Ask me about living in South Korea

[AcrylicHero]

Are there any South Koreans that have any positive view of Japan? I would bet that they hate Japan almost as much as China or the North. To be honest, Koreans are not well-treated here at all.

I like the japanese and the chinese.
As far as I'm aware most koreans dont hate the northern neighbours. They're viewed as mislead and lost brothers/sisters.
I also wouldn't say s koreans hate the chinese or the japanese, but there is a ridiculously strong sense of national pride and little touch of xenophobia among the majority.

I'm surprised I haven't seen any trolls posting "North Korea is best Korea".

Is western food hard to find there? I've thought of going before, but I can't eat only korean cuisine. I like it, but eating it too many times in a row makes me sick. Don't know why. Happens with vietnamese food too.

No, but it's very expensive.

To add to this, I'd say it's expensive to find good western food and they taste...peculiar to say the least.
One time I ordered a carbonara in an italian restaurant, just didn't taste right at all. Pretty much everything is tweaked to suit more to the korean taste buds.
I also got a chicken kebab and it was healthy. It had proper fresh salad, wrap and a non-greasy donner meat. Now that's just wrong to a whole new level.
Still I really love the variety of food and the choice you have when going out to eat. God I miss korean food so much, especially yookgaejang and the soontofu chigae.

I don't live in korea but I was born there and my family's korean, so I end up going there every year and somehow end up spending atleast 300 quid because everything is dirt cheap compared to england. Nice cheap food everywhere, nice cheap clothes everywhere and somehow you can actually barter, and nice cheap tasty cigarretes. So cheap it blew my mind away and I bought a bagfull even before duty free, and there I got another bagfull.

I'm quite surprised noone's mentioned the pojang matcha (dunno what it's called in english and my computer doesn't write korean). I just love those to bits especially after a night out.

Question-
What's the inflation over there like, and how much more expensive are stuff?
Per say, how much would a 20 pack of cigs, a decent bowl of jjam bbong, or a korean hotdog thing cost?

 

[SuperUberBob]

Are there any South Koreans that have any positive view of Japan? I would bet that they hate Japan almost as much as China or the North. To be honest, Koreans are not well-treated here at all.

I like the japanese and the chinese.
As far as I'm aware most koreans dont hate the northern neighbours. They're viewed as mislead and lost brothers/sisters.
I also wouldn't say s koreans hate the chinese or the japanese, but there is a ridiculously strong sense of national pride and little touch of xenophobia among the majority.

This.

I'm surprised I haven't seen any trolls posting "North Korea is best Korea".

Is western food hard to find there? I've thought of going before, but I can't eat only korean cuisine. I like it, but eating it too many times in a row makes me sick. Don't know why. Happens with vietnamese food too.

No, but it's very expensive.

To add to this, I'd say it's expensive to find good western food and they taste...peculiar to say the least.

Also this.

Nice cheap food everywhere, nice cheap clothes everywhere and somehow you can actually barter, and nice cheap tasty cigarretes.

This.

Question-
What's the inflation over there like, and how much more expensive are stuff?

Per say, how much would a 20 pack of cigs, a decent bowl of jjam bbong, or a korean hotdog thing cost?

I don't the inflation rate off of the top of my head. When I first went to SK, the exchange was about 1,500W to $1. Now, it hangs around 1,2xxW to $1.

Cigs are cheap, but I'm not a smoker. So, I don't know exact prices. Not sure about the other two either.

 

[SuperUberBob]

What do you eat for breakfast?

Normally nothing. I woke up, showered/brushed teeth, got dressed for work and left.

On weekends, I woke up too late and too hungover to cook or eat anything.

 

[zHellas]

What do you eat for breakfast?

Normally nothing. I woke up, showered/brushed teeth, got dressed for work and left.

On weekends, I woke up too late and too hungover to cook or eat anything.

Yay for being healthy! /sarcasm

Seriously though: Besides the language and culture, any big differences from where you lived before to Masan?

