Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ChinaChao1]

10 Things I Love About Korea (I will not start bashing the States... just yet)

1) Housing is cheap. For a little over $700 you can have a small (no smaller than in NY) 2 bedroom apartment in a GOOD neighborhood. As I mentioned to my American coworker who got a place for 875,000 won a month (about $702 USD), you just CAN'T get that price ANYWHERE in America... AND the food and other costs are cheap. Even if you found a cheap place in NY for that price, everything else in NY would be expensive.

2) Transportation is cheap and efficient plus you get to walk... There goes your cardio. Maybe you enjoy driving around to restaurants and the grocery store (DOWN the street) but you can get to ANY where in Seoul on either the subway and or the bus (if you know where you're going). Calculate the cost of a car, car insurance and gas and well, you have yourself a lot of money saved up if there were alternate means, but in many places like S FLORIDA you just HAVE to drive. In Korea you don't.

3) Salary... Not so low considering your standard of living and HOW you can live pretty well plus really, American taxes aren't nice to singles with no kids... and neither is O.T. I may be getting paid slightly less than UPCIC (my LOVELY former job) but after taxes it's the same if not MORE. So MORE money to spend and or save!

4) You can learn a whole other language and get the chance to PRACTICE it PLUS really, English is practically the second language here (though perhaps not at a conversational level)... and hey, the language you learn doesn't HAVE to be Spanish. How generous of you to give me options.

5) FOOD is cheap. Yes, it is. You can eat Asian food for less than $3.50 USD PLUS you're making about the same after taxes ANYWAYS. If you want to spend more, you can always order WESTERN food. Once, I spent 13,000 won (about $10.43) on CHICKEN wings at a pizza parlor but rest assured that a real meal is like less than $5 and for $5 you can only order fast food at home. NOT even real food.

6) a) You DON'T TIP. It's not an option, you just don't.

b) You don't even tip at high end salons, or well they don't expect you to plus you can get the same haircut at a cheaper salon anyways.

c) You don't even have to tip the taxi or van drivers even though they get your bag, though you should. I did and he gave me back my money and eventually after some persuasion, he ended up taking 600 won which really, is 50 cents. He carried two heavy arse luggage bags! The guy even walked and got me a cart for my luggage. They're just SO nice and hospitable here.

7) DRINKING is cheap. Enough said. I got a Sangria for 7,000 won ($5.62) I did NOT have to tip AND it was a really nice trendy bar too! The type you see in Ft Lauderdale for a LOT more... At one point, it costs more for a COKE than it did for a bottle of Korean beer.

8.) Going out is cheap. Clubs, etc. Someone told me entrance fee for a dude for a trendy club is 5000 won, which is less than $5. $4.01 to be exact.

9) Basic shopping for face care, etc. is cheap. And I LOVE my face products! Moisturizers, sun block, make-up, face wash, etc. I didn't do any clothes shopping but my mother told me that many Chinese (in China and HK) are going to Korea because their clothes are trendy, good quality and CHEAPER than China. I don't know if I can believe that. I believe the quality part though. You just got to know how to bargain.

10) Accessories are cheap. You can get a pretty good "Mouis" Vuitton for like $100, $75, $50, $30... take your pick. Actually, EVERYONE (about 90% of women I've seen on the street) have a pretty good fake LV. I know because I just know but the average person NOT obsessed with high end brands would probably NOT know the difference. Hair clips and head bands are cheap and cute, etc. Even the prescription eyeglasses are up to 1/2 the price of what it is in the U.S.

What I Like About the States

1) If it wasn't for my U.S. Citizenship, I wouldn't be offered what I can make as a foreign ESL teacher.

2) I heard they're censoring parts of the internet in Korea. They are not doing that (or AS MUCH of it) in the States... Well, except for the recent 4Chan incident...

3) I'm assuming your family and friends are in the States. Mine are too!

4) Diversity. Kind of... That's it. I really can't think of any more.

[greasypeanut]

i have grown to love public transportation, so much, that when i move back to cali, im going to make the move from the south to san fran, that or nyc.

i also love the skateboarding culture here. i dont know the exact reason for it, but i assume that since there isn't that many skaters here, everyone who skates is part of the whole korean skateboarding family. we all try to encourage each other as much as possible and help each other out. not like back in cali where it seems like its a competition between everyone at the skatepark.


i love how an iced tea at paris baguette cost only 1k. a similar tea back home would cost like 2-3 bucks.

being able to buy 2ne1 and snsd socks at a store for only 500 or 1k.

things i love about the states

i had a car- this isnt a problem with korea though lol. but it was especially nice that even when it was raining i could still go out. unlike here, i hate waiting/walking for a bus in the rain.

friends and family

diversity lol. nice to be able to get legit mexican, chinese, korean, (insert any ethnicity) food in the same city (i lived in orange county, for sure does not apply to all areas of the us lol)

being able to talk to anyone outside....

[Starla]

ChinaChao, I agree with everything you said plus I'd like to add my own...

Like about Korea...
1- Food is healthy, filling and delicious. I don't have to worry about gaining weight every time I eat out and hey, I can always split it with a friend since everyone shares their food here. In the U.S., the portions are huge, wreak havoc on your cardiovascular health and people aren't privy to sharing food. Not to mention it's more expensive to eat healthy in the U.S. How ridiculous is that?

2- Low crime rate. I don't have to fear for my safety every time I walk down the street whether during the day or middle of the night. I love the freedom.

