Korean Job Discussion Forums

[humanuspneumos]

The women don't seem to mind mixed dating. The men seem to get their stomachs in a knott though. Understandable they rant and rant given their position on it all.

[indiercj]

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[humanuspneumos]

Not trying to be rude but I wonder if you (indiercj) have taken/gone with many Koreans out on dates or any at all and how long you've lived in Korea? What are/were your perceptions?

[bosintang]

I live in Seoul, and it happens to frequently enough that I can't imagine it not happening at all to someone else! Granted, I'm tall, blond, and blue-eyed, and stick out like a sore thumb.

However, I always have kids chasing me to work "hello'ing" me to death, or little kids grabbing their mother's sleave with one hand, and pointing at me with the other hand, "Oma! Waeguk (/miguk)!". When I ride the subway, it's not uncommon that people (especially older men and adjumma's) try to chat me up in a little bit of broken English or Korean. Another common occurence is that when they are getting off the subway they grab my sleave and point to the open seat.

[jajdude]

The other day a few kids saw me coming up the road here in Yongin. One kid started singing the Let's Go song, "Hello, hello, hello, what's your name...?" I thought it was funny. I said "Bonjour".... they were saying "huh...."

[Sooke]

I'm with kiwidude.

I live in a small-ish town (by Korean standards), and it happens ALL THE TIME. My Korean lady friend is constantly hassled by drunk korean men (when we're together), I'd say at least once a month. On a positive note, it has been better recently. The worst was around World Cup and the few months after. The worst incident actually happend before we were dating. We were in a hof in K'yokpo, Jeonbuk, and she went to use the bathroom that was unisex. She came back covered in water, and said that two guys pushed her down for being with a foreigner. The resulting situatiion was a pretty bad one, but thankfully her uncle is a bigwig with the Jeonju police. It pays to be connected. if i wasn't I'm sure I wouldv'e been shivved in prison.

And for the last time I'm not a troll.
I'm sick of coming up with REAL posts and some apologists with rose colored glasses tell me if I don't like living here to get out, blah, blah, blah. Get out of Seoul, punks. Seoul isn't really Korea. Jeolla is the REAL Korea.. Sometimes it sucks, but so did home. I'm not complaining about Korea, I's just tellin' a story y'all.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

Testify brother ... can I get a witness

[fidel]

Sooke
What in your mind constitutes the REAL Korea?
People trundling around wearing Hanboks, taking their livestock to market balanced on their head? The Korean countryside, which is almost devoid of young people, is constituted of elderly living in Haneok houses. Seoul, and Kyonggi Do which is a virtual extension of Seoul make up a large % of the population. They set trends and overtly have a powerful influence on the rest of the country. Both are an intergral part of Korea, but you are naive to think THE REAL Korea is what you experience because you happen to live out of the big cities. Get REAL.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

The real Korea is a mindset not a place ...

[Sooke]

Fidel

The countryside is not as devoid of young people as you think. Both children and young adults are all over the place. Sure, some move to Seoul, but a lot stay in their villages too. Get on a bike and get out of the city.
I wish to correct my statement. The small towns, villages and the countryside give you a more traditional feeling of Korea. This includes both friendly and non-friendly actions. (More of the former, or else I wouldn't go there all the time). Sure, a lot of the population lives in Seoul, but I don't think Seoul gives you a sense of what is or was 'typically' korean. Many of the things you can do in Seoul you can find in most other major urban centers around the world. And The people in the bigger cities are more cosmopolitan and therefore less 'traditionally' Korean.
I don't want to get into a pissing contest here, and I don't want to get into semantics over what is 'traditional' Korea or the 'traditional' Korean mindset. (besides, if you haven't lived here, you wouldn't understand-it's a small korean town thing).

I'm sure in Seoul you could see Andre Kim's latest collection, grab a Prowstar's coffee, go to an art show at the museum...all of it is, by definition Korean. But it isn't the same as walking through a temple, sitting on a little wooden platform by a river, lisitening to troat music drinking with Korean hallebudgies. That is Korea.

OK, I will get into a pissing contest..... Jolla rules. Baekjae forever!!!

[fidel]

Sooke
AS I mentioned I have a house in Jeollabuk Do in a small village of about 50 houses. Of course the countryside is more traditional that rings true all over the world. The people left in this particular village are all elderly and the friendliest people you will ever meet. While cleaning the yard that had been left to grow for 40 years I got a small audience of old people watching me. After about 20 minutes one particually old person pipes up " Your not Korean are you?". The funniest thing I had heard for a long time. I am married to a Korean and have never had a negative comment. However I haven't hung out in Bars either with my wife and Koreans are far less likely to say anything negative about you if they hadn't a shot or two.

Also in no way was I implying that Seoul was the bees knees. Far from it. I would far rather live in a country town than here. It's polluted, dirty and after 3 years friggin boring. I spend as much time in jeolla as I can.