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Ilsanman

Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:27 am Post subject: The character of Korean cities |
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Do you think each Korean city has a sort of character? Typical people you interact with every day. Do they have a sort of style? Are they very cosmopolitan?
Since the posters of this board live in so many different cities in Korea, we have a broad basis of knowledge.
I live in Bucheon, as my profile says. I see Bucheon as a split city, between new and old.
New: They are like Mini-Kangnam. Everything is the same, except in smaller amounts. They are also quite obsessed with education. There are many people who are well educated and worldly educated, but a majority of them are still frogs in the well, and probably got their money from family inheritance, or something like that.
Old: Old Bucheon is like the country's largest small town. A lot of country folk live here. They gossip and spread rumours, and still seem to think they're back in Jeolla-do. According to people I know, a lot of them come from Jeolla-do. Old Bucheon has a lot of drinking and whoring, even more than I see in other Korean cities. The people are also older than those in new/young Bucheon. I often see ajosshis and ajummas walking around, sitting on benches in front of supermarkets, drinking rice wine or something. People are not active here, as there aren't many places to exercise. |
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jaganath69

Joined: 17 Jul 2003
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:21 am Post subject: |
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The part of Bucheon I saw you in would have reminded me of a creepy old man if not for the fact that it was in a groovy wedding hall. I live in Cheongju, it feels like a big country town at time, probably the most Korean of cities since it has yet to get a major influx of big chains like Costco, Burger King and Starbucks (although the first is set to open soon). |
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Julius

Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:46 am Post subject: |
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Apparently the unique character of Korean cities is down to the unique dishes they produce.
Otherwise they're more-or-less similar. |
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GoldMember
Joined: 24 Oct 2006
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:08 am Post subject: |
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Character of Korean Cities. Judging from the architecture, I'd say, retro Stalinist meets Las Vegas. |
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lishy
Joined: 03 Mar 2007 Location: Daegu
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:41 am Post subject: |
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Try living in Daegu and then see if all Korean cities are more or less similar. Colorful Daegu, City of S**t. |
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Treefarmer

Joined: 29 May 2007
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:42 am Post subject: |
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i think they do. from the 3 places i have lived ulsan is a world away from busan, geoyheon is almost a different country, but they are all less than 2 hors away from each other
of course it's all down to personal experience....
ulsan is very 'proletarian' the industrial working class seems to set the tone for the whole town. if it wasn't such an extreme capitalist country it would be full of monuments to workers (although there are a couple of sculptures which are clearly influenced by soviets)
busan is busan, a massive port with rich and poor of all races, it isn't Seoul, but it's the same deal in that it's so metropolitan there is no point in trying to write it down
geohyeonis an amazing town,but i can't be arsed to write about it   |
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djsmnc

Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:51 am Post subject: |
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Aside from them all being a mass of monolithic apartment buildings constructed of reinforced military grade concrete, small run down brick buildings, and various aluminum structures with mildewed plastic banners for signs and addresses, I'd say they all have their own character to them!  |
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normalcyispasse

Joined: 27 Oct 2006 Location: Yeosu until the end of February WOOOOOOOO
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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Julius wrote: |
Apparently the unique character of Korean cities is down to the unique dishes they produce.
Otherwise they're more-or-less similar. |
Yeah, because another tablespoon of gochujang in the bibimbap is what makes Jeonju famous.  |
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pest2

Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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Ive never seen a country where all the cities' building look so much the same. blah. So boring.
On the other hand, the people in the cities seem to vary a little from place to place... in the North, where I'm at, I see more military and young soldier-aged people. Also, I actually feel like people are less hostile about waygookin here than they have been when I go further south... People here seem more like kind farmers or something. |
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