|
 In
most cases, people who move overseas will inevitably suffer
from culture shock. Culture shock happens when the people,
language, food and environment are severely different from
what you are used to. The French writer Marcel Proust once
said, `The real journey of discovery is not in seeing new
landscapes, but in seeing with new eyes.` Its a great theory,
but try telling that to a person who just moved to Korea
who went to the store to buy dishwashing liquid and ended
up with toilet bowl cleaner. Where are his new eyes when
he needs them?
When
one suffers from culture shock, it`s easy to complain and
become bitter. Instead of adjusting to the situation, one
gets easily irritated. It takes some desire, effort and
perhaps a lot of time to truly understand where Koreans
are coming from. There is an old Chinese proverb that says
if you stand against the wind you will never go anywhere,
but if you flow with the wind, you will get where you want
to go much faster. If you live here, or are thinking about
moving here, it may help to try to learn the language or
at least prepare yourself for the differences you will encounter
during your stay.
Here`s are some cultural insights that may or may not
give you some insight on Koreans and life here as a foreigner..
 Expatriate:
The consise Oxford dictionary defines an expatriate as someone
who is living abroad or is exiled. These days an expat is
more likely a person from another country who gets posted
overseas due to their jobs or their husband`s jobs.
Most foreigners living in Seoul typically work in these
categories.
1 )Expats working for multi-national companies
Many people are hired overseas for job positions in Korea
and these people usually get set up with a good package.
These people are the true expats. Oftentimes multi-national
companies will pay for housing, a club membership, a company
car and a driver.(They have to pay extra to lure you into
moving to Korea, especially because many times the wives
don't want to move) Some of the expat companies here include
banks like Macquarie, Citigroup, BNPParibas, and Deutche
Bank. There are also real estate companies such as Jones
Lang LaSalle and Cushman and Wakefield that hire foreigners.
Some hotel chains hire foreigners for their top level management
and big companies like Wal-Mart and Carrefour also employ
expats. Life is generally easier for these type of expats
as money can buy comfort. However, there are no expats immune
from culture shock. Things are just too different in Korea.
2 ) US military- There are many Americans
stationed in Seoul who are soldiers or working on the US
military base. These guys are still here to protect the
Korean people from potential invaders, but they are less
and less appreciated these days. Alot of military people
prefer to stay on base because you can get everything you
need there. You can watch American movies, shop for American
goods in the PX, there are even American schools and bars
on base! US military folks don't need to stray too far off
base (why bother when you have all the comforts of home
there?) but, oftentimes soldiers will venture out to Iteawon
for shopping or nightlife.
3 ) English Teachers- Everyone wants to
learn English in Korea, so there are loads of opportunities
for people wanting to work in education. Even if you are
just back packing through the region, you can probably come
to Korea to work as an English teacher. Many English teachers
tend to be from Canada.If you have a degree and good qualifications,
you may be able to get a job at one of the universities,
or one of the foreign schools. Less qualified people may
work at private institutes called hagwons. Some hagwons
have good working conditions, some don't. Alot of english
teachers do private lessons (many times this is 'under the
table work' since many people don't have a legal visa to
do this) or many do "phone teaching" where you
teach a lesson over the phone. There are agencies which
will connect you with this kind of work. Here are two helpful
websites where English teachers may find work:
www.worknplay.co.kr
www.englishspectrum.com
4)Models
There are many people coming from Russia, Eastern Europe
and Europe to work in the modeling industry here. You don't
have to be particularly attractive to get work and it's
a good opportunity to travel and to get pictures for a modeling
portfolio. If you are an aspiring model, there are some
agencies which work with foreigners. However beware, the
industry is dodgy and alot of people treat the models as
if they are for sale.
Kyopo:
A kyopo is Korean person who was born and raised abroad.
Kyopos come from Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and
Japan, but the majority of kyopos hail from Canada or the
United States. Kyopos seem to be higher on the social ladder
because they are seen as 'international'. It is considered
huge skill to be able to speak English in Korea, thus Kyopos
may seem slightly better educated to the average Korean.
