Korean Job Discussion Forums

cobright · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Location: Rochester Hills, MI

I just gave up the good fight against baldness and shaved it all off. Now I'm thinking I may have been hasty. Is there a taboo against shaved heads in Korea?

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

No, no problems at all. Some Koreans might not like it for aesthetic reasons, but plenty of foreigners get away with it without any problems.

BS.Dos. · Joined: 29 Mar 2007

Mine's very short, though buzzed rather than completely shaved off.

Caused a bit of amusement when my CTs first saw it, but they're okay with it.

Korussian · Joined: 15 Sep 2007

You might get some people ask you if you do it for religious reasons, but that's pretty much it.

Judging by the sea of comb-overs out there, they obviously find baldness super undesirable and probably won't understand our willingness to shave our heads completely.

Nevertheless, it's not a big deal here.

Cornfed · Joined: 14 Mar 2008

You might be mistaken for an American soldier.

cj1976 · Joined: 26 Oct 2005

Be prepared to hear "So-kuh-pild" (Schofield). I shaved my head and many teachers at my school compared me to the Prison Break star. Just in case you're wondering: Not true at all.

EzeWong · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Location: Seoul

I know a guy whos been living here with it for 7 years.

He's married to a korean woman too. So I doubt the stigma is very high.

Although... he does always have a hat on...

merkurix · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Location: Not far from the deep end.

I was told by my in-laws that the Korean perception of bald foreign guys is one of relative indifference. On a Korean guy, however, there is a perception that the guy must have unbridled sexual energy and therefore, is to be feared.

lohengrin · Joined: 16 Mar 2008 Location: Loompaland

I have a buzz cut every month or so. Some of the Korean teachers said they wish they could get away with doing it...
The worst thing that might happen is that some of the staff (and maybe students depending how friendly you are with them) might give your head a rub to find out how it feels!

Shocked

remember to get a warm hat before winter hits!

Wink

Moonshield · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Location: The Pimp is back

I am going the complete opposite way to have as much hair as humanly possible...so I wonder if the stigma is the same for guys with hair down to their waist is the same as those with no hair....

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

Otherside · Joined: 06 Sep 2007

If you are a woman, ignore the above advice. You WILL be stared at like an exotic circus animal. (If the average foreigner is stared at like a circus bear or lion...you'll be the two-headed elephant!)

Koveras · Joined: 09 Oct 2008

I arrived with a shaved head. At the airport, and a few times after, I was asked if I was a soldier. Nothing came of it. In my experience there's no stigma, and in fact I have never been so flooded with compliments my whole life.

edit: But then I'm young and good looking. It might be different for you.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Konglishman · Joined: 14 Sep 2007 Location: Nanjing

Using scissors and a razor, I shaved my head completely down to the scalp about 3 weeks ago. However, I have been letting it grow back since then.

My students and a few of my Korean friends asked me if it had any meaning. Eventually, one of my Korean friends told me that in Korea it often means that you are protesting something (usually work related). So, I suppose that means that the union protesters must shave their heads sometimes.