I felt safe in Korea, never worried about getting mugged or hurt. I could walk in any part of Seoul any time at night and never had to look over my shoulder. When I retire I want to move back and open an American style barbershop in Seoul
My wife and I moved from Hong Kong and have been living in Korea for three years now, absolutely loving every single day. It’s the best place on Earth (for us, anyway 🥰). Green, walkable, safe, convenient, efficient, advanced.
true , belonging is a crucial thing.. to realise and choose where to belong... it just happens...and when you feel it in your bones it is it!! and you do , you have a broader view on the many little layers of things you love of korea... and therefore not easy to put into words. enjoy the rest of your life there, I wish I discovered korea sooner
Happy to hear you are finding Korea to be your home! Sure, it has issues like how any place where people does. Honestly though, the pros outweigh the cons by a ton.
I love your videos I've been here for around 8 years now, and your experience is so valuable to understand how korea has become so much easier for us expats to live in 👏
I am so waiting for your coffee video. I also love coffee so much I started to go Barista 학원 school. But Korean coffee culture and then European one so different. Koreans are shocked if I say there is no ice coffee mostly available. :D Also thank you for this nice chat. Love I found someone who has been in Korea more longer, more experienced in many ways.
I considered going to a barista school a few years ago, but never did. Hope you enjoy it. It's going to be a while before I get that coffee video made. But it will happen!
Hi, Mike. I can totally relate to your life stories in so many ways as Korean who’s been living in States for 11 years! Being different can be hard and challenging, feeling not fitting in this culture and community and so on, , but I’ve been enjoying most of part living in states! Wanted to say hello and oh my husband was also stationed in Camp Casey for a few years around 2004. Fun times! :) thanks for video. I really enjoyed watching it!
I am living in Phoenix AZ in 'Asian unwelcome' community as a foreigner or stranger, but feel shameful that I was not so mindful or understanding of the differences here...thanks to you, I learned to accept different aspects.😊
Thanks again for your perspective, it is always interesting to hear. TIL, I just thought the number 5 meant male, not foreign male. I just arrived last year but I had some issues with online services, especially banking and government if you do not have your name in 한글, if you have a long name, don't have a windows computer etc. I am glad it seems to be improving over time though!
I love your videos. Mainly because my son lives there and I could never understand why he stayed for the last 9 years. But having visited this year I totally get it. I fell in love with the culture and the people. It felt so comfortable being there and walking around. Everyone was so helpful and friendly. I was the first to visit my son from our family and he said that Korea never felt like home to him but when I arrived and he was able to show me around it finally felt like home to him. He lives with an amazing Korean woman whom I love. I was wondering if you are married to a Korean woman or American? My son told me that Korean woman like foreign men because they are so different from Korean men. Have you ever heard this? Looking forward to your UK videos.
Thanks! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed your time here. My wife is Korean. As to your question regarding the differences between men, it's more to do with the culture and the tines, I think. There's a patriarchal tradition here that goes back centuries. As the culture has undergone seismic changes over the past 40 years, the men have been slower to adapt to the concept of equality than the women would like. That's led to this idea that men from countries that have already gone through a kind of women's liberation movement would be different. Though from what I've picked up anecdotally, I'd say it's less of a thing today than it was. There's also the other side of it in that I've known women who married a foreign man, moved to his country, and ended up divorced and back in Korea after reality didn't meet expectations. I believe it's really difficult to put too much value on that kind of "common knowledge", as every person and every couple are subject to their own circumstances. But yes, I've heard people say it over the years.
Korea has long been a society where men were traditionally responsible for financial support. Because of this, a man’s financial capability has been considered crucial in marriage. While things have changed significantly these days, financial capability is still prioritized in marriage due to the high costs of housing and raising children. This is one of the main reasons why many young Koreans are unable to marry or have children.
To be honest, regardless of nationality, appearance is considered most important in Korea, but there is still a privilege associated with being white. Since Korea is an ethnically homogeneous country, people tend to consider the potential impact that international marriages may have on their children.