It is the dream of alot of upper-class wives to send their
kids to study abroad. Kyopos generally seem to be exempt
of the rigid rules of Korean society. When kyopos come to
Korea (Seoul is full of them during summer and winter holidays),
they are generally treated like rock stars. Kyopo men have
been known to have good luck with Korean ladies. Kyopos
run in their own circles, but they sometimes can be seen
fraternizing with the expat crowd .There is also a newer
term called 1.5; 1.5
is used to refererence Koreans who were born in Korea, but
spent so much time abroad, they are not really Korean, but
they are not 'Kyopo' either. Even though most kyopos and
1.5s have western mentalities and foreign accents, many
still hold Korean values to heart.
Love
and Relationships-
During high school, students are often studying too hard
or they may be attending segregated schools, so dating is
not that common. People often live with their parents until
marriage and oftentimes parents enforce curfews on their
kids even into their late 20's. Usually, the first opportunity
that Koreans have to interact with the opposite sex is during
university. Big groups of friends will go out together to
socialize. Koreans have a konglish (Konglish is when Koreans
adopt an English word for use in a slang term) word for
these gatherings. They are called 'meetings'. Sometimes
your parents or friends will try to set you up on a blind
date. Blind dates are very common. The reason why there
are so many coffee shops around town is because that's where
people typically meet for a blind date. Blind dates are
referred to as 'soghe-ting'. It's a term combining the word
"soghe" which means "to introduce" and
"meeting".
If a woman still hasn't met the man of her dreams at university,
then she may have a chance to find someone during her first
career. In the past, if a woman has reached 27 without being
married, she is considered an over-the hill spinster (a
no-chon-nyu), but these days that's changing. For the older
generation, being divorced was something to be very ashamed
of. Nowadays Korea's divorce rate is over 50 percent!
Party culture-
In the west, people often go to parties
or clubs to get dressed up, messed up, dance and generally
cut loose. Clubs and parties are a good way to socialize
and meet people for relationships (whether they be serious
or casual is up to two consenting adults!). Until recently
in Korea, partying or clubbing was not something a 'decent'
Korean person would do. (Even today the parties in Korea
never get that wild)
In New York, for example, a party promoter is very high
on the social ladder. Until recently, here in Seoul, being
a party promoter was seen as unreputable work. However,
within the past 5 years, Koreans have adopted the party
culture and now have the chance to meet each other freely
at bars and parties. Find
out where to party on the seoul style events calendar!
Interracial
Relationships-
In other expat cities like Manila, Hong Kong, and Singapore,
interracial couples are so common, no one would bat an eyelash
at a couple of different nationalities. In many of the poorer
nations like Thailand or Vietnam, girls want to marry foreigners
so they can get away from home and have a better quality
of life. In that sense, it's acceptable or even desirable
to date outside your nationality. However, Korea is a modern
developed nation and typical Koreans are not that tolerant
of interracial couples. Some say Korean men get especially
angered if foreigners steal their women. Parents also encourage
their kids to marry Korean because the culture is so strong,
it will be difficult to communicate and get along if people
don't share the same values and the same language. Korean
women often say that they prefer dating Korean men because
they are weary of the cultural barrier they would encounter
if they were dating a foreigner. Also, a Korean woman dating
a foreigner may be the subject of bad gossip and speculation.
Many cannot handle being talked about in that way. However
these days, many Korean women are curious about dating a
foreigner because some feel stifled by the rigid rules of
Korean society. Many want to experiment with other philosophies
and ways of thinking. Women in their late 20's and 30's
sometimes take to dating foreigners because Korean men often
think women that age are washed-up.Sucessful partnerships
between Koreans and Westerners have happened.