3- Larger packages don't mean bigger savings in Korea. Food in supermarkets usually is the same price per unit. Good news for those without big families to feed.

4- The men are in nice shape generally speaking which equals good eye candy.

5- People treat you kindly in public. Hey, I don't care what they say in Korean about me just as long as they treat me nicely to my face.

6- Customer service isn't comprised of slow, lazy, unorganized workers who act as if it's a hassle they're helping you out. It's service with a smile everywhere. And everything is not about profits and opportunism like in the U.S.

7- People tend to be non-confronational. And they bow to me. I love it.

8- People are not PC about everything. I hate being PC.

9- Cheap and convenient health care. Enough said.

10- Children respect their parents.

11- People throw garbage on the streets because there's not enough garbage cans. In the U.S., there's plenty of garbage cans but yet there's tons of garbage right near the garbage cans. Makes no sense.


Better in U.S.

1- People treat you like a human being first and then an ethnicity or race.

2- There's more respect for the welfare of animals and people have more pets.

3- Infidelity is frowned upon. Not sure about Korea.

4- Women have more self love and are treated better in terms of their equality.

5- Individuality rather than conformity is encouraged.

6- Old men are usually not flaming pervs nor do they lack basic manners.

7- Kids have lives outside of school. They may not be as accomplished but that's another matter.

8- Kids are taught critical thinking skills in school. Whether they use these skills in real life is questionable though.

9- Ageism is almost obsolete.

10- People say exactly what they think. I don't have to understand what they're implying because they're trying to save face.

I'm sure there's more but that's all I can think of now.

[Pwillig]

Korea:

1) Cheap
2) Drinking is economically feasible
3) Drinking is encouraged


United States:

1) Better access to lean meats
2) Better access to fiber
3) This guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ3oHpup-pk

[Jane]

OP, all the things you like about Korea revolve around the cost of living except the one about language (and I don't know about you, but I when I try to practice my Korean, people only answer in English).

If you want to compare countries based on cost, then yes, Korea is it.

On the other hand, if you want to compare quality of life, then home wins out.

Having said that, I do feel safer in Korea in terms of less crime, but there are times when I'm almost run over by kamikaze Korandos, or blind-ajumma driven Matiz, and that might just cancel out the illusion that Korea is so safe.

Apples and oranges, people..

[ChinaChao1]

lol Of course. I'm Asian American anyways and I also cannot imagine raising/having a family while being in and living in Korea. Quality of life, if I went the PHD or MBA route, I wouldn't even have to compare apples to oranges. Guess there is still time. The economy sucks in America right now, though it probably sucks even more outside of America. So of course if you have a decent job and housing, the standard of living is better in America but when I think about those poor people working at McDonalds making minimum wages... it's sad.

[ChinaChao1]

LOL the YouTube video was funny! Yes, I DO enjoy American individualism and entertainment. I guess the Asian "Yatta" boys (shows, etc.) get tiring after a while... lol

[Konglishman]

I disagree about one thing. Just because New York and South Florida do not have apartments with cheap rent, it does not mean that the same is true for the rest of the USA. There are a lot of places with affordable apartments in the USA. Further, in the USA, you do not have to pay key money.

One thing that I do like about Korea is that you do not need a car to get around. I have always hated the fact that in America, having a car has become a personal necessity as opposed to a personal luxury.

[gakduki]

[greasypeanut]

[ChinaChao1]

Ha, yeah well you don't live in South Florida. I would learn Korean as a personal choice... even though I KNOW speaking Spanish would further my career advantages. You obviously don't have to deal with the disaster that is Florida but it is what it is. I'd learn a language out of INTEREST any day, over a language that is "forcing" a state to speak it. Just give me the option. I don't care if they speak Spanish, they should just ALSO attempt to learn ENGLISH because what has resulted is that they REFUSE to learn ENGLISH and instead, expect EVERYONE else to learn Spanish. The people in NY conduct their business in English more so than the people of South Florida but once again, it is what it is. It's okay. South Florida won't change but as least I can leave it.

[ChinaChao1]

It's cheaper but I've seen the lifestyle. The nearest anything is 30+ minutes away by car and not much of an... available and fun life, plus the standard of living is less so you make less. That is fine for some people. In an obvious example like NY you have more things to do and living costs more and you get paid more. In Korea, it's still a city. Living is decent, the cost is relatively cheaper for a city of it's kind and pay... after taxes with a job say making $15 an hour, it's about the same as an ESL teacher. Of course anyone can choose to live wherever rent is $700 but you just can't get all the access and ease of commuting to bar, shopping, entertainment etc. and at a similar price, that you do in Seoul. I guess Seoul just seems more accommodating.

[ChinaChao1]

I agree about the positives of the U.S. too! Especially the women are treated better part. Anyways, yes, I wish I myself along with MANY AMERICANS in the SERVICING INDUSTRY would just either go back to school and get an education to FURTHER their chances or stop behaving so rudely... I agree, I wasn't the most pleasant of a person when doing those types of jobs. It's not fun.

I still can't believe that servers in Korea are not paid by tip yet still (for the most part) SERVE you. AMAZING. And to think that servers, the reason we have the tipping option in America is because we didn't want to be COMMUNIST about our service... so leave the tip option and deduct their hourly wage to $3.15/hr... yet SO MANY people that eat out at restaurants and even some foreigners, DO NOT understand this concept. Well, every thing has pros and cons and nothing is perfect so life is what it is.

Oh yeah and btw, what is PC???

[Konglishman]

[CA-NA-DA-ABC]