Hey Mike, watched the whole video! Love to see how your channel has grown! Super glad Korea has become dog friendly and coffee friendly 👏 I thought of you the other day as I upgraded to the Action 5 😂
Thanks, Adam! I caught your Action 5 video the other day. Great to see you back in the saddle. I so want to get one, but I'm going to have to get past my wife after what I'm spending on this UK trip!
I have to admit, I get a little sensitive when I hear that question, said in a different way: "why are you not going back home?" I enjoy reading about Korean history, and that has led to also reading various blogs of foreigners about their experiences. Some are positive, but some are not positive at all, and I began to think that Korean people do not want me here. "Why are you not going back home?" Once that seed of thought enters your mind, you start to question every comment and action. I know there are wonderful people here, goes without saying. But I wish the thought that a certain percentage of Koreans seemingly dislike me because I'm not one of them had never entered my mind. But sometimes those stares we Westerners receive are not curiosity stares. Sorry for talking about the elephant in the room.
Each of us can experience similar circumstances differently, for sure. I always keep that in mind when I hear about perceptions that are contrary to my own.
i love that you didn't list reasons why you stay. Sure, you probably def could list the things you like about Korea but the fact that you just said you belonged is probably the best answer/reason. I want to be able to say that about somewhere
Mike…very nice introspection of your time in Korea…you are Korean…as far as I am concerned…by the way Mike…what is the significance of the store roll up doors with red-blue-yellow horizontal stripes??? I used to see it a lot in early 2000’s in Korea..seems as though they too are diminishing … national pride???
Your guess sounds interesting!😊 There is no particular meaning of the stripes on the roll-up door. I guess the manufacturer just added color as a point because the whole roll-up door looks so monotonous if it's just silver. I'm Korean, so I've always seen this. But I've never thought about it in particular. Because of you, I also became interested in it, so I looked for it to see if it had any special meaning. Talking to someone from another country always brings such unexpected pleasure. Thank you for your curiosity.
My answer is that all the pieces fell into place and it's where I need to be now. For staying here, and I mean this in a positive way, Korea is a wonderful "convenience trap". My wife has asked me about moving back to the states and I said we would lose so much if we did. I have accepted Korea as my new home. I still argue that Busan is better than Seoul! (hehehe)
Unexpectedly, I saw your RUclips on the algorithm and I wasn't very interested. Because there are many foreigners living in Korea, and as usual, I thought it would be just one of the videos that only film the good things and food of Korea and try to gather subscribers. However, after visiting your homepage, I changed my mind a little. I noticed a book called 'Park Jung-hee's Era' with a clean introduction. So I subscribed. But I'm curious what is 'Ko-Fi'? lol .My hometown is Seoul and I am currently living in Incheon. Thank you for introducing my hometown much better than me.
Thank you! I learned so much from that book on Park. It's full of details about him, his government, and the people around him that I'd never heard before. As for Ko-fi, it's a site where people can donate a little to buy me a coffee if they like what I'm doing, where I can publish blog posts, and where I can sell things if I want. I don't have anything to sell and probably never will, but I'll be uploading a book there early next year that will be "pay what you want", so people can get it completely free or donate a little for it. Doing all of that through Ko-fi saves me time.
One of my sisters-in-law and her husband own a hardware store in Bucheon. Very recently, they were paid a visit by Korean army personnel who had them sign a document promising that they would provide their inventory to the military in the event of an invasion. They were told not to talk about this visit on social media. I was relaying this bit of intel to a senior executive client of mine. He told me that nowadays many Koreans with the means to do so are making escape plans. He asked if I had made arrangements to return to the US. I told him absolutely not. He wanted to know why. I said, because Korea is my home and I have no intention of going anywhere else, at least not of my own volition. To me, that was the most obvious, most natural answer in the world, but he couldn't seem to process it. How, he wondered, was it possible that actual Koreans could feel less attached to their homeland than an American? I told him it might be partly because Koreans generally don't appreciate how good life is here compared to much of the outside world, to which they (again, generally) pay insufficient attention. I then taught him the idiom "Out of the frying pan and into the fire". He had heard that one before, but now he understands it in the context of a real conversation. I don't know why it took the Almighty Algorithm so long to place your channel in my feed, but I am glad it finally did. From one old-timer to another...
