Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sage Monkey]

[Tiberious aka Sparkles]

I caught a few seconds of it, not really paying attention to the premise. I wonder, did the show seem to side with the father's or the mother's opinion of Joe Foreigner and the issue of interracial marriage?

Sparkles*_*

[Sage Monkey]

[rapier]

The fact that they are even joking about this and recording the figures, is a promising sign. Society here is changeing.

10 more years to Japan-like status...and I envy the new teachers arriving to a more liberal society then. It may even become fashionable to marry a foreigner here: the signs are starting to show...

[just because]

[rapier]

[jajdude]

It would be interesting to hear of a Korean overseas being shunned by foreign parents in this way.

The only thing similar I ever heard of was in the movie about Bruce Lee and the white girl's mom.

[I_Am_Wrong]

I caught it randomly...strange since it was the first tme that I had watched Korean tv since my first month here. It was pretty funny to see the reactions of the mother and the father. He did a a pretty wicked job of winning over the mother with the first girl but I thought his demeanor was changed quite a bit with the father in order to help create the more stereotypical reaction. I don't know for sure tho cuz I could only catch a little bit of what was actually being said.

[Son Deureo!]

[inkoreaforgood]

Members of my wife's extended family were impressed when they found out she married a foreigner. They were happier about it than her father was(he was accepting, but very afraid of what the neighbours would say, nasty gits that they are). One said that there is no reason to marry a useless Korean man. I had to laugh when I heard that, since the woman who said that was in the same room as her Korean husband. He's well off too. Go figure. Anyways, I'm hearing much more acceptance from the younger(under 60) generations now. Things change here, and sometimes it happens all at once.

[riverboy]

The one thing I felt was the way the guy was dressed and the fact he mas chewing on gum like a cow chews cud.
Perhaps a little more conservative shirt? (even though I liked it) and get rid of the gum. That is a s about as rude as it gets in any culture.

[Derrek]

A couple of notes:

#1 -- During my hs winter camp, I asked my incoming 1st year girls had to answer how many people were in their family. Not one of them had more than 4 total. Most had 3 or 4 (including parents). That tells you right there that the birth rate is low.

#2 -- My girls range in age from 17 to 19, usually. Their parents probably match the statistics someone mentioned above. I will say, however, that they are very very different from their parents, and many of them are very curious about foriegners. I am certain that by the time they are parents with kids the same age, their attitude will be totally different.

I also agree that within 10 years, there will be a "fad" where dating a foreigner is accepted. All it takes in Korea is a few TV stars doing it -- and more importantly, admitting to it proudly. At the moment, I'd venture to say that most stars are far too worried about losing their career over it. The day is coming, however.

[Derrek]

I also want to make a side note:

In the three years I've been here, I've noticed that a lot of the girls who date foreigners have no father, because the father died early.

The girls seem a lot more open to dating a foreigner if the father is gone. Possibly because of what he might say.... also possibly because of some other Korean social reason. For example, and I'm just guessing, maybe a Korean man would avoid her because they might perceive her family as a "money problem" they might have to provide for. Or they wouldn't want the mother moving in with them too soon.

I can definately understand that one. I dated one girl who was a semi-princess, and spent money like it was water. Her father had a high-paying job, and died about 3 years ago. One month she dropped 7 million won on a fur coat, etc. Another month, she bought a car. She mentioned once that the money was running out, and I was like, "DUH!" I couldn't see marrying a girl like that and keeping her happy on my salary. Funny thing is, a year after we broke up, we had lunch to "catch up." She said her current boyfriend was chewing on her for spending too much money, and she wanted to know what I thought about it. I told her I had felt the same way, and that I knew I could never make her happy on 2 million won a month. With a serious look of compromise in her eyes, she said, "I could live with having 2 million won in spending money per month."

Just guesses, but it's a fact that a lot of the girls who would marry foreigners here have no father living, including my current gf.

[dharma bum]

[animalbirdfish]