Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pianowill]

I have a ton of questions. Keep in mind that anything and everything I know about Korean culture I've read at Dave's over the past 5-6 weeks or so. I read several threads here every day, but this has been my only source of information about Korea aside from the recruiters I've spoken with. So my questions may sound very, very stupid. In my case, there may be such a thing as a stupid question. Here goes...

1. Do they use the same numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) as in the U.S.?
2. Would it be appropriate for me to go to the gym and work out?
3. I'm a runner. Can I run outside in shorts and shoes with no shirt on?
4. Do they wave their hand and smile to say hello like we do here?
5. Can I give people the thumbs up to congratulate them?
6. I'm naturally friendly. Is it inappropriate to smile at strangers?
7. Can I smile at my students, co-teacher, or anyone else or is that a sign of weakness?
8. What kind of body language should I avoid?
9. Do Koreans shake their head "no" and nod their head "yes?"
10. Should I buy a bike when I get there?
11. I like the outdoors. Are there biking and/or hiking trails in wooded areas?
12. Would I be able to find a person to take ukulele lessons from?
13. I'm 23, and I have a beard. What place do beards have in Korean society or what emphasis or assumptions will Koreans place on me for having a beard?
14. My hair is short right now, but I generally only get 2-3 haircuts a year. What's the longest length I can have my hair that would still be appropriate/professional?

That's all I can think of for now. When replying, I would like to ask that you copy the question into your response instead of doing, "10. No" because as the posts accumulate, I don't want to keep scrolling up and down to see which question you are replying to.

-Will

[peppermint]

1. Do they use the same numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) as in the U.S.?
In general yes, clocks and phones will still use the same characters. Once in a rare while, you might see someone write the Chinese character instead, but it's not something you'll ever need to learn
2. Would it be appropriate for me to go to the gym and work out?
Of course.
3. I'm a runner. Can I run outside in shorts and shoes with no shirt on?
Maybe not. Friends have done it, and taken a lot of heat for it, but that was a few years ago
4. Do they wave their hand and smile to say hello like we do here?
Yes, but they also tend to laugh or smile when embarrassed, which rubs lots of westerners the wrong way, at first.
5. Can I give people the thumbs up to congratulate them?
sure.
6. I'm naturally friendly. Is it inappropriate to smile at strangers? Half of them will probably say "Hello" to you, whether you smile or not.
7. Can I smile at my students, co-teacher, or anyone else or is that a sign of weakness? They're people, not tigers.
8. What kind of body language should I avoid? If you're gesturing to someone to, "come here", don't do it with the palm up- that's for calling dogs. Also, remember that kids game, where you pretend to have stolen a little kid's nose, and show it to them? (your thumb peeping out between fingers) That's a deeply offensive gesture.

9. Do Koreans shake their head "no" and nod their head "yes?" yup
10. Should I buy a bike when I get there? sure
11. I like the outdoors. Are there biking and/or hiking trails in wooded areas? Loads of hiking trails, but they tend to be up the sides of small mountains, dunno about bike trails
12. Would I be able to find a person to take ukulele lessons from? uh, I've got my doubts
13. I'm 23, and I have a beard. What place do beards have in Korean society or what emphasis or assumptions will Koreans place on me for having a beard? A guy can probably give you better advice on this one, but I think so long as its neatly trimmed, you'll be fine
14. My hair is short right now, but I generally only get 2-3 haircuts a year. What's the longest length I can have my hair that would still be appropriate/professional? So long as it is neat looking you probably won't get any heat for it. I worked with a guy who had a ponytail for a couple of years.

[Goku]

One notable rude thing about hand gestures,

Usually the motion to "come here" is with the fingers pointed up. This is the what they use for animals and dogs.

If you want to motion for someone to come to you, keep fingers pointed down.

PS. Great job for doing your research before coming to Korea. You'll enjoy your time here if you hear much more immensely if you read daves before coming.

[pianowill]

Thanks for the replies! I am enjoying the advice. So if I want to run, I should just do it on a treadmill at a gym?

Okay, so no thumb between the fingers, no "come here" gesture with palm up. Anything else?

[ducati]

[Harpeau]

[yingwenlaoshi]

When you shake hands, put your non-shaking hand flat around your abdomen below your chest and slighlty bow. This is with people around your age or mostly with older people.

When someone gives you a business card, look at it and keep it out for a while. Don't put it in your pocket or wallet until later. When at a table in this situation, after perusing it, put it on the table, look at it briefly, etc. Put it in your pocket or wallet later.

Do the two-hand thing when pouring drinks, giving money, etc., but don't do this with younger people. Try to give things with your right hand rather than the left.