Thanks for sharing that. I would say that this is the most worrisome situation I've seen here since Kim Il Sung died in '94. But should things go the wrong way, I'm with you 100%. Abandoning everything I hold dear is just incomprehensible.
@MikeFromKorea I think a lot hinges on the outcome next week in the States. My old former Army intel friend (been here since the 80s) tells me NK will not attempt invasion until the ground is frozen. Why did they blow up those inter-border roads? We have been in the fog of war for years now. For us here in the powderkeg, it's just a question of will it go kinetic. I don't think that any invading force would want to demolish all this great infrastructure. That said, I'd much rather deal with Russians at my door than Chinese.
I wonder how different your experience and perspective would be had your first years been working as an E2 hagwon slave. Also, looking forward, do you imagine we will actually see public trash cans in the next 33 years?
The hagwon scene was quite different in the 90s. It was the Wild West. They got away with so much more than they can now. It was a very different world. As for trash cans: koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-11-25/why/WHY-Why-are-there-so-few-trash-cans-in-Seoul/1920201#
I'm still very much in that 'in-between' stage of living in Seoul and having ties to the states. I'm leaning much more toward staying here but the crux is my lack of Korean skills. I study often and keep pushing myself, but I have such a hard time with it. Any advice?
I'm among the worst people to ask for advice about learning Korean. I've studied it very little. I'm happy to go off in a room for weeks on end to learn one computer science topic or another, but I just can't stay focused when learning spoken languages. Most of what I've learned has been simply through being here. The one thing I can say is just use it. Day in, day out. Create opportunities to use it. For a couple of years, I used to sit in a neighborhood bar every Friday night and speak in Korean with the bartenders and other patrons. That got me into conversations beyond my comfort zone and helped me in ways I can't really identify. I just know that I leveled up during that time.
Mike, after spending over 30 years in Korea, did you develop any political bias toward Korean parties? (You don't need to specify which party you support, but I'm just curious if you have any bias or support for one.) It may not be directly related, but what you said about 'Anti-Americanism' experience you had back then somehow reminded me of this.
I haven't paid much attention to Korean politics at all. I know some expats who are deep into it all, but I just can't be bothered. I never connected the anti-Americanism with anything political. At the time I saw it as a cultural thing, but in hindsight I see it as a consequence of the rapid social changes that came along after decades of authoritarian rule.
I love Korea but man, I like DIY, I like gardening (massively), I like woodworking, and I hate cities and like lots of land (though Korean cities are great for cities). So back to the US. Most of that is possible in Korea (except maybe lots of land), but Jesus I’ve never cracked the code on sourcing equipment and materials. When you have stores that sell nothing but plate compactors? Others that sell nothing but drain tile? Stalls that sell nothing besides lock sets? I’d need my wife involved - heavily - in almost every project. I might live there part time. Somewhere on the coast. Maybe between Pohang and Seokcho?
Daniel, as an American you are taxed on worldwide income. So you still need to file your Federal Income Taxes each year from overseas. And then for Korea + Japan, you quickly become a "tax resident" after only about 6 months. So you have to file Korean/Japanese income tax as well. You are essentially taxed twice! But can get it all sorted out via a Foreign Tax Credit on your US Return.
The other commenter says pretty much what I would. This is a topic I'd prefer to avoid in my videos for the same reason that I don't want to give out immigration advice. I know what I need to know for myself, but I'm not qualified to give anyone advice and wouldn't want to mislead anyone. You're better off consulting with someone well-versed in the ins and outs of the tax code.
Mike…I am Korean - American …교포… left Korea back in 1977…when jamsu bridge was still a single deck…do I need a special visa to stay indefinitely in Korea?? Can I retire in Korea ??? Korea is calling me after 47 years…😓😓😓
@@classickdramaclips If you were born in Korea from Korean parents, you are in privileged class - getting residency is really easy. No age limit of sort. If you are old like in 60's you can even reclaim Korean citizenship without giving up existing one. Good luck with you r life. Second half is starting at 50's.
