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Ginormousaurus
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit
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 Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:44 am Post subject: |
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| 12ax7 wrote: |
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Julius wrote: |
| PC bangs are vanishing rapidly. |
Any idea what's causing this? I often wondered at how they could make any profit at all. |
One word: smartphones (or at least that's my theory). |
That crossed my mind as well since smartphones are being credited (blamed) for the slow decline of console gaming. |
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saram_
Joined: 13 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Ginormousaurus"]
| 12ax7 wrote: |
| Ginormousaurus wrote: |
| Julius wrote: |
| PC bangs are vanishing rapidly. |
Any idea what's causing this? I often wondered at how they could make any profit at all. |
One word: smartphones (or at least that's my theory) |
Smartphones have had a negative effect no doubt.
Another reason I think is because of negativity surrounding PC Bangs.
They are kind of a no go area for a lot of Korean people. Maybe it's as simple as other activities/hobbies becoming more popular..
Wii and so forth have become more popular too so then people just play at home..
The non smoking ban in PC Bangs may have been/ be the final death knell mind you.
There are a host of reasons and don't ever expect PC rooms to become very popular again.
Regarding phones.. Usually people get their phones on a two year contract. There is an initial downpayment- maybe a couple of hundred thousand and then the rest paid off over two years in monthly installments. |
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spilot101
Joined: 05 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 11:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Can't tell about 4 years, but a 14 year difference is quite insane. Back in 99, you would hardly see any fast food joints (aside from MD's and BK's in cosmopolitan areas) or overweight Koreans. Today's Korea is a different animal.... |
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Los Angeloser
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:44 am Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| ...prices have gone up. |
You can say that again! Sollal should be same same. Koreans still believe that the more you pay the better it is, so not much has changed there or elsewhere.
'Pricey Chuseok gift sets lead buying surge'
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2977806&cloc=joongangdaily|home|newslist1
"Galleria Department Store said its gift set sales jumped 23 percent compared with the same point before Chuseok last year. Its biggest growth came from meat gift sets, which were up 31 percent, followed by health foods up 30 percent, dried food up 29 percent and vegetables up 12 percent.
Galleria also noted a huge split between expensive and inexpensive gift sets - those that cost more than 300,000 won ($276) shot up 172 percent compared with last year, while gift sets less than 200,000 won declined 25 percent.
Shinsegae Department Store reported 15 to 17 percent gains in the growth of wine gift sets, health food and meat.
On the other hand, sales of fish gift packages fell 10 percent from a year earlier at Shinsegae, as consumers continue to fear contamination by radiation leakage from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan." |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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| Los Angeloser wrote: |
| World Traveler wrote: |
| ...prices have gone up. |
You can say that again! Sollal should be same same. Koreans still believe that the more you pay the better it is, so not much has changed there or elsewhere.
'Pricey Chuseok gift sets lead buying surge'
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2977806&cloc=joongangdaily|home|newslist1
"Galleria Department Store said its gift set sales jumped 23 percent compared with the same point before Chuseok last year. Its biggest growth came from meat gift sets, which were up 31 percent, followed by health foods up 30 percent, dried food up 29 percent and vegetables up 12 percent.
Galleria also noted a huge split between expensive and inexpensive gift sets - those that cost more than 300,000 won ($276) shot up 172 percent compared with last year, while gift sets less than 200,000 won declined 25 percent.
Shinsegae Department Store reported 15 to 17 percent gains in the growth of wine gift sets, health food and meat.
On the other hand, sales of fish gift packages fell 10 percent from a year earlier at Shinsegae, as consumers continue to fear contamination by radiation leakage from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan." |
I rarely ever defend Korea in these regards, as I'm no apologist. But, what about westerners and Christmas? Shop till you drop or till your card maxes out? (At least the Koreans can't max out huge credit limits here due to having to pay the balance each month.) |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Los Angeloser wrote: |
sales of fish gift packages |
Outside of some smoked salmon, I can't picture a lousier food gift basket... |
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RangerMcGreggor
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
Location: Somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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Public Display of Affection is going way up.
I remember coming here for the first time and you rarely saw more than holding hands and a hug among Korean couples. Then a couple years ago you started seeing more "skinship" short of smooching in public. Now, I routinely see young couples exchanging short kisses publicly and even on the subway. I almost fell out of my chair when that happened.
Also, is it me or has clothing for women changed this summer? I'm actually seeing girls bearing shoulders and midrifts in Seoul now. |
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Julius
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 3:22 am Post subject: |
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| RangerMcGreggor wrote: |
Public Display of Affection is going way up.
I remember coming here for the first time and you rarely saw more than holding hands and a hug among Korean couples. Then a couple years ago you started seeing more "skinship" short of smooching in public. Now, I routinely see young couples exchanging short kisses publicly and even on the subway. I almost fell out of my chair when that happened. |
I know, I saw a couple kissing in front of the ticket barrier yesterday.
I was like.. "imagine what would happen if a foreigner did that".
