Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mercury]

What is up with the old men here, I mean just about every week some old guy will sit next to me and tell me I am handsome or something like that. This guy today was staring at me, I thought he was gonna say something about me being American, and he smiles and says "very beautiful face". I usually just get off at the next stop cause it is really strange. Do Korean guys tell each other they are "handsome"? Even at my health club the young guys will come over and say "very handsome", I have never told a guy he was "handsome", really strange.

[sheba]

From what Ive seen, guys over here are pretty affectionate even towards eachother... strange to our culture, but I was told about it long before I arrived over here.

It does get a bit awkward I know, it happens to me as well. Ive had everyone from random 12 year old boys, 50 year old men, teachers, students and my director telling me I am beautiful. On the flip side I am also a 'large' gal, so I get just as many comments about being big. Mostly about how if I lost weight I would be 'perfect'.... women over here seem to be obsessed with perfection....

[Ody]

i saw a strikingly hansom (tall and dark too) western fellow on the bus last week and, though i resisted it, i found myself compelled to compliment him on his beauty.

were you by chance on the 7737 last week around 6:30pm?

maybe Korean men feel the same way i did. it's just so rare to see a western man that is so strikingly good-looking here in the ROK.

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

"Beatiful" and "handsome" to Koreans, especially saying it to foreigners, is usually just a phrase for " you look like a nice person." This culture is famous for exaggerated flattery. It's nice and shocking to hear at first, but after a couple years here, it gets old. I'm not a model by any standards, but I hear the same thing....I just learned not to take it seriously because they say this to just about every foreigner. When I'm out with a male foreign friends, some of the high school girls and even grown Korean men will squeal in delight,saying to them "oh, you look just like Brad Pitt!! (even though some of my friends are bald, overweight, etc). Also, because this may be the only English they know, so they'll just say the Konglish they learned on T.V. Still it's nice to hear this, especially for me, when hardly any one says it back home.
But then again, hey, you may really be very handsome and it's not "weird" for a Korean man to say so. Koreans appreciate human aestheticim and I guess are just more vocal about it.

[stumptown]

I disagree, polychronic. I happened to think you were quite stunning. Don't sell yourself short.

[Derrek]

They are just being nice and chatty. Old men make for some of the most fascinating conversations, and they often know English quite well. Often you will find that the old dude, who is often wearing a baseball cap and goofy pants, and unmatched shoes, actually used to be in a very powerful position before he retired. Odd twist of fate: When I first flew into Korea three years ago, the old Korean guy sitting next to me on the plane was the former head of the Education Dept. for Kyunngi-do (whom I now work for).


By the way, if you want to feel uncomfortable, wait until you to to a sauna and some guy next to you asks if he can scrub your back.

[jajdude]

If "you handsome" was about all the English I knew and I wanted to at least once in my life speak to a non-Korean, then I might say, "you handsome" as well.

[sillywilly]

Can you show us a picture of your face? Always up for looking at a beautiful face. If its not beautiful, then I promise to be kind, ok?

[chance2005]

In Korea I often was told that I was ugly by young and old alike. I wonder what this means culturally.

[Cabbit]

Well I think that Koreans are a lot friendlier than people back where I come from. It��s refreshing to be amidst a culture of people where it is ok (and not a come on) to tell someone that you think they are beautiful. As an artist I am often compelled to compliment someone on their beauty.
Have you seen Legally Blonde? She does it well.....she gives someone a compliment and bam...the person smiles and often a friendship is born.
Being a nice person is fun and to see a person smile from a compliment really makes life sunny.
Yes I��m a tree hugging hippie and proud.
Bored with the existential bollocks most foreigners come here with.
Enjoy the friendly compliments...and the negative ones should be like water on a ducks back.
Take care you beautiful people!!!

[Alias]

I still can't get used to guys telling me I'm handsome while they are drying off in the gym lockeroom.

[kermo]

I've had similar experiences-- I think it's a combination of factors. Virtually every time I see my neighbours (a bunch of high school guys) I hear "Beautiful! Pretty! �Ƹ��ٿ�!" It happens to my male friends too.

1) "Beautiful" or "handsome" is an easy thing to remember, and a lot of Koreans get a kick out of interacting with foreigners, even if they don't know much English. It certainly gets a response, and most people love to hear it.

2) Koreans are pretty up front with personal remarks. If you're looking tired, you're going to hear about it. If you made a special effort with your outfit or your hair, you may inspire squeals and a barrage of comments when you walk in the room. It cuts both ways.

3) I have big hazel eyes, which people tend to remark upon. Korean women's eyes tend to be less prominent, so it's a desirable feature 'round these parts.

[harri2002]

koreans and i'm sure other east asians think western features are more beautiful than asian ones. they equate asian features as being round, flat, chubby cheeks and ugly. and so if you are a westerner with long straight nose, deep set eyes etc you are gonna hear "handsome", 'beautiful", etc.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[periwinkle]