I lived in Korea for 13 years. I worked in sales and recruiting. What job did you have for 33 years? I'm burned out. What job can you do for so long? I can't teach English. The pay is poverty. How can you live below 100m?
I've had a few different gigs, but In was a freelance teacher for most of it. I talked about that a bit in this video. These days I work remotely for a tech non-profit based in Seattle. I've also been married for 25 years and my wife has had an income the entire time. We've done alright.
@MikeFromKorea I've been married for 6 years. My wife doesn't work. She is a housewife. I plan to stay in Korea, but it is stressful because not many companies hire foreigners. It is just reality. I'm always on edge. If I was single, I would rather teach English, less money, but less stressful.
Trying to restrain myself, but a reason I feel perhaps more a sense of belonging in Korea than in the states is the acceptance, the welcome, by my (in-law) family. My late mother in law, realizing I come from a benighted culture that doesn't have family registries, wrote me into theirs and into the family genealogy as well. Very generous (especially considering the families - 천안전씨 and 여흥민씨). I truly do feel a part of the family, not just the odd uncle.
That does make a huge difference. My wife was certain her parents would reject me. They welcomed me with open arms and so did all of her relatives. I was part of the family from the first time I met them, albeit with a bit of awkwardness for a while. We weren't so sure about her father that first night. He got home late after drinking with his friends, was quite drunk, and kept making a big deal about my inability to understand what he was saying. But when he was ready for bed, he punched me in the leg (hard!!) and told me I could marry his daughter. We've all been through life's ups and downs together as a family. Without that, my experience here would have been much different over the years.
Excellent discussion. Lots to talk about, but I'll restrain myself to Konglish. The original Konglish did clang on the ears, although living in the deep boonies as I did, I heard very little of it. I think there is even more Konglish, though, in a different guise. Here's an example - you go in to work in the morning, and people greet each other, saying, "좋은아침". Another is use of pronouns. Korean doesn't really need pronouns, doesn't even have third person pronouns, and I never used to hear them - but now sentences are usually prefaced with 나는 or 저는, and 당신 used to be heard only in Western church services addressing God. Weird. A final structure that I never used to hear (and it could be I wasn't listening) was the "I am doing" (하고있어요) construction, instead of the "I do" (해요). That feels Konglish to me, but perhaps I'm a crotchety old traditionalist.
One incident that still stands out in my memory is when someone asked me early on to buy some "Ugly" shampoo at the PX. It wasn't until I was walking up and down the shampoo aisle that I realized she was asking for "Agree". After a few months, my ears adapted and I didn't often make that kind mistake.
I love to "walk with you" through Seoul. I was able to follow exactly your path, but if you show a 2-sec screen shot of your path on a map, it would make things easier. Love your movies and I look forward to following in your footsteps soon...
Thanks! I don't always think about the route I'm walking. But I can see about doing that when it makes sense. Rather than showing a screen shot, it's probably better if I leave a map link in the description.
I believe it's simply about protecting their skin from the sun. Some people are concerned about that when they intend to spend long periods of time outdoors on sunny days.
lol - 19:52, "the foreign community is a very small minority", and there's what seems to be, judging by her dress, a southeast Asian woman right behind you.
Seoul is souless, I never felt so out of place, everything is so strict, society is really strict, I didn't enjoyed it a bit, coming from Europe Seoul is worse than any European city, no benches in the streets, no bins, etc. People are depressed and just binge drink at night. Really disappointing. There's 0 substance in this city.
@@BLACKLABEL405 Korea is a confusing place for many, and especially at first experience. As is true for many places, it isn't really that the place lacks, it is that the understanding is incomplete. Things aren't done differently, as much as there is a completely different way of viewing life, and your place in it. The differences aren't easily grasped in a short period of time for most. However, I can assure you that what Korea does not lack is substance.