Marriage-
A typical Korean wedding is a funny affair. Ceremonies oftentimes
take place is a cheesy wedding banquet hall. There are hundreds
of people there and the bride wears a rented wedding dress
which makes her look like her wedding cake. After the quickie
ceremony is over, everyone hurriedly eats and then the guests
take the flowers home so they aren't wasted. Directly afterwards,
in full makeup and hair, the happy couple will fly off to
their honeymoon dressed in a 'couple look' (meaning the
wear the same exact clothes as each other. Everyone else
does it, so they feel pressure to be like everyone else).
Cheju Island is the most popular honeymoon destination followed
by the Phillipines and Thailand. During a typical ceremony,
the bride is not expected to smile, as it's supposed to
be a serious affair. In a western wedding, a bride may cry
tears of joy at the sight of her new husband, but a Korean
bride will more likely cry at the sight of her parents who
she may not be seeing as much of after marriage. After marriage,
the bride is expected to defer to her husband's parents.
On weekends, she will typically cook for her husband and
his parents. Sometimes people marry for love, but sometimes
it's more of a business arrangement to bond two families
together and to bear offspring.
Behind
closed doors (a sneak peak inside the 'bangs' or rooms in
Seoul)
Koreans are expected to behave a certain way in public,
but there are alot of things going on behind closed doors.
A 'bang' is the the Korean word for 'room' . There are several
types of 'bangs'.
DVD bang- A DVD bang is a room where you
can rent videos and watch them on a big screen TV. They
are usually found in university areas and are typically
on the 2nd or higher floor of a building. The rooms can
range from fairly spacious to claustrophobic and some of
the rooms even have beds inside where you can lounge! Alot
of people just watch movies at these places, but many people
use it as a secret place to be romantic with their lovers.
University students who live with their parents can hang
out with their lovers in these places.
PC Bang- These noisy places are often dark
and smoky. Alot of people go to PC bangs to surf the web
or check their e-mails, but many come to play video games
(That's why PC bangs are noisy) At PC bangs, there's often
a tin ashtray with a wet napkin at the bottom next to your
PC and everyone is just smoking away, even the high school
girl next to you who is still in her uniform. Late at night,
ajosshis may sometimes be found surfing porn sites and wanking
off in front of the computer. Beware of those sticky keyboards!!!
Yech!
Norebang- These are little karaoke rooms
where people pick songs and sing their little hearts out.
Norebang-ing is one of Korea's favorite pastimes. Nore-banging
not just something to do when you're drunk. People actually
come to practice songs for their next outing with their
office mates! Inside the norebang, you can be as crazy as
you want to be. Air-guitar solo to Hotel California? No
problem! No one will see. Norebangs are popular with most
Koreans.
Sarang bang or love motel-
Love motels which rent rooms by the hour are all over Korea.
University students still living with their parents often
use love motels and businessmen having sordid affairs with
mistresses often use them as well.Sometimes the buildings
look like lavish castles. Some of them are very basic, but
some of the really fancy ones have different themed rooms
with funky lights and vibrating beds etc. Some of these
love motels don't even have a reception desk, so you can
secretly slip in and out without anyone ever seeing you.
They have some special credit card machine out front. The
parking lots of these places have these low rubber curtains
which hide the license plate of your car, so no one will
know if you're there! Sometimes you can use a love motel
as a real hotel room. They are quite well-priced.
Room salon- These rooms are a bonding place
for horny old business men. Alot of deals are sealed behind
the closed doors of a room salon. At these very expensive
establishments, girls pour you very expensive drinks and
pretend to like you. They may even perform for the right
amount of money. All wives have to put up with this room
salon culture if their men are in the business world.
Apparently there's also a room salon for women. I don't
know anyone whose ever been to one of these places, but
it sounds hilarious! Apparently they are twice as expensive
as the outrageously priced room salon for men. They open
really late, after 2am and you have to make a reservation
and know someone. Once inside you have a choice of boy toys
who are models or aspiring actors. Is it an urban legend?
