Korean Job Discussion Forums

cdninkorea · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

My brother has told me that whenever he tells people back home (in Canada) that I'm in Korea, most everyone wants to know if I'm in North or South Korea (if they even know there is a North or South). Almost no one has heard of Seoul or is aware that it's the capital city with- what? 10 million people?

Whenever I hear that people don't know these things, I find it odd- not because everyone should know about Seoul and its population, but because Korea, and especially Seoul, feels to me like the centre of the universe. There's so much here and so much that I find interesting that I can't imagine people not knowing about it.
I even find it odd that people don't know that Starbucks exists here, there's a subway system in several cities, what Korean food is like, etcetera. Things that I can't reasonably expect people to know.
Yet all of this stuff feels, to me, like people at home not knowing that there was once an East and West Germany, or not knowing that Japan is the second largest economy; how could anyone not know that?!

I guess this is a sign I've been here too long: maybe soon I'll start expecting people to know who King Sejong is Laughing

Okay, but seriously: has this attitude developed in any one else?

ronnie · Joined: 04 Jun 2006 Location: Wisteria Lane

Your friends need to read more. Smile

rawiri · Joined: 01 Jun 2003 Location: Lovely day for a fire drill.

You think korea is the centre of the universe?

Between this and your "you look like a movie star" thread i'm beginning to wonder!

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

I thought most people knew Seoul because of the 1988 Olympics.

Whenever someone asks me which Korea I'm in, I tell them I'm in the northern one.

cdninkorea · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

kermo · Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:24 pm Post subject:

I'd expect most people to know about Seoul, on account of the Olympics out here a while back, but I still get the North/South question all the time.

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Center of the universe?!!

It's not even the Hub of Asia (my ass).

rawiri · Joined: 01 Jun 2003 Location: Lovely day for a fire drill.

[quote="cdninkorea"][quote="rawiri"]You think korea is the centre of the universe?[/quote]

No, I'm saying it [i]feels like[/i] the centre of the universe. Only when I think about do I realize it's not.

[quote]Between this and your "you look like a movie star" thread i'm beginning to wonder![/quote]
Wonder what?[/quote]

*Activate sarcasm inhibitor* Just stuff, you know, maybe you have been here too long.

ronnie · Joined: 04 Jun 2006 Location: Wisteria Lane

...but seriously, I do find it strange that your friends don't know what "Seoul" is. Where are you from in Canada?

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

ronnie · Joined: 04 Jun 2006 Location: Wisteria Lane

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

'Korea feels like the centre of the universe'. Were you born in the Middle Ages?

That's so wrong, feeling like that. Your bellybutton is the centre of the Universe. No, that's wrong. The microscopic mites on the lint in your navel are Universe Central. Then the mites have mites (mighty mites!).

mithridates · Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:54 pm Post subject:

Apgujeong feels like the centre of the universe.

stumptown · Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:54 pm Post subject:

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

I must say, whilst nothing is known about Korea, people I encounter do at least know where and what it is and also have heard of Seoul (people recall the Seoul Olympics). Actually, dog-eating is pretty notorious the world over.

I know exactly what the OP means. We're all guilty of that. We have these discussions on here as though Korea - women, marriage, foreigners - is a massively important entity, when the reality is we're very little fish indeed.