Ask those 90% how many have lived abroad. The answer would be close to 0%. Move them abroad and then ask them ten years later if they long to be in Korea.
![ROSÉ(로제) - APT. (Band VER.) (With. 이영지) [더 시즌즈-이영지의 레인보우] | KBS 241129 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IW8qaemx74g/mqdefault.jpg)
안녕하세요 알고리즘에 떠서 구독했어요^^ 추운 겨울에 mike 님의 한여름영상을 보네요😊
정성스러운 영상 천천히 재밌게 둘러보겠습니다 감사합니다
마이크 님. 우연히 다른 유튜버의 소개 영상을 보게되어서 와봤어요.
뭔가 평화롭고 조용한 느낌이 좋아요.^^
항상 여유없이 사는 느낌인데 마이크님 영상을 보니 잊고 있던 소중한 것을 다시 알게된 느낌이네요^^
좋은 영상 감사드리고 가끔 들르겠습니다.
감사합니다!
I felt safe in Korea, never worried about getting mugged or hurt. I could walk in any part of Seoul any time at night and never had to look over my shoulder. When I retire I want to move back and open an American style barbershop in Seoul
I feel the same. I hope your plans for a barber shop come to fruition!
무엇보다 중요한 것은 안전입니다. 해외에
오래 체류하며 제일 크게 느낀 부분이에요.
항상 건강 잘 챙기시고 지금처럼 평안하며
즐거운 생활 해주시기를 바랍니다. 지금은
멀리 유럽에서 인부의 인사를 전합니다!
감사합니다!
"I am staying here because I belong here." - that's the best answer!
'I belong here!' is an awesome reason to stay.. =)
So simple yet so perfectly put
I think you are more Korean than some people born there. You have deeper understanding and love of what being Korean is than many ‘Koreans’
Thank you!
반가워요^^한국을 좋아해주셔서 감사합니다 😊경주라는 도시에도 놀러오세요😅
경주에는 두 번 가봤는데 정말 즐거웠어요. 나중에 그곳에서 브이로그를 촬영할 계획입니다.
Congratulations for coming back to Korea
한국을 있는 그대로 느껴 주셔서 감사합니다. 당신에게 행복한 나날이 가득하길.
감사합니다!
My wife and I moved from Hong Kong and have been living in Korea for three years now, absolutely loving every single day. It’s the best place on Earth (for us, anyway 🥰). Green, walkable, safe, convenient, efficient, advanced.
For you and for me!
true , belonging is a crucial thing.. to realise and choose where to belong...
it just happens...and when you feel it in your bones it is it!!
and you do , you have a broader view on the many little layers of things you love of korea...
and therefore not easy to put into words.
enjoy the rest of your life there,
I wish I discovered korea sooner
Thank you!
Happy to hear you are finding Korea to be your home! Sure, it has issues like how any place where people does. Honestly though, the pros outweigh the cons by a ton.
Thanks. Agreed!
Memories...with. Places remind me Memories.
I love your videos I've been here for around 8 years now, and your experience is so valuable to understand how korea has become so much easier for us expats to live in 👏
Thank you! I'm happy you're getting something valuable out of my videos.
I am so waiting for your coffee video. I also love coffee so much I started to go Barista 학원 school. But Korean coffee culture and then European one so different. Koreans are shocked if I say there is no ice coffee mostly available. :D Also thank you for this nice chat. Love I found someone who has been in Korea more longer, more experienced in many ways.
I considered going to a barista school a few years ago, but never did. Hope you enjoy it. It's going to be a while before I get that coffee video made. But it will happen!
Hi, Mike. I can totally relate to your life stories in so many ways as Korean who’s been living in States for 11 years!
Being different can be hard and challenging, feeling not fitting in this culture and community and so on, , but I’ve been enjoying most of part living in states! Wanted to say hello and oh my husband was also stationed in Camp Casey for a few years around 2004. Fun times! :) thanks for video. I really enjoyed watching it!
Thank you! We transplants tend to have a lot of stories in common no matter where we are or where we're from.
