Korean Job Discussion Forums

[robertmanicni]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what that smell is everywhere in Seoul? My girlfriend (Korean) can't even smell it, but for me it's a really strong, unusual smell. She said it's probably galbi, but I assumed it was kimchi. Does anyone know? It's certainly a smell that I've never smelt other than in Korea. I find that everything has that smell, even fruit and tap water.

[VanIslander]

Pollution.

Every time I visit the Big Smoke I choke.

One doesn't get accustomed to it when one lives in the fresh air of a small town far from cities as I have and continue to.

[brento1138]

I know what you mean about Seoul. London and Paris also have the same smell. I think it's just the pollution... I actually don't think it's such a bad smell. Kind of a burnt scent maybe... hard to explain what the smell is, as yeah, I haven't smelled anything like it. The first time I smelled it was in London, second time in Paris, and most recently in Seoul.

[ella]

It's fish. The entire city smells like it. I don't think London and Paris have that smell at all.

[kimchi_pizza]

Light a match, it should take care of it....

[farfromhome]

i agree with brento1138. ive smelled it in paris, madrid and parts of downtown los angeles.

[The Hierophant]

Could also be the stench of raw sewage wafting up from drain gratings. We get that alot in Jeonju.

[cj1976]

I live just outside of Seoul and I have also encountered that smell. My guess is that it is the aroma of millions of kimchi-saturated stools making their way to the East Sea.

[blynch]

it's called the "big city smell". imo seoul is better than ny,london or paris

[robertmanicni]

I've never smelled anything like it in Paris, London or Madrid.

I think it must be a mixture of pollution, kimchi and other foods.

[Natalia]

Never smelled it anywhere in Europe. And dirtier Asian countries don't have the 'Korea' smell.

A recent visitor asked me why the whole place smells like natural gas.

It's more than just the pollution, it's a really awful smell I am convinced I will never stop noticing.

[SuperFly]

It's the dead dogs hanging upside down in the front windows of the dog restaurants in the back alleys.


I'm kidding.


Welcome to Seoul...

[YoungDay]

I can honestly say that (and my co-workers can attest to this) as I and my co-workers walk home from work, we encounter at least 7 different fetid smells.

Here are all the ones that I can think of.

1. Typical raw sewage sh*t smell.
2. Vomit smell.
3. Piss smell.
4. A combination of two or all three of the above (All not endemic only to Seoul but for whatever reason extremely potent here).
5. Dead body smell. I think that this smell is one of the most noisome and the most disturbing smells that I have ever smelled here. People who have ever smelled a dead mammal will know what this smell smells like. There is no way to describe it. I believe it was probably a stray dog or cat that died in the near proximity of our apartment (Not endemic only to Seoul).
6. A really sweet pungent smell. Probably one of the most disgusting smells that I have ever had the displeasure of smelling in my life. Exceptionally putrid. I have been trying to figure out what it was. It could very well be a progression of number 5.
7. Garbage smell (definitely not just endemic to Seoul and I think much worse in NY).
8. Summer kimchi body sweat smell. This smell is exceptionally painful in the while riding on a subway (only in Seoul).
9. Smog smell (not only endemic to Seoul; LA is worse)

For me, many large cities stink. NY just has one heavy malodorous garbage stench, especially in the summer. LA has this putrid smog smell. However, Seoul has veritible smorgasbord of painfully disgusting stenches which test my gag reflexes in new and unique ways (especially when I have a hang over). Its the quantity people. Then again, I do live in Yeongdeungpo

[robertmanicni]

I agree with the last comment, it is a strange sweet smell. And I have no idea what it is.

[Col.Brandon]