Korean Job Discussion Forums

joe_doufu · Joined: 09 May 2005 Location: Elsewhere

Count your blessings! Things could be a lot worse than having a great girlfriend who has a good job. You won't be working there forever, don't be dumb and break up with her because of a temporary inconvenience.

capebretoncanadian · Joined: 20 Feb 2005

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

i have done it a couple of times before as well...never had any problems, it is all to do with the maturity level of you and the female..if both can act like adults before,during and after then it will be fine

My current gf I met at work and it has worked out fine....

If you want to just ask her out, you only get one life

bluelake · Joined: 01 Dec 2005

My wife of twenty-one years and I started out as co-workers. Remember, that was 1984 in Korea, and the society was exceedingly conservative. She and I were penpals for a year before I first went to Korea, as I wanted to write to someone on the faculty of the school. I also ended up boarding with her family, and she was my guide, interpreter, and best friend (still the latter!). That we would eventually marry was a foregone conclusion.

However, at the school where we taught (a Korean Christian boy's high school), we tried to give the illusion that we were only friends. She would obviously publicly ignore me; even though I knew it for what it was, it still hurt a bit. Even after we had our clerical marriage (in July of '84), she and I had to pretend to be single. It was only after our church wedding in October of that year did everyone know (we also had a ceremony in November for my family in the States--I joked with her this year that we celebrated our 63rd wedding anniversary Laughing

).

It was hard having a relationship with a co-worker, but in our case it worked out well.

T

Hater Depot · Joined: 29 Mar 2005

Never done it, but couldn't convince anyone I wasn't dating the coworker who taught me Korean. The school didn't care, but the kids always wanted to know if we were in love, and eventually I received subtle orders to be discreet.

seoulkitchen · Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Location: Hub of Asia, my ass!

Would you date a W coworker?

How about an A or C coworker?

I highly advise not dating a Q coworker, it can get messy so I've heard.

I think J coworkers are pretty cool to date though, very discreet.

F coworker, been there done that, yawn.....

Had a friend who dated an A2 coworker, very fun.

You should just stick to dating a regular ol' cowanker. You'd have fun with that...

kat2 · Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Location: Busan, South Korea

Whether you date or not is up to you, but some employers would fire both of you on the spot if they found out. In typical Korean style, even if there is no rule against fraternizing with the enemy (aka the foreigners at school), they will tell you you are in trouble after you have done it. I had a friend who dated a Kgirl, and they had to be careful even around town because they often saw their studetns around. It just seems like a whole lot of stress if you aren't really serious about the girl.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

n3ptne · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Location: Poh*A*ng City

My situation is slightly different, I think...

I'm going on three months here, for whatever reason my coworkers (a total of 4, all very attractive Korean women), and my bosses (a married couple) seem hell bent to set me up.

The husband, er owner, has been praying to whatever God he believes in that I'll go out with his niece. It's at the point where it's become flagrant, her showing up at school to help out, being there when he invites me out to dinner, making fun of her boyfriend when I'm around, having us do shots together... the list goes on, and shes not bad looking, but that is definately a line I don't plan on crossing.

The coworkers (save for her) are equally as bad, always starting conversations and inquiring as to my "luck", or telling me how to go about asking Korean women out, where the good places in town are to go if I'm trying to find single women, telling me about their friends, and informing me as to what her plans are (all four of the teachers seem to have been friends for quite some time), when shes free, etc. Tis gone so far as for them to casually mention that I should ask her out, in front of her.

Now after three months of this, I'm starting to get a little worn down, and she is drop dead gorgeous. So I'm toying with the idear, anyhow, just not entirely sure how to go about it: asking her out directly, and being obvious, or biding my time and being my usual nefarious self until such a time that an oppurtunity exists where it will only be a veiled reference.

As for office gossip and the whatnot, I dont really care... never have about such petty things, and until such a time that I make up my mind... well, the bar crowd works for me Smile

Would I date a white coworker? Hell no, not unless she was utterly exceptional, for if I wanted to date white women I would have stayed in America.

Oh... and crazy... I agree with you, I really really really do... however, the big head doesn't.

AbbeFaria · Joined: 17 May 2005 Location: Gangnam

My philosophy is never dip your pen in the company ink. I personally wouldn't do it, I don't need the extra hassle, but whatever tickles your pickle.

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zappadelta · Joined: 31 Aug 2004

LL Moonmanhead · Joined: 21 Mar 2005 Location: yo momma

I fooled around with a korean collegue a couple of weeks ago. We're both cool with it, obviously we keep it to ourselves. The key is as others have mentioned being extremely discreet. If you can do that, go for it.

n3ptne · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Location: Poh*A*ng City

Zappa, my man... Lets put it this way, shes good looking enough for me to take the gamble and see whether or not there is anything there to get to know. "The nookie" factor, while enticing, is not my sole motivation.

As for pressure? I don't feel any, but my meaning in mentioning it is that I am, at this point, well aware of the interest on her part. So it's not exactly like shooting in the dark.

What kind of offsets me is that this wouldnt be, by any means, a secret, from either the other employees, or my employers. This would definately be a public relationship, or date, from the word Go... which is a little intimidating.

Teufelswacht · Joined: 06 Sep 2004 Location: Land Of The Not Quite Right

kermo · Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:27 am Post subject:

She's got the upper hand, not only because of nepotism, but because she shares a common language with the majority. If she wants to spread a rumour about you somewhere down the line, you'll be unable to a) understand the people stabbing you in the back b) defend yourself adequately.
Hell hath no fury like a Korean woman scorned, or so I've heard.

Romances are so very easy to start, but I find they're much harder to end neatly.

In this case, it seems like there would be a great deal of pressure on both if you. If you asked her out, EVERYONE would know, and if a second date did not result, EVERYONE would want to know why. These are tough circumstances under which to start a relationship, particularly a casual one.