I am living in Phoenix AZ in 'Asian unwelcome' community as a foreigner or stranger, but feel shameful that I was not so mindful or understanding of the differences here...thanks to you, I learned to accept different aspects.😊
That's awesome. Thank you,
Great video Mike! Glad you enjoy being in Korea.
Thank you!
Thanks again for your perspective, it is always interesting to hear. TIL, I just thought the number 5 meant male, not foreign male. I just arrived last year but I had some issues with online services, especially banking and government if you do not have your name in 한글, if you have a long name, don't have a windows computer etc. I am glad it seems to be improving over time though!
These days my problems tend to revolve around hitting login limits when I can't recall my password for something.
Great video as always - some of my experience doesn't overlap with yours, like the military, but I can relate to so much of the rest - good stuff!
Thanks! Always good to learn I'm not alone.
I love your videos. Mainly because my son lives there and I could never understand why he stayed for the last 9 years. But having visited this year I totally get it. I fell in love with the culture and the people. It felt so comfortable being there and walking around. Everyone was so helpful and friendly. I was the first to visit my son from our family and he said that Korea never felt like home to him but when I arrived and he was able to show me around it finally felt like home to him. He lives with an amazing Korean woman whom I love. I was wondering if you are married to a Korean woman or American? My son told me that Korean woman like foreign men because they are so different from Korean men. Have you ever heard this? Looking forward to your UK videos.
Thanks! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed your time here. My wife is Korean. As to your question regarding the differences between men, it's more to do with the culture and the tines, I think. There's a patriarchal tradition here that goes back centuries. As the culture has undergone seismic changes over the past 40 years, the men have been slower to adapt to the concept of equality than the women would like. That's led to this idea that men from countries that have already gone through a kind of women's liberation movement would be different. Though from what I've picked up anecdotally, I'd say it's less of a thing today than it was. There's also the other side of it in that I've known women who married a foreign man, moved to his country, and ended up divorced and back in Korea after reality didn't meet expectations. I believe it's really difficult to put too much value on that kind of "common knowledge", as every person and every couple are subject to their own circumstances. But yes, I've heard people say it over the years.
Korea has long been a society where men were traditionally responsible for financial support. Because of this, a man’s financial capability has been considered crucial in marriage. While things have changed significantly these days, financial capability is still prioritized in marriage due to the high costs of housing and raising children. This is one of the main reasons why many young Koreans are unable to marry or have children.
To be honest, regardless of nationality, appearance is considered most important in Korea, but there is still a privilege associated with being white. Since Korea is an ethnically homogeneous country, people tend to consider the potential impact that international marriages may have on their children.
Hey Mike, watched the whole video! Love to see how your channel has grown! Super glad Korea has become dog friendly and coffee friendly 👏 I thought of you the other day as I upgraded to the Action 5 😂
Thanks, Adam! I caught your Action 5 video the other day. Great to see you back in the saddle. I so want to get one, but I'm going to have to get past my wife after what I'm spending on this UK trip!
@@MikeFromKorea 😂 Have a wonderful and safe trip my friend!
@@TravelingAhn Thanks! One full day remaining, then it's back to Seoul. It went by in a blink.
I have to admit, I get a little sensitive when I hear that question, said in a different way: "why are you not going back home?" I enjoy reading about Korean history, and that has led to also reading various blogs of foreigners about their experiences. Some are positive, but some are not positive at all, and I began to think that Korean people do not want me here. "Why are you not going back home?" Once that seed of thought enters your mind, you start to question every comment and action. I know there are wonderful people here, goes without saying. But I wish the thought that a certain percentage of Koreans seemingly dislike me because I'm not one of them had never entered my mind. But sometimes those stares we Westerners receive are not curiosity stares. Sorry for talking about the elephant in the room.
Each of us can experience similar circumstances differently, for sure. I always keep that in mind when I hear about perceptions that are contrary to my own.
i love that you didn't list reasons why you stay. Sure, you probably def could list the things you like about Korea but the fact that you just said you belonged is probably the best answer/reason. I want to be able to say that about somewhere
It was an enlightening moment when I came to that realization. It's caused me to look back on my years with a better perspective.