(seoulstyle will have to find a way to verify!)
JimJil Bang- The Jim Jil bang is the family
sauna. This is the only bang where there isn't something
dodgy going on, (unless you think that permed ajumas dressed
in lacy underwear scrubbing naked women on a plastic table
is dodgy) .Read more about the JimJil Bang at these two
links:
The Naked Truth
The Naked Truth 2
How Confucianism influenced the
Korean culture
Confucianism is a way of thinking that a wise Chinese guy
from a long time ago came up with to maintain harmony and
social order. Confucius` teachings encourage righteousness.
(Don`t be different, do what`s right, be kind to others,
respect your elders and accept your lot in life) In Confucianism
everyone has a role to fulfill: the ruler is the ruler and
the subject is the subject, but the ruler needs to rule
with benevolence.
You can see Confucian influences particularly within family
structures and business world. Within families, people are
expected to fulfill their roles. Children are expected to
obey the wishes of their parents and wives are expected
to obey the wishes of the husband (or the husband's in laws).
But the it's the parent's and husband's duty to be kind
and righteous.
Within the workplace, the boss is the ruler and you're not
supposed to do anything to insult the boss, or to go over
his head. Alot of Korean employees are like sheep. They
only follow what you tell them to do instead of thinking
creatively or taking initiative. Sometimes a boss needs
feedback in order to know if what he's doing is right. Korean
employees would never dare give their opinion to their boss.
Many times, they didn't think about it openly enough to
have an opinion.This can be a source of frustration for
foreign bosses. On the other hand, as a boss, it's also
nice to have your butt kissed sometimes by your underlings.
One of the biggest ways Confucianism is reflected in Korea
is in the language. Oftentimes people will ask you bluntly
how old you are. This is not considered rude in Korea. People
are merely trying to find out where they should place you
in society and what they should call you. In Confucianism,
age brings wisdom. Hence, the older you are, the more advice
you're allowed to dole out to your juniors. In Korea, there
is no term which is equivalent to sir or madam so you address
people by titles instead.So what do you call an older person?
Ohni:
This is what a younger woman would call an older sister
or an older female friend. You also call waitresses and
shop keepers `Ohni` to get their attention. If they are
obviously old and married, you can call them ajuma and if
it's an upscale place you may want to address someone ajumoni-
an even more polite honorable way of saying ajuma. It sounds
more authentic if you whine a little while saying it.
Noona:
This is how a younger brother would typically address his
older sister, but sometimes boytoys will call their older
girlfriends `Noona` in an affectionately teasing way.
Opa:
This what a younger sister would call an older brother.
This term as well could be used when flirting, depending
on intonation. Many hostess bar girls call their clients
`Opa` while batting their eyelashes and trying to look cute.
You would not call a waiter opa, or he might think you're
flirting with him.
Ajosshi:
Ajosshi is older Korean man, but all adult males can be
called ajosshi if you don't know them, even if they are
younger than you. Ajosshis sometimes take the liberty to
be pedantic. For example, if you are Korean girl with a
western guy and you kiss him on the cheek in public, and
ajosshi may just give you a piece of his mind about how
you shouldn't do that in public. Typically you will use
ajosshi to address taxi drivers.
.
Ajuma: Technically, you are an ajuma as
soon as you get married, but some younger wives may be insulted
at being called this. Typically, an ajuma is an older woman
(at least 40, married or not) who has short permed hair.
Most of the time, they also have tattooed eyebrows and are
fond of wearing visors. Ajumas have jokingly been called
` The Third Sex` because you can't really tell if they are
men or women. It's difficult to tell ajumas apart as they
all have a generic look, but there is a slight difference
between rich ajumas and poor ajumas. Rich ajumas play golf,
send their kids to study abroad, have expensive handbags
and shoes. They hang out at the Hyatt and Shinsegae Dept
store. Less moneyed Ajumas may be seen working at the food
stalls on the street.
