impossible for a non-Asian to fit in here. The staring, gawking or whatever you want to call it makes is tough.

But hey, it's still a fun place to kick around in for a while

[trevorcollins]

Anyone who says Seoul is cosmopolitan hasn't been anywhere other than their crappy little hometown.
If it wasn't for the DDD workers, it'd only be English teachers, GIs and Russian hookers. Hardly a diverse ethnic mix.

[Harin]

[peppermint]

unique- sure, cosmopolitan- hell no.

[VanIslander]

I've never been to Seoul.

But in my nearly two years here in Korea I've found I blend in the other big cities compared to the smaller towns I visit and live in.

Whenever I stick out "I don't mind/hate it". I don't mind it. I don't hate it.

Seoul is cosmopolitan enough to draw Elton John and Avril Lavigne next month, that's more international than nearby Busan ever has been for me.

[Real Reality]

Which group of words, synonyms or antonyms, more accurately describes Seoul?

Entries found for cosmopolitan

Entry: cosmopolitan
Function: adjective
Definition: worldly-wise
Synonyms: catholic, cultivated, cultured, ecumenical, global, gregarious, metropolitan, planetary, polished, public, smooth, sophisticated, universal, urbane, well-traveled, worldly, worldwide
Antonyms: country, insular, parochial, provincial, rustic, small-town

Entry: broad-minded
Function: adjective
Definition: liberal
Synonyms: advanced, catholic, cosmopolitan, dispassionate, flexible, free-thinking, indulgent, liberal, open, open-minded, permissive, progressive, radical, receptive, responsive, tolerant, unbiased, unbigoted, undogmatic, unprejudiced, wide
Antonyms: biased, bigoted, close-minded, dogmatic, narrow-minded, prejudiced

Source: Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus, First Edition. (2004). Lexico Publishing Group, LLC.
Thesaurus.com
http://thesaurus.reference.com/search?q=cosmopolitan

[skinhead]

[bosintang]

[just because]

I like Korea but.....
...Seoul is cosmopolitan?????

Don't make me laugh

[Bulsajo]

How does one measure 'Cosmopolitanism' objectively?
You can't, not really.

Percentage of Foreigners?
Maybe not a lot as a percentage of city population, but I can guess that perhaps a higher percentage than many other cities of its size due to AFKN personnel and 3D 'guest-workers' (I doubt ESL teachers really make up any sort of pertinent percentage, but I could be wrong).

Percentage of Foreign-cuisine restaurants?
Steadily increasing (IMO I found Seoul to be better than German cities, even ones with tourism and US personnel, but no one goes around calling germans 'uncosmopolitan').

Access to theatres/museums cultural events?
Not bad, IMO. Sure not as good as NY or London, but how many places are?

Quality of museums/cultural events?
Um, pass. Too subjective.

Access to foreign goods/media?
Could be better, but constantly increasing.

Attitude of citizens?
No way to measure this objectively that I can think of, but I'm not a statistician.

And how would you funnel all this data into a 'cosmopolitanality matrix'?
Again, not a statistician.


I've only been to 5 of the top 20 listed below, so I can't really say how well Seoul compares to its peers, but I could hazard a guess and say it's not in the top 5 but nowhere near being the worst either.

[paperbag princess]

there is NO WAY that anyone could ever consider seoul to be a cosmopolitan city. it's toally impossible. seoul is the biggest small town i've ever been to.

[itaewonguy]

[rapier]

"Cosmopolitain" implies, to me, a city with a diversity of cultures living harmoniously, in equality..in celebration of variety.
Seoul doesn't quite fit the bill!

[milesmik]