Mike…very nice introspection of your time in Korea…you are Korean…as far as I am concerned…by the way Mike…what is the significance of the store roll up doors with red-blue-yellow horizontal stripes??? I used to see it a lot in early 2000’s in Korea..seems as though they too are diminishing … national pride???
Your guess sounds interesting!😊
There is no particular meaning of the stripes on the roll-up door.
I guess the manufacturer just added color as a point because the whole roll-up door looks so monotonous if it's just silver.
I'm Korean, so I've always seen this.
But I've never thought about it in particular.
Because of you, I also became interested in it, so I looked for it to see if it had any special meaning.
Talking to someone from another country always brings such unexpected pleasure. Thank you for your curiosity.
@@수정과절단기 awesome…let me know if you find more info…
I see you already have an answer. I'm also unaware of any special meaning.
Great Mike, nice history.
Thank you!
My answer is that all the pieces fell into place and it's where I need to be now. For staying here, and I mean this in a positive way, Korea is a wonderful "convenience trap". My wife has asked me about moving back to the states and I said we would lose so much if we did. I have accepted Korea as my new home. I still argue that Busan is better than Seoul! (hehehe)
I could easily have stayed in Busan if I'd ended up there in the Army. I always enjoyed visiting. Seoul just happened to get its claws into me first!
I enjoyed this.
Awesome!
20:10 태극당 빵집 😅 제가 자주 가는 빵집
그곳은 정말 오래된 빵집이죠.
Unexpectedly, I saw your RUclips on the algorithm and I wasn't very interested. Because there are many foreigners living in Korea, and as usual, I thought it would be just one of the videos that only film the good things and food of Korea and try to gather subscribers. However, after visiting your homepage, I changed my mind a little. I noticed a book called 'Park Jung-hee's Era' with a clean introduction. So I subscribed. But I'm curious what is 'Ko-Fi'? lol .My hometown is Seoul and I am currently living in Incheon. Thank you for introducing my hometown much better than me.
Thank you! I learned so much from that book on Park. It's full of details about him, his government, and the people around him that I'd never heard before. As for Ko-fi, it's a site where people can donate a little to buy me a coffee if they like what I'm doing, where I can publish blog posts, and where I can sell things if I want. I don't have anything to sell and probably never will, but I'll be uploading a book there early next year that will be "pay what you want", so people can get it completely free or donate a little for it. Doing all of that through Ko-fi saves me time.
@@MikeFromKoreaunderstood. 😊
처음으로 들어옵니다! ㅎㅎ
❤
Sugohaseyo!
Gamsahabnida!
Haha I was expecting a much more shallow level of observations but was pleasantly surprised by this. Good content~
Thank you!
One of my sisters-in-law and her husband own a hardware store in Bucheon. Very recently, they were paid a visit by Korean army personnel who had them sign a document promising that they would provide their inventory to the military in the event of an invasion. They were told not to talk about this visit on social media. I was relaying this bit of intel to a senior executive client of mine. He told me that nowadays many Koreans with the means to do so are making escape plans. He asked if I had made arrangements to return to the US. I told him absolutely not. He wanted to know why. I said, because Korea is my home and I have no intention of going anywhere else, at least not of my own volition. To me, that was the most obvious, most natural answer in the world, but he couldn't seem to process it. How, he wondered, was it possible that actual Koreans could feel less attached to their homeland than an American? I told him it might be partly because Koreans generally don't appreciate how good life is here compared to much of the outside world, to which they (again, generally) pay insufficient attention. I then taught him the idiom "Out of the frying pan and into the fire". He had heard that one before, but now he understands it in the context of a real conversation. I don't know why it took the Almighty Algorithm so long to place your channel in my feed, but I am glad it finally did. From one old-timer to another...
Thanks for sharing that. I would say that this is the most worrisome situation I've seen here since Kim Il Sung died in '94. But should things go the wrong way, I'm with you 100%. Abandoning everything I hold dear is just incomprehensible.
