Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dev]

In Korea, it's often one of the first questions Korean people ask you.

What's the deal with this?

Do you feel insulted? (I do.)

I just met a nice Korean woman and I already feel like I am being categorized because of my age.

Isn't such a way of judging a stranger rather narrow-minded?

That's not to say that people aren't narrow-minded back home. A lot of women I met back home wasted no time asking me what my job was (a rather crafty way to indirectly ask you, How much is your salary?)

As usual, I think Koreans are a little bit too direct.

[kat2]

Its very important to them at a very basic level. Without knowing your age, they don't even know how to address you and what level of speech to use. It used to bother me (and still does from a westerner), but i've learned to accept it from a korean.

Several kfriends have told me that its impolite to ask how many siblings some one has (more kids=poorer family) or where you went to University (status of uni being so important here). These are completely common questions in America and some of the first getting to know you questions you would ask someone.

Its just different here.

[Dev]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

It's not insulting. It's just plain stupid.

What I especially love is when madly curious Koreans ask me the ages of other foriegners.

'How old is she?'

"I don't know - maybe late 20s?'

One Korean friend couldn't believe I had no idea of the age of a foreigner I had corresponded with who was coming to live in our area.

'You mean you didn't ask?'

'Nope'.

'Really???'

'Yep'.

I sometimes wonder if they feel slighted when we don't give a damn how old they are, either.

[RACETRAITOR]

I like how they are forward. You know you can be forward too.

[IncognitoHFX]

I'm not in Korea yet, but I will be within a few weeks.

Do you think my age will be a problem? I'm not that young (twenty-two), but when I was recruited I remember my interviewer being like "holy shit you're young!"

Before Dave's, I assumed that 95% of ESL teachers in Korea were between the 22-25 range. After loitering on here for awhile I see that isn't the case.

[RACETRAITOR]

[bgreenster]

haha, I had the same belief before coming over here. I was 22, and knew that there would be a variety of people but somehow had the impression I would be the typical "fresh out of college" teacher here. When I got here, everyone, esp my Korean coworkers seemed shocked at how young I was. They also seem to have some kind of detail-amnesia. I am asked over and over again what my age is, by the same people... and they are always surprised when I mention that this is my first "real" job (even if I KNOW that I've already told them).

Truthfully, I just don't think anything about it, and revel in being thought of as young. At home, I had started to feel kinda old, especially since half of my friends are getting engaged

I simply don't find it insulting to be asked my age, since I don't get the feeling that they mean it insultingly. Now, I DO feel a bit insulted when they ask me if I like fast food, while sizing me up and down

[SPINOZA]

I don't mind being asked. If you give it, say, 10 seconds consideration, it's really not an unreasonable item of information to ask for. What I do dread is their reaction to my telling them. Very mixed results in my case. That's the only reason to resent being asked.

Dev - you've been here 3 years, right? Your complaints about this country are things most normal people who are able to stay 3 years get over and get used to after a few months - age questions, sharing sidewalks with bikes, motorbikes, sometimes cars and trucks. Grow a pair, you bloody wimp.

[hubba bubba]

I prefer "How old are you" to "Why are you so fat, pizza, hamburger stea-kuh?"

[cdninkorea]

[Dev]

[Wangja]

I'm old enough that Koreans no longer need to ask me.

[Kyrei]

[jinks]

It used to annoy the living cr@p out of me, but now I just let it go. I tell people I am 74 (Western age), if they persist with age questions I tell them that I am 28 (Korean age).
I am actually 44, but I am so much more than a number.