Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Banana_Man]

I'm in Busan and I rarely get stared at - yes there are some little kids who are awestruck by my beauty, or old folks who like my hip jacket or funky headphones^^*

Really those who get stared at get stared at because they are either TOO LOUD or doing something stupid or previously unseen - either that or they have a HUGE ASSED backpack that is creating havoc.

[Tundra_Creature]

Nah, didn't get all that stared at when I was on the buses or trains, though apparently a lot of my other friends did and got the waegook comments. I'm don't exactly blend in with my height as a girl and skin colour, so I was surprised I didn't get more. I also tend to stare at random people as well on transportation anyway. Mainly because I'm either facinated with nice clothing, the cellphones, or a guy is just good looking.

I did get asked randomly to get into group pictures twice though. One was with a group of highschool girls when I was touring one of the palaces, and the other was with a group of Japanese guys in around my age when I was at Namsan Tower. They were all pretty nice once I spoke with them, so I figured why not?

[oskinny1]

[Seoulio]

Good God, just more proof that some people will argue over anything.

Ok SKinny i get stared at like ONCE every 100, 000 people ( as stated in my clarification)

I do not consider this getting stared at constantly.

Of course I can not say that i NEVER get the occasional stare, but my post was clearly going for the frequent stares that others say are "obvious" and "constant"

So please move on and stop being a pain about it.

And as stated in the response, unless you are a total idiot, you know that was what I was going for without beng a douche on that one distinction.

[Banana_Man]

I'm staring at your right now.

Metaphorically.

Through the internet.

Into your soul.

And beyond.

I'm doing this because you are a foreigner.

No other reason.

[oskinny1]

[NYC_Gal]

I get stares all the time, but I'm pretty.

My uber short hair also isn't common on females. I had to explain to my barber that it's popular in France to get him to keep cutting away.

[Kurtz]

It depends on how aware you are of your surroundings. Some people go through life like they are in a drug induced state, totally oblivious to what is happening around them. I tend to take note of my surroundings. From tricky little sideways glances on the train, to flat out gob smacked stares, I get looked at often here. I'm normal looking, fairly tall, dress well; these stares come in different forms, some good some bad. Doesn't bother me really unless I'm with a Korean woman, or have a hangover, then I really can't stand the attention.

[Seoulio]

[LL Moonmanhead]

I'm a foreigner and I like staring at other foreigners.

[The Gipkik]

The stare is a funny thing. For some, catching someone's eye implies a stare. For others, a flat out, long drawn, eyeball to eyeball detailed examination results in the appellation, stare. I'd agree with whoever said it's probably about how aware you are of your surroundings; how observant you are; how immersed in your environment you are at any given moment. Consciousness is like an ocean wave controlled. Some people get so wrapped up in themselves, their thoughts, their emotions, that they only catch the last trailing cascade of a wave lapping the shores. Others bear the full frontal assault of a crasher. Only you can say where you're at on a day to day basis. In a homogeneous country such as Korea, even in Seoul, the stares are inevitable, albeit more veiled.

[English Matt]

Not saying that I have a facial disfigurement, nor saying that I am directly comparing myself to what people who do have to endure on a daily basis, but the first time I saw this video I thought that this is my experience in Korea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL4LW04yKyQ

As the girl says at the end, I don't think individual people realise what they are doing and what effect they have on the object of their stare....because to them it is an individual glance. The cumulative effect of it however, is to make the person being glanced at feel under constant observation, to alienate them from the society they live in. This is, to me, what I really cannot stand about being stared at here. I think some people become oblivious to it, just as some people become desensitised to other things in their day-to-day life. Maybe I'm more sensitive than you Seoulio, or maybe I need a greater sense of anonymity in my daily comings and goings, maybe I'm trying to notice these glances more than you are (but that's because I know they are there), however I cannot relax when I know that this is happening and I haven't been able to ignore it since I first arrived......it is something that annoys the crap out of me, that makes me feel like a Martian, and is something I will be glad to see the back of once I leave.

[Banana_Man]

It's not Korea then, just personal preference. If you don't like getting looked at - fair enough, but people look at other people - I look sometimes, others look at me - they are not all Korean.

Never been stared at before? I got stared at more in the UK than here. Without doubt, and a lot scarier too - menacing stares they were.

[PigeonFart]

The other poster was correct. It's all about LOCATION.

If you're in Seoul, you won't get stared at because Seoulites are at least half-cosmopolitan.

Outside Seoul, well it's jaws on the floor and thick ignorant stares. What a bunch of wank3rs.

[Banana_Man]

I'm outside Seoul now - this information that everywhere not in Seoul is some crazy, staring at place is just wrong.