 

[SuperUberBob]

You think you could ask a more broad question? Just for starters:

Rural area:
Mostly white people
Fresh air
People don't drive like idiots
Nothing is within walking distance
No public transportation
Everybody lives in houses
People have lawns and backyards

Masan:
Mostly Korean people
Polluted air
People drive like idiots
Many things are within walking distance
Excellent public transportation
Everybody lives in apartments
People have apartments

 

[BlastedTheWorm]

How's the StarCraft?

 

[Double A]

Uhh... is South Korea's army large enough to hold out any amount of time against North Korea's army without US support?

 

[Doomsday11]

Whats there view on the British and europeans as a whole?

 

[Casimir_Effect]

S. Korea is actually one of the countries I may think of heading to one day, but that all depends on the answer to a very important question. I hope you're up to answering this:

How much is whisky? Both a good single malt from Scotland and some American bourbon like Jim Beam or Maker's Mark.

Thanks

 

[SuperUberBob]

How's the StarCraft?

When I was there, I'd say around 25% of my male students played video games on a daily basis. Starcraft was definitely the most popular one.

Uhh... is South Korea's army large enough to hold out any amount of time against North Korea's army without US support?

While NK is larger based on numbers, they are ill-equipped and poorly trained. SK's military is well-trained and has more advanced weaponry (props to USA for that). They'd destroy North Korea in a few days once they get into their territory.

They just don't want another war on their land. Their history is comprised getting fucked in the ass by the Chinese and Japanese in wars, famine, rebellion, poverty and homelessness. They really want to avoid any confrontation on their main land.

Whats there view on the British and europeans as a whole?

Same as all other foreigners (read the rest of the thread). Though Koreans seem to have a soft spot for Canadians.

Debatable that 2ne1 is the most popular group in Korea. Also about the underground music scene, the hip-hop underground is quite large, while the independent rock music scene isn't quite so big, but it's certainly there. "The Movement" is what you want to look for if you want the underground hip-hop stuff. As for rock, there's plenty of unrecognised talent out there. Pity they don't sell well. But even the most popular CD's of the year don't get enough sales due to the huge amount of music available to download illegally.

Well, now it is. When I was there, all my students could talk about was 2NE1. Upon my departure, 2PM was gaining steam.

S. Korea is actually one of the countries I may think of heading to one day, but that all depends on the answer to a very important question. I hope you're up to answering this:

How much is whisky? Both a good single malt from Scotland and some American bourbon like Jim Beam or Maker's Mark.

Thanks

If that's seriously an important question to you, then you should consider staying home.

Foreign liquor is harder to find and way more expensive than any Korean stuff. But compared to prices in America, it's only slightly more expensive.

---------------------

Anyway, I'm off to China in a couple of weeks for a year of teaching. I'll create a thread on China this summer.

 

[Unspeakable]

What ever happened to NOVA? I had friends in Japan that pretty much vanished when they went under.

 

[SuperUberBob]

What ever happened to NOVA? I had friends in Japan that pretty much vanished when they went under.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_(eikaiwa)

Anyway, Japan's ESL program has gotten pretty cruddy for foreigners. I went for it and successfully got into their JET program for 2009-2010, but I chose South Korea instead since the money was better and I had friends living there.

It is difficult to get in due to the rigorous paperwork process. They do traditional Japanese job interviews where you sit in a dinky chair with no desk in front of you about 10-20 feet from 3 people sitting in cushy chairs with big desks. You really have to plan like 8 months in advance for a foreign teaching position in Japan and even then you might not get one. South Korea's program is starting to go in the same direction.

Japan pays well, but they don't provide housing or reimbursement for utility bills like South Korea and China do. Some people who live in rural areas of Japan have to commute upwards of one hour to work on their own dime. They even have to buy their own car sometimes, which is absurdly expensive in Japan. If you live a frugal life, you can save. But who the hell travels halfway around the world to save money? I only saved money in Korea because I couldn't spend it fast enough.

Japan was once the place for a teacher to get their feet wet. Then, that place was South Korea. Now, it appears to be China. China doesn't pay as well but you have a smaller workload and essentially all living necessities (minus food/drink) are paid for you. With a part-time teaching job or private tutoring, you can nearly double your primary job's salary and save a good sum of money.

 

[TWRule]

Hi, OP-

If I had a question, it would probably be: "How's business?"

