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Rude, harsh, aggressive people. Walking down the street is always an intense experience.
A fast paced culture where everyday you can hear people yelling "hurry, hurry!" in Korean language of course.
Extreme vanity and shallow egomania everywhere. People staring at themselves in mirrors constantly. Most women have plastic surgery and it's said that 15% of the men have plastic surgery too. It makes SoCal look non-materialistic.
A culture that values money and self-image above anything else.
Extreme racism. The racism of many South Koreans is on par with skinheads. The only difference is that Koreans don't express it in violence, instead they express it through words and passive aggression.
Extreme pride. People won't move out of your way on the sidewalk or hold a door open for you, or show minor gestures of friendliness.
The vast majority of the people are stressed out and it shows.
There are a few good things about it too. Yes it has low crime. Job opportunities are good. Economy is good. But the bad outweighs the good by far.
I hope Korean people will someday take a look at themselves in the mirror and realize how they look to an outsider's perspective.
Of course Koreans who are well traveled or born in other countries don't act this way. I'm not being racist here, it's not about race. It's about the culture in South Korea. Take a Korean person out of South Korea and they usually loosen up a lot.
Nope. I was there for three years. That's just how it is there.
Problem being of course is that South Korea is one of the most competitive nations on earth and everything is about winning and being on top.
Good example of where this philosophy has been taken too far.
I have had numerous dealings with young Koreans abroad and have found a big percentage did not wish to return to that country if an alternative presented itself.
Girls being more inclined than the boys in not wanting to return.
Recall a media report a few years back that underlined the ugly face of this culture of competition when it was disclosed the popularity of parents having their children operated on to enable them to speak English without an accent.
Taking things a little too far some may say.
I have had numerous dealings with young Koreans abroad and have found a big percentage did not wish to return to that country if an alternative presented itself.
Girls being more inclined than the boys in not wanting to return.
If you a Korean guy living in Korea (and must be a Korean guy, not any other foreigner guy in Korea), than you have it made.
Confucianism is to the extreme in Korea...so pretty much any guy who is older than a woman, can basically tell her what to do. He can make her go drinking, and tell she has to drink more than she is, etc. Older brothers can tell their sister to make them a sandwhich at pretty much any time, on and on.
For Korean women, once they leave Korea, I think they're a bit shocked to realize that that isn't the same throughout the world.
It's always particularly interesting overhearing older Korean guys. They are at the top of the confucianism food chain, so they just lecture people with non-stop ramblings, and women and younger just nod at them. It's a great concept...in theory, respect for the elderly. But half of the time the old guys are just going off about some garbage in general, whatever pops into their head.
Just for the posters information, Ive lived in Korea, and are married to a Korean Citizen.
[quote=GreenGardener555;19890638]Heavily overpopulated and polluted. -
Yes it is very a very densly populated country, Its very easy to get around however. Pollution is a problem yes, its nothing like the problems they have in china however. Indeed a lot of the very worst pollution days they have in seoul happen because the wind blows it over their from china.
An endless war with the North. - Always a problem you are constantly reminded of this. Feel a bit sorry for them, it was not a Korean idea to split the country in two.
Rude, harsh, aggressive people. Walking down the street is always an intense experience.
- When they are working yes, once you get to know them and become friends they are very generous people.
A fast paced culture where everyday you can hear people yelling "hurry, hurry!" in Korean language of course. - Bali Bali
Extreme vanity and shallow egomania everywhere. People staring at themselves in mirrors constantly. Most women have plastic surgery and it's said that 15% of the men have plastic surgery too. It makes SoCal look non-materialistic. - I certainly dont know any koreans who have had plastic surgery
A culture that values money and self-image above anything else. - True.
Extreme racism. The racism of many South Koreans is on par with skinheads. The only difference is that Koreans don't express it in violence, instead they express it through words and passive aggression. - They are warry of outsiders, and with their history who could blame them. This will change with time
Extreme pride. People won't move out of your way on the sidewalk or hold a door open for you, or show minor gestures of friendliness. - They do show respect for their seniour citizens however, something a lot of western countries should learn about.
The vast majority of the people are stressed out and it shows. - True work and money is what they live for.
There are a few good things about it too. Yes it has low crime. Job opportunities are good. Economy is good. But the bad outweighs the good by far. - I would go back and live their again
I hope Korean people will someday take a look at themselves in the mirror and realize how they look to an outsider's perspective. - I think we should just accept their culture as it is.
Of course Koreans who are well traveled or born in other countries don't act this way. I'm not being racist here, it's not about race. It's about the culture in South Korea. Take a Korean person out of South Korea and they usually loosen up a lot. - True it does take them time to adjust however, it took my wife years to accept some of the norms of western culture, especially when it came to marriage and family.
Last edited by danielsa1775; 07-05-2011 at 09:15 PM..
The first year when I encountered annoyances, I said "Oh that's just their culture. I'll try to accept it and I won't judge it. There's bad and good things in every country." I had the typical, western politically correct view towards it.
The second year, the problems there started to bug me more. I still just let it slide though and didn't let it bother me too much. I still enjoyed myself, but I found myself withdrawing from Korean culture more and more. It's just too alienating and intense, you are constantly reminded that you are the outsider.
The third year, I started to hate the place. I picked up a lot of the language and I could overhear people making rude and racist comments towards me every day. I could understand conversations and I realized just how rude and shallow most people act.
Yes, if you are a foreigner and you walk down the street in Korea, Korean people will say insulting and racist things about you very, very often. Most foreigners can't understand Korean well enough to pick up on it though.
Anyway, I tried my hardest to like the place and have a positive time there. I did meet some great Korean people. But I think 95% of them are very closed-minded and selfish. 95% of them get sucked into the awful groupthinking mentality that is infamously unsavory and ridiculous. I lived there long enough to really understand it deeply.
After Korea I spent time in Southeast Asia and it was like breaking out of prison and going into paradise. In the USA they lump all Asians together as one people but they are very, very different.
I dont care how many years you've spent there. Lumping 95% of the entire population as selfish, racist, closed minded, rude is just ridiculous. Maybe YOU are the problem.
Before I went to Korea I was saying the same thing that you are saying now when people would complain about it.
Just go there and see it for yourself..... Sometimes you CAN accurately lump people together.
I loved my time in South Korea. People were always wanting to chat with me and wondering who I was and where I was from. Whenever I entered a Korean friends home their parents were overtly eager to feed me their home cooked meals!
Seoul is a major city, so of course you are going to run into a very fast paced culture. I don't know but you sound like a guy who got rejected by one too many Korean girls.....
I don't feel like pollution is a big problem in Seoul, I don't recall seeing Seoul or Korea ever being on any pollution statistic as a major contributor. If you are talking about the yellow dust that flies through during the summer then Korea has no control over that because it's being blown over from China, it even makes its way over to Japan.
South Korea has a very distinctive culture and I definitely enjoyed my time there.
For me Southeast Asia was the opposite! ugh, all the poverty and pollution was awful and especially the panhandling! It's terribly sad seeing all those children malnourished and living off of some polluted river.
Last edited by Ebck120; 07-05-2011 at 11:51 PM..
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