[Auslegung]

3. I'm a runner. Can I run outside in shorts and shoes with no shirt on?
I will advise against it, as another person said. You'll probably get stares and crap for it.
4. Do they wave their hand and smile to say hello like we do here?
Yes, but as a general rule only to close friends. A slight nod of the head all the way to a 10 degree bend at the waist is the usual greeting. To older people I am meeting for the first time, I place my hands at my side and bow about 15 degrees. When shaking hands with an older person, let your left hand touch your own right wrist (to politely give and receive things, use two hands, but only to older people or respected peers).
5. Can I give people the thumbs up to congratulate them?
Sure can
6. I'm naturally friendly. Is it inappropriate to smile at strangers?
Nope, but they won't generally smile back. I get a kick out of smiling at strangers as they stare blankly at me. I have an odd sense of humor.
8. What kind of body language should I avoid?
Crossing your legs in a crowded area (subway, bus, restaurant, etc) is looked at as selfish. Others are trying to get around and you're taking up more space than you have to. Much of the difference between Korea and the West can be understood if you realize their space is so much smaller, and their cities are so much taller.
10. Should I buy a bike when I get there?
Wish I had one myself. Quite convenient, but do be careful when riding on roads or crossing them. You know that game that everyone fictitiously plays in America? Hey, 100 points for hitting the old man with the cane, or 50 points for the kid on the skateboard? They're serious about that here, and they trade their points for kimchi.
11. I like the outdoors. Are there biking and/or hiking trails in wooded areas?
The worlds busiest national park is here (Bukhan park). Hiked Bukhan mountain a month ago, great experience. However, there isn't much naturally formed trails, they're usually in parks from what I understand.
12. Would I be able to find a person to take ukulele lessons from?
Would you be able to find one where you are?
13. I'm 23, and I have a beard. What place do beards have in Korean society or what emphasis or assumptions will Koreans place on me for having a beard?
Koreans have a definite thing for cleanliness, almost to the point of it being a religious thing (clean and unclean, think especially Jewish tradition). Beards are seen as dirty. Asians in general don't have much body hair, so their beards don't always grow in fully and as such are shaven on a regular basis. Only really old men, homeless, or rebels have beards, in general, and not even all of them. That being said, I love my beard and miss it, but every time I start to grow it I get comments from the workers at the local gimbap place I frequent, and from my students. As a 6'1" white man, I don't really feel like standing out anymore, so I shave it. However, being foreign you can get away with a lot of stuff and be called "exotic," so do what you want.
14. My hair is short right now, but I generally only get 2-3 haircuts a year. What's the longest length I can have my hair that would still be appropriate/professional?
Hm, I don't know if I can answer this one too well, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. I haven't been able to identify what is consider the typical student haircut, the typical adult haircut, etc, but I think a student has longer hair, over their ears and almost to their eyebrows, while an adult will have it shorter. I have a friend with quite long hair and I don't think he ever gets any crap for it.


Remember, however, when breaking a "social norm," screw it, you're foreign. You don't want to look like a homeless guy, obviously, but some things you can just forget about doing. For instance, it's not considered gentlemanly (or womanly) to eat/drink while walking, or standing in general. I've seen only a couple of places where lots of Koreans do it (Emart ice cream, for instance), but you rarely see anyone even drinking water while walking. I tried to do that at first because I really wanted to experience everything Korean, but I love water, I drink it often, and I don't care. Like I said earlier, I shave my beard, but that's because I don't feel like getting anymore stares than I already do. If you mess up and do something wrong, Koreans (Asians in general, actually) are very quick to forgive you. Unlike America, where we have "foreigners" coming out of our arse and many are tired of it, Asia is welcoming, understanding, and forgiving to foreigners. I have a couple of friends who were born in Korea but spent the majority of their life elsewhere, so they screw up as often as I do but they definitely get worse looks than I do. Do what you do, and they'll forgive you and correct you sometimes. Best of luck, hope I was helpful. Oh, and one more thing, a lot of what you read about Korea isn't true. That doesn't tell you much, but take everything (and I mean everything) with a potential grain of salt. The biggest thing I can think of right now is that I was told I wouldn't be able to find fruit, and if I did it'd cost a leg and an arm. Lies, I get good bananas, watermelons, grapes, apples, oranges, etc, on a regular basis, and besides the grapes they're not overly expensive.

[peppermint]

[JongnoGuru]

Bring nunchucks. Most newbies forget.

[pianowill]

[Morning_Star]

Korea is not THAT different form the US.

Don't smile at strangers however. They'll think you're crazy because nobody in Korea smiles at strangers. Shaving would be a good idea.

[phoneboothface]

[NightSky]

am I the only one worried that this guy is coming here? (no offense, OP)

but...really?

he seems to like being friendly to strangers, the outdoors, and has a sense of structure and organization (based on his instructions to us as to how to reply to his post.) none of which can be counted among Korea's many charms...

the soon-to-become shaggy hair and beard are probably not going to be selling points either.

[nobbyken]

Blowing your nose at meal times is something to avoid.
Everyone here sniffles when eating.
It can also be particulary offensive to some people away from the table, so always best to be discreet, turn your back or go to the washroom for a nasal party.