My father and sister are American English tutors currently living in Seoul. I've gone to visit them once, but haven't gotten a chance for awhile. My father used to work out in Deokso (sp?), later moving to Seoul.

 

[Double A]

Uhh... is South Korea's army large enough to hold out any amount of time against North Korea's army without US support?

While NK is larger based on numbers, they are ill-equipped and poorly trained. SK's military is well-trained and has more advanced weaponry (props to USA for that). They'd destroy North Korea in a few days once they get into their territory.

They just don't want another war on their land. Their history is comprised getting fucked in the ass by the Chinese and Japanese in wars, famine, rebellion, poverty and homelessness. They really want to avoid any confrontation on their main land.

But seriously, that's good news.

 

[Entrophyinateacup]

How many foreigners are there in Korea?
and what countries do most of them come from?

 

[SuperUberBob]

Holy crap you are so full of shit. Are you even IN Korea?

I really intended on reading this entire thread, but one state you made, which I have bolded, makes me question whether you can even find SK on a map.

South Koreans protest EVERY. FREAKING. DAY.

Read the rest of thread and you'll see that I am not full of shit.

I did not see a major protest (as you say) EVERY. FREAKING. DAY. As a matter of fact, I did not see a single protest in my stay there. Then again, I was not in Seoul or any large city for that matter. My city was an average-sized city and not politically active.

There were some notable ones though as recent as the G-20 meetings though. There was also one when Mad Cow Disease became an issue. I remember there being a candlelit protest at Burger King. Hell, some places that sold meat in my area as of last year still advertised their meat as Australian beef because of it.

I feel obligated to tell you, since OP seems to be on the cheery side of SK, that crime in Korea is of a less violent type as seen otherwise, but still everywhere. Human trafficking (And its result, slavery), is outrageously high in South Korea, and as off 2008 (When I left), SK was making pathetic attempts, at best, to curb it.

And violent crimes, while extremely rare, are usually of a fantastical nature.

To add on to this post:

Yes, many of the women you'll see as prostitutes or at "juicy bars" are trafficked from other countries. Wives are even trafficked by some Korean men from Vietnam. Most prostitutes are also victims of human trafficking. While prostitution is technically illegal, the government generally turns a blind eye to it.

Domestic abuse is also hugely unreported. Some women I have spoken to (mostly middle-aged and older) viewed it as part of being a wife. I would walk around my small neighborhood and see the same drunk men beating the shit out of their wives around 10 PM - 11 PM on a regular basis without fail. I would see the same people just watching as it happened in front of them because stopping it just merely delays it until the couple is in their private quarters.

Thankfully, this is evolving and shelters for battered wives in my area were being opened, though they are poorly funded and don't really provide much of a reason for the husband to permanently stop the abuse.

And when traveling in SK, it will behoove you to grow your hair as long as possible. Being mistaken as US military can be dangerous to your health, resulting in being kicked out of clubs, gang violence, or slutty women/human slaves attempting to get money/visas out of you.

In areas with military bases, yes. I did not live near a military base and had no problems with any harassment or people wondering if I was in the military despite my short hair.

Also, long hair for men is looked down upon in most schools. Mine actually had hair length requirements for male teachers. Most of them were either bald/balding or had just a short, conservative haircut. A similar stigma applied for tattoos and piercings for men as well as the administration often associated them with gangsters and didn't want that to influence children.

 

[Nouw]

I know someone on the internet that lives in Seoul and is an English teacher...cool.

Anyways have you yourself ever eaten a dog before? Or is it China that cooks dogs?

Can I answer this question? Korean People only ate dogs to survive, y'know when there's nothing else left to except pollution and grass?

I doubt anyone eats dog anymore when you can eat red-meat.

 

[SuperUberBob]

Basically what Nouw. I did not see a single place serve dog.

I should note that red meat is not very popular. The embargo of American beef (since lifted) because of irrational fears of Mad Cow disease (fear still exists) combined with the high cost of red meat make pork a much more popular food in restaurants.

Seriously, samgyeopsal is delicious. If you want a steak, go to T.G.I. Friday's in Jamsil. But you have to pay over 20,000W for it.