Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

Overwhelmingly positive.

Only a couple of minor negative experiences (related to this topic)

[eamo]

I get mostly positive treatment in Korea.

I do have an issue, race-wise, with many Koreans inability to see past the fact that I'm a foreigner and just behave with me naturally. I'm constantly viewed as a novelty. It does get tiresome.

[Gwangjuboy]

[chiaa]

I was reminded today from a friend of two more instances (I have a bad memory).

The first one was in a bar. I was sitting there minding my own business and this guy asked me if he could buy me a drink. Of course I said sure. With that he says "but you better learn to respect Korean women". Now, the entire night I have been sitting there minding my own business talking to this fat guy actually. Never even talked to a woman. Things turned ugly.

A friend and I were at a bar and he was talking to a woman. She had to leave so we walked her up the stairs towards the exit. As goodbyes were being said at the front door, these two Korean guys did not like that fact that he was getting her phone number (they didn't see me half way down the flight of stairs watching). Things turned ugly.

[jinglejangle]

[Roch]

I have bought books from him and he is, I can tell, a good-natured guy who was picked on for being white. That's all there is to it...

[Bozo Yoroshiku]

It's been overwhelmingly positive in my experience. Course, being here long term, it's inevitable to encounter a bit of negativity:

Maybe 3-4 times I've had totally sloshed ajosshis take a swing at me as they walked by me on the sidewalk (they didn't come close to landing a punch, and they were so hammered they were practically falling all over themselves).... countered of course by the 2-3 totally sloshed ajossis who have tried to hug and kiss me.

Then there's the few times I've been told "Yankee go home". They hate it when I reply in Japanese. "I'm not Japanese!" "Yeah, well I'm not a Yankee."

No one's had the balls to say anything directly to me whenever I've been with my girlfriend, just angry stares and mumbled whispers to their buddy.

There was one guy who decided to yell at me in English, but I didn't attribute it to my being a white devil; he was angry that I was a guy who wore an earring. ("Do you think you are a woman?!?")

OH!... and the jeans salesman in Tongdaemun who tried selling me jeans that were 2 sizes too big because I "have a fat ass" (I'm 65kg soaking wet and scarecrow thin)

All in all, though, a pretty uneventful 9 years.


--Boz

[paperbag princess]

ironically the most racist person i've encountered in korea was my first boss. he's say things like "i don't like foreigners because you are all racist. when i lived in chicago people treated me badly..." so on and so forth. the only reason i think he bought an english hagwon was to take revenge on foreigners.

[butter808fly]

Sometimes I think they are being racist, but its just their culture of things that I consider rude... like cutting in line in front of me, running into me when there is plenty of room on the sidewalk (though maybe this stems from hate), or staring at me nonstop the whole time I walk past them. Unbelievable how uncivilized some of the behavior is here. I have to remember though, that my country isnt perfect either (as I was so reminded as I stood on the subway today and some young Korean guy was giving a mini speel about 'megook' and 'iraq').

I have experienced racism though like the rude bumping into me when there is plenty of room to walk down the sidewalk and being helped in a conveience store... where I was in line first, but I was ignored and a Korean was helped instead of me. Also, one time some Korean pretty much spit on me and another some Korean men stood behind me sucking on their snot and spit for a few mintues.. giving me the feeling they were going to spit on me.... when I left, they snickered... giving me the impression that it was intentional.

Sometimes when I get all irritated by the way their behavior is so unlike my own.. some Korean seems to be ultra kind to me and I remember that there are rude, racist people in every country. I cant judge their conduct on a few rude individuals.

[Reena]

I'm east-indian, so though I was born and raised in Canada, I have experienced some racism from Koreans who are surprised when I tell them I teach english here (they think I'm one of the pakistani workers here) , also there have been some times when I'm with caucasian friends who are asked to do privates and if they volunteer me for it, they say No. Besides that, not much, many more positive experiences than bad ones.

[jinglejangle]

[travellingwilly]

.....

[chiaa]

[jinglejangle]

[shakuhachi]

chiaa, I and I am sure many others would like to hear the details of your story.