The generational tipping point has been reached. Most of the oldies who normallyu yell at youngsters have passed away or are too much in the minority. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| I saw a girl with her midriff showing today. First time I remember seeing that on a Korean lady. She was a little bit tubby so it felt like I was back in the UK for a second there. |
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Squire
Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 5:21 am Post subject: |
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| If you find the new changes uncomfortable just come down to Jeolla. It'll be like you remembered Korea to be when you first arrived, or maybe a bit old fashioned compared to that. You won't be seeing Koreans in bikinis on the beach, that's for sure |
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12ax7
Joined: 07 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 7:23 am Post subject: |
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| Julius wrote: |
| RangerMcGreggor wrote: |
Public Display of Affection is going way up.
I remember coming here for the first time and you rarely saw more than holding hands and a hug among Korean couples. Then a couple years ago you started seeing more "skinship" short of smooching in public. Now, I routinely see young couples exchanging short kisses publicly and even on the subway. I almost fell out of my chair when that happened. |
I know, I saw a couple kissing in front of the ticket barrier yesterday.
I was like.. "imagine what would happen if a foreigner did that".
The generational tipping point has been reached. Most of the oldies who normallyu yell at youngsters have passed away or are too much in the minority. |
My wife and I were doing that a long time ago. At first there were a few old men who'd make disparaging comments. We'd let it slide, they were too frail to beat up...besides, those f-ers are all dead now, so we win. |
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kimchipig
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| sligo wrote: |
Speaking for out of Seoul...
Food: Milk and bread are about 30% more expensive than 4 years ago. Wine is no longer elitist (well the supermarkets have bottles for all budgets athat are drinkable - 15,000 - 30,000). Most supermartkets will sell beer from around 30 countries - the ale selection is still small, but growing all the time.
Transport: Almost all taxi fares have risen a great deal. Now, the starting price in most cities is 2,800 - 3,000 Won. There are even more cars, so the roads are getting busier, and the drivers are getting worse (due to hating waiting in queues, most will run red lights, drive on the sidewalk, or just abandon their car in a carpark to save time). Busses are slightly more expensive, but still the best way to travel.
Attention: The old "Hi, nice to meet you, where are you from?" from almost every child seems to have stopped. Slight stares from the kids is the most to expect, but not many disturbances. The old guys still stare with fixed gazes, but don't really bother people like they used to.
Money: Private classes are becoming the new standard of wealth. Hiring a private teacher for home is becoming more and more common, and pays more to the teacher. The money to be made from in house teaching is massive.
Cuisine: Almost every style of food is now available in Seoul. Before, there was many, but now, almost all bases are covered. From Brazilian beef places in Itaewon, to Tibetan curry in Hongdae, it's all there to find.
Corruption: Hagwon bosses seem to be becoming worse (from all the posts on forums about legal help). It seems that the market has reached a point where a hagwon doesn't guaruntee money, and a lot of teachers are complaing about not being paid, or being fired in their 11th month. This has always been a worry, but i have not know it on this scale (i'm coming up to 7 years here). I believe the rise in home teachers has lead to a drop in hagwon students which has lead to loss of income for all associated with hagwon teaching.
Uni: 3 years adult experience use to cut it, but now most want 4 years without a masters and 1 year with one. Most people believe that in a few years, a BA (regardless of expeience) won't count for anything.
These are the main differences i can think of. If you come back, i wish you well. |
Interesting points you make about home teachers. I am in Canada and I work as a private tutor. Many parents here (wealthy Chinese) have come to the conclusion that hagwans are a waste of money and hiring a qualified, experienced tutor is not only cheaper than a hagwan, it gives your kid a much better education. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 5:22 pm Post subject: |
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| World Traveler wrote: |
| Inflation in the United States is 1.5%. Inflation in Canada is 1.3% That's almost nothing. (Some places on earth see higher price rises than others; not every country gets it equally. The rate of inflation in Korea is higher than the rate of inflation in the West.) Obesity in the United States is leveling off. In Korea it is skyrocketing. |
Except you can't take 1 year and make assumptions based on that.
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/canada/inflation-cpi
| Quote: |
| Canada Inflation Rate averaged 3.22 Percent from 1915 until 2013, reaching an all time high of 21.60 Percent in June of 1920 and a record low of -17.80 Percent in June of 1921. |
As for the U.S (plus Canada) ever hear of "cumulative inflation"?
http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation/DecadeInflation.asp
| Quote: |
| You think that 7% inflation in the 1970's is terrible but 2% or 3% per year since 1990 isn't so bad right? Well, the total cumulative inflation for the almost 22 years from January 1990 through September 2012 is 81.64%. In other words, something that cost $100 in January of 1990 would cost $181.64 in September of 2012 and that is what happens at "low" inflation rates. |
Which is why the rates are low now...not that much room to rise further. Prices have almost doubled in 20 years due to inflation alone (and that's at 2-3% inflation rates according to the article).
(Bolding mine) |
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NohopeSeriously
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Location: The Christian Right-Wing Educational Republic of Korea
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| Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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| If I could compare between 2010 and 2013, I would say that there's a significant rise of very religious Christians who attend smaller churches. People are getting dumber because of smartphones. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 1:01 am Post subject: |
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| Young women smoking in plain view of people. Go back 4 years, you'd be hard pressed to see a woman smoking with the guys in those smoking areas. Now, I see tons of them smoking, even in my little provincial town. |
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