These days alot of women are insulted when people call them
ajuma. Women these days don't want to think of themselves
as being old. In fact there is another term for married
women who still look young, hot and single. The term is
called "missy-Jok". "Jok" is a classification
which loosely translates as "clan or tribe". "Missy"
is a konglish term meaning young-like. Thus "missy
jok" means a woman who seems more like a young miss
rather than a madam. My tennis coach had an even better
term- HOTJUMA! (a hot ajuma)
Education:
In Korea, it's not really the education itself which is
important, but rather, it's a diploma from the right university
that counts .Korean High school students bust their butts
studying for the all-important University entrance exam
which takes place in November every year.Some of them even
go to special hagwons (private institutes) to do some crash-course
studying. Some students may spend 6 months holed up in a
small town somewhere preparing just for this exam! Almost
every year, a few students will commit suicide due to the
'stressure' caused by this exam.(Read
more at this link
)
During high school, it is not uncommon
for students parents to give 'gifts' to their student's
teachers in order to persuade teachers to give their kids
better grades.The desirable schools to get into are Yonsei
University, Seoul National, and Ewha Women's University
For people in the arts, Hongik University is the Harvard
of Seoul. Once someone gets into one of these elite schools,
their careers are set. The curriculum is not that much more
difficult than any other university, but the diploma from
that school is a Korean's ticket into society and into the
job market. As an alternative, kids who don't make it into
these schools may also go to study abroad. It is considered
more prestigious than going to some 3rd rate university
in Korea. Some kids, whose parents have enough money or
connections, may be able to buy their way into an Ivy league
American school like Brown University in the United States.
This limited system seems unfair to most Koreans, and nowadays
people are protesting against this antiquated system. These
days people feel that the process of learning is what's
important, not the degree.
Korea's History of Isolation-
Being that it's a peninsula surrounded on all sides by water,
Korea has historically been isolated. Instead of going out
to conquer new lands, Koreans were constantly subjected
to defending themselves from outside invaders.The Japanese
held Korea as a colony from 1910-1945. Not too long after
Japan surrendered, the Soviet Union took control of North
Korea and caused the Koreas to split in two. North and South
Korea fought a terrible civil war from 1950-1953. In 1953
there was a ceasefire, but the Koreas remained divided.
With a little help and protection from their allies, namely
the United States, South Korea was able to flourish as a
democracy since the end of the Korean War. Nowadays modern
South Korea has a great deal to be proud of since was able
to build the world's 12th biggest economy despite years
of political oppression from neighboring nations. Because
of it's history, South Koreans have a fierce sense of national
pride and are often distrustful of other cultures.South
Korea's success was built from long hard years of struggle,
sacrifice and societal order based on Confucian principals.
Koreans are not just going to open themselves up to new
customs and potentially new invaders. However, in this modern
age, people are starting to realize that stubborn old-school
ways need to be traded in for more flexible ones in order
to move into the future.(I.E: the unfair school system or
the way some businesses are conducted) There is much talk
about globalizing, but oftentimes it's just talk. Instead
of globalizing, it seems Korea is more interested in exporting
Korean culture and Korean goods to other countries. Depending
on your viewpoint, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Hallyu-The
Korean Wave
Hallyu
is a new term which some Korean marketing genius probably
came up with in a boardroom somewhere. Hallyu was invented
to increase tourism and raise the profile of Korea in the
world.The term 'Hallyu' means the love for Korean pop culture,
or the appreciation of all things Korean. Hallyu began roughly
5 years ago when the rest of Asia discovered Korean soap
operas. One of the breakthrough dramas was a series called
Winter Sonata starring Choi Ji Woo and Bae Young-Joon. After
that, more Korean dramas saw their way to foreign shores
and Korean films and music started to follow suit. Korean
marketing people started to see a Korea-centric trend flowing
throughout Asia Hawaii and even in parts of Russia. They
dubbed this flow "The Korean Wave" or Hallyu.
|
