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I have to snort at all these comments from certain people..
"Koreans need to proof they are better?"
Really? I haven't seen a single Korean do that on this forum. Same goes for Japanese, but cannot be said of certain other people.
And of course non of these *opinions* relate back to the OP's question.
Yes, I know both languages and I can tell you Korea is more hierarchical, it's even reflected in the language more. Even when I talk to Japanese people about Korea, they think Korea is more hierarchical (though of course Japan is quite hierarchical too). One time some older Korean lady (prolly 40-50) didn't even want to keep talking to me anymore because she kept saying I was rude and sounded like some young Korean from Seoul, which is bs cuz I was using polite speech. I've never had a problem like that with Japanese, even though I've studied Japanese twice as long.
I imagine this is partly because Korea was more heavily influenced by Confucianism than Japan, though there are other reasons as well. Their position as a smaller country in between a bunch of bigger powers like China, Russia, and Japan has meant that they have constantly been getting pushed around and taken over. An environment of constant threat like that can push people into more conservative ways of thinking, and conservatism is by nature a more hierarchical system of thought. In contrast, Japan has been protected somewhat from Confucianism, but also from foreign invasion, simply because it's an island country.
Very interesting. I used to think it was the other way around b/c from what I have seen, the Japanese tend to bow much more often and act more polite than most Koreans.
What I am really sure is age hierarchy dominates the Korean society way way more than anywhere else in the world. Not too sure about Japan regarding this though. At least in Korea, every age "level" is a hierarchy(even being one year older makes a huge difference), so that's where the honorifics become extremely important. How is Japan different from this when it comes to age issues?
My guess is that you were acting too casually(i.e. body language, etc.) when you were talking to her. Communication isn't just all about the verbal language. And sarcasm is usually frowned upon in many asian cultures.
Last edited by OZpharmer; 11-26-2014 at 11:37 PM..
Very interesting. I used to think it was the other way around b/c from what I have seen, the Japanese tend to bow much more often and act more polite than most Koreans.
What I am really sure is age hierarchy dominates the Korean society way way more than anywhere else in the world. Not too sure about Japan regarding this though. At least in Korea, every age "level" is a hierarchy(even being one year older makes a huge difference), so that's where the honorifics become extremely important. How is Japan different from this when it comes to age issues?
My guess is that you were acting too casually(i.e. body language, etc.) when you were talking to her. Communication isn't just all about the verbal language. And sarcasm is usually frowned upon in many asian cultures.
Yea, age is really important in Korea, so much so it can lead to some funny and unnecessary awkwardness when 2 hierarchies come into play. Like a Korean guy might not want their older sister to marry a guy that is younger than they (the brother) is because then despite the new brother-in-law being younger, they are supposed to use polite speech with them since it is their older sister's husband. Of course similar issues could arise in the workplace (or other institutions) when you have younger people in higher positions. This could happen here in the west as well, but at least in the west you don't have to switch to some whole other speech level.
In Japan...hm, I think the difference in general is that Japanese are more indirect, so they are more likely to just eye-ball it and as long as you look roughly the same age, then they will just use the same speech level as you. Koreans are more likely to straight up ask you how old you are right from the start as one of their first questions and when they find out they are older, then they start using casual speech and you are supposed to keep using polite speech. This is for just talking with people in general though, they are about the same when it comes to things like employees using an even higher level of politeness in the language with customers or with higher ups in the business. They are different when it comes to family though. Japanese seem like they use casual speech more with family members regardless of age, whereas in Korea age is still important, regardless of whether they are family, and younger people will use polite speech.
Last edited by alester237; 11-27-2014 at 11:08 AM..
A couple of people now seem to think that this thread has gone off on a tangent or something, but I do think the cultural differences are something you seriously need to think about before you decide to go to college in Korea and then work in a Korean company. To address the OP's questions more directly though...here is a question for you OP: why do you want to work in a Korean company?
Honestly, if you just want to be able to have a business or IR related job where you can use your Korean, you might be better off getting a job in a western company that does business in Korea or with Korean companies. I used to talk with a Japanese guy every now and then who works at a Japanese company in France translating medical related stuff and, while he liked his job, he said he would like to be doing the same thing but in a western company because of the better work environment in western companies.
In this case you might want to get a degree in the US though and then do a year or two abroad somewhere in Korea, unless you know FOR SURE that you just want to work in Korea or somewhere that does business with Korea. The reason I say that is that a degree in the same thing from a decent US college might give you more job flexibility later on. Also, if you get a foreign degree, just remember that some employers, like in the US for example, might make you jump through extra hoops to prove your college degree is actually comparable to a 4 year degree from an accredited US college. So if you go to a US college, that's just one less thing you have to worry about when looking for a job later on.
I worked in Seoul for a year and yes, it would be impossible imo to integrate into Korean society in the way the Koreans are becasue of the incredibly xenophobic mentality there. However, I don´t think obtaining work for someone with Korean & English language prficiency would be any problem. Maybe after a few decades, you will almost be accepted.
I will say that even though you cannot be admitted into Korean culture, you can still enjoy a good life in Korea with the foreigners that are there and the locals tolerate foreigners for the most part, at least that was my experience.
If you are a customer, superior or a teacher, you will be well respected by the Koreans and Japanese. The differences you feel will be great compared with in the US and China.
You won't feel any hierarchy if you talk to Koreans and Japanese in English. There is little use of honorifics in English. They also behave differently when interacting with foreigners.
If you are a customer, superior or a teacher, you will be well respected by the Koreans and Japanese. The differences you feel will be great compared with in the US and China.
You won't feel any hierarchy if you talk to Koreans and Japanese in English. There is little use of honorifics in English. They also behave differently when interacting with foreigners.
As a Korean, I agree. The hierarchical rules only applies when Koreans speak to other Koreans. Foreigners are not expected to follow hierarchical rules.
They've got this obsession with pure blood. Korea is kind of on edge about foreigners because they've been pillaged and raped by other countries through out history.
They've got this obsession with pure blood. Korea is kind of on edge about foreigners because they've been pillaged and raped by other countries through out history.
But, hey, let some mestizo-ish looking latinos think they will be welcomed with open arms to Korea LOL. Or in Japan, even. I have latino friends that have such an American mindset that, they will be welcomed in Asia because they aren't white, just like Asians. Lol, wrong!
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