Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

Almost two months ago I met an interesting woman in a chat room. We had a couple of nice chats just before she left on a vacation out of the country.

We exchanged photos on the eve of her departure.

During her trip we exchanged e-mail letters, but I noticed that only I initiated the letter writing. Her responses seemed friendly enough, but there was no action on her part to keep in touch. I caught on to this a few weeks into the vacation.

At the end of the vacation I sent a second photo. Suddenly she warmed up.

During our first phone conversation after she got back she said that she didn't really want to meet me because I looked 'too serious' in the first photo but really liked my face in the second photo because of the smile.

This really startled me. In fact it has pretty much turned me off meeting her. Judging someone's personality by a photo seems really shallow to me. It makes perfect sense to me to be attracted or repelled by someone's physical appearance, but to make judgements about a person's personality just on the basis of a photo seems silly.

I have heard that LG employs 'face-reading experts' who influence who is given job interviews, so I know it is an accepted part of society here, but...

My question:

Am I over-reacting?

[Demophobe]

Well, in the "possibly-a-psycho-who-will-hunt-me-down-and-eat-me" world of internet chat room meetings, the picture is all you have. Reading faces is just another way we interpret people. We do it all the time. If I met someone online who then sent me a photo I didn't get a good vibe from, I wouldn't be so warm either.
As far as LG....well, this is Korea and they can be....ummmm....a tad superficial? To place so much weight on a face reader is interesting, anyways.

[Swiss James]

Sounds like it's part of the Korean culture of "Nunchi"- reading a person's emotions from their face.

I don't know much about it, but I've read a few things about how Koreans don't like to let their emotions show, and so this is an important skill.

It's also probably why they'll spend so much money on getting a good, professional photograph for that all important ID card or job application picture eh?