Korean Job Discussion Forums

[faustkampf]

I have some general questions with some specifics.

My first experience with Korea was as a 19 year old kid at the DLI where I became a Korean linguist, no choice involved there. I left the military early and after turning 22 while waiting for my GI Bill to come through I took the first hakwon job offered me. I had no university experience outside of learning Korean at a military language school; however, I felt fully confident with whatever may come.

This is how it was. I arrived in June off 2001 and ended up leaving in Febuary of 2002. I lived in a one-room-tel which I payed for myself in Ouijongbu and worked in North Seoul, but only after living with the owner's parents for 6 weeks. The commute to work was over an hour each way. My only contract with the emails I had exchanged with a poor speaker of English who worked as a fellow teacher. The other foreign teacher was Moroccan. I never recieved more than half pay, always with a guarantee for the full amount next month. Eventually it was either stay and hope for a day of positive reckening, or cut my losses. I cut my losses.

I had good experiences though. I am still friends with coworkers from the school and we still talk 5 years later; I still email my students and give them advice. I learned an increadible amount about how much crap I could deal with and what my breaking point(s) really are. My Korean went from knowing a ton of words and grammar to being fluent enough that I took a gumdo (sword) class with other high school and college koreans all in Korean. Even though I was never payed more than a million won a month, and I payed my own rent and spent money without regard, I still returned home with thousands of dollars.

I was able to use a lot of those experiences in my college days, and also when I went to China where I lived all of 2004. Also in China was where I was able to live fairly openly as a young gay guy at peace with myself and at peace with everyone around me. I even had a long term relationship with a North Korean/ Chinese guy while living in a small city bordering Macau in South East China.

I feel like I am a lot more prepared for returning to Korea in search of a better experience. I know what I want, but don't exactly know where to find it. I also know the differences between romantisizing a place and the reality of living there. I don't know how things have changed in Korea since Feb of 2002, including Korea in general, the life of a waygookeen English "teacher", and that of a wayookeen gay person. Also, thankfully, I'll be coming after having finished a double major in History and Asian Studies at CU Boulder so at least I won't have to worry about tri-monthly visa runs to Osaka!

I'll be coming in with a stable command of Korean, experience in Asia and hakwons, and self confidence. I would rather live in Pusan or Cheju-do or some other non-Seoul but non Korean countryside location. However, just like I know that eventually I'll want to find other foreigners to be not Korean with at times, I'll also want to find other gay people to socialize with in another "normal feeling" environment. I don't know if I can find a group like this in Pusan or someplace more relaxing, vacation-like, bucolic, etc. I have hope though; even in Zhuhai, in Guangdong province in southern China, I found a gay bar and made friends, and even a relationship, with people who spoke no English even as I spoke no Chinese.

If anyone has been to, and worked in both Seoul and Pusan, Cheju-do, I would love to hear your opinion as I'm sure would others considering the big city up north versus south. Also, I would like to hear from other gay waygookeens who can attest to life in Seoul as well as down south.

Thanks to all who read this long post and will take the time to give their insights. I hope also that this in no way sparks any sort of political pro-gay anti-gay responses; it isn't my purpose in writing this and those opinions, pro or against, have no bearing on my overall questions. Thanks!

faustkampf/ Jake

[Antmore]

I'm afraid I am unable to answer any questions, but thanks for the interesting story. Do you expect to be able to use your Korean language skills for anything in particular?

[faustkampf]

Well, I guess using them for living in Korea... but also, I'm going to take the FSWE again, second time, next year, and if I eventually pass, Korean language ability bumps you up.

[RACETRAITOR]

I don't mean any disrespect, but why does it always seem like the highest concentrations of gays in the US military go into linguistics?

[dulouz]

That because languages and teaching are female/beta male jobs.

[eamo]

[dulouz]

[faustkampf]

I've been reading posts on this site since it has been around but I'm frustrated that any questions about being gay always degenerates into politics or somebody being annoyed with gay people or whatever.

I just want some answers without irrelevencies.

To maybe answer some of those posts, I can only answer why I became a linguist, languages are easy for me to learn. Were you in army intelligence or any other branch of MI? I was and I know I can't speak for the entire corps... can you?

When I taught in Korea five years ago being gay was a huge issue for me where I worked and how I socialized. I have not been back since then and I want to know, from those who have been there more recently, how things have changed.

If you can't answer this question then please just leave it.

As for me being "one of those gays" I really don't know. I'm "one of those gays" who doesn't like to be bothered and am just looking for a place where I can work and live and not be bothered.

[dulouz]

You'll be bothered in Korea if they know you are gay. I know one gay that worked here, they loved him but he was closeted. Just be handsome and well groomed. They like that.

[faustkampf]

That's how it was when I lived in Seoul. Although it seems from what I've found online the place in Itaewon next to Hooker Hill has a lot more clubs.

What about Pusan though? After having such a bad experience when I was there in 2001-02 I started to Korea hate, and never even left Seoul... so I have no actual Pusan knowledge... I lived in South China and really liked the sub-tropicalness of it and figure Pusan or Cheju-do are the only Korean possible equiv's. Any thoughts on that?

I guess to make it all simple, I don't wanna live in Seoul again if I can help it, too many bad experiences. However, I don't want to be completely isolated, both as a tall blonde haired blue eyed foreign devil nor as a gay guy if I go someplace outside of Seoul.