@MikeFromKorea I think a lot hinges on the outcome next week in the States. My old former Army intel friend (been here since the 80s) tells me NK will not attempt invasion until the ground is frozen. Why did they blow up those inter-border roads? We have been in the fog of war for years now. For us here in the powderkeg, it's just a question of will it go kinetic. I don't think that any invading force would want to demolish all this great infrastructure. That said, I'd much rather deal with Russians at my door than Chinese.
I wonder how different your experience and perspective would be had your first years been working as an E2 hagwon slave. Also, looking forward, do you imagine we will actually see public trash cans in the next 33 years?
The hagwon scene was quite different in the 90s. It was the Wild West. They got away with so much more than they can now. It was a very different world. As for trash cans: koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2023-11-25/why/WHY-Why-are-there-so-few-trash-cans-in-Seoul/1920201#
I'm still very much in that 'in-between' stage of living in Seoul and having ties to the states. I'm leaning much more toward staying here but the crux is my lack of Korean skills. I study often and keep pushing myself, but I have such a hard time with it. Any advice?
I'm among the worst people to ask for advice about learning Korean. I've studied it very little. I'm happy to go off in a room for weeks on end to learn one computer science topic or another, but I just can't stay focused when learning spoken languages. Most of what I've learned has been simply through being here. The one thing I can say is just use it. Day in, day out. Create opportunities to use it. For a couple of years, I used to sit in a neighborhood bar every Friday night and speak in Korean with the bartenders and other patrons. That got me into conversations beyond my comfort zone and helped me in ways I can't really identify. I just know that I leveled up during that time.
Mike, after spending over 30 years in Korea, did you develop any political bias toward Korean parties? (You don't need to specify which party you support, but I'm just curious if you have any bias or support for one.) It may not be directly related, but what you said about 'Anti-Americanism' experience you had back then somehow reminded me of this.
I haven't paid much attention to Korean politics at all. I know some expats who are deep into it all, but I just can't be bothered. I never connected the anti-Americanism with anything political. At the time I saw it as a cultural thing, but in hindsight I see it as a consequence of the rapid social changes that came along after decades of authoritarian rule.
Awaiting your observations of life in Starmer's UK compared to Korea and the US.... email sent for when you have time..
Not sure I was there that long! The videos from the trip will basically just be a travelogue.
Little bit more concise would be great! Great to hear your takes and experiences though
Thank you!
I love Korea but man, I like DIY, I like gardening (massively), I like woodworking, and I hate cities and like lots of land (though Korean cities are great for cities). So back to the US.
Most of that is possible in Korea (except maybe lots of land), but Jesus I’ve never cracked the code on sourcing equipment and materials. When you have stores that sell nothing but plate compactors? Others that sell nothing but drain tile? Stalls that sell nothing besides lock sets? I’d need my wife involved - heavily - in almost every project.
I might live there part time. Somewhere on the coast. Maybe between Pohang and Seokcho?
That's an aspect of life here I've not yet explored. The only DIY I do is writing little scripts to handle tasks on my computer.
Cam you cover issues like pushing us taxes from Korea? I mean some tips on being an expat. Much appreciated.
Daniel, as an American you are taxed on worldwide income. So you still need to file your Federal Income Taxes each year from overseas. And then for Korea + Japan, you quickly become a "tax resident" after only about 6 months. So you have to file Korean/Japanese income tax as well. You are essentially taxed twice! But can get it all sorted out via a Foreign Tax Credit on your US Return.
The other commenter says pretty much what I would. This is a topic I'd prefer to avoid in my videos for the same reason that I don't want to give out immigration advice. I know what I need to know for myself, but I'm not qualified to give anyone advice and wouldn't want to mislead anyone. You're better off consulting with someone well-versed in the ins and outs of the tax code.
Mike…I am Korean - American …교포… left Korea back in 1977…when jamsu bridge was still a single deck…do I need a special visa to stay indefinitely in Korea?? Can I retire in Korea ??? Korea is calling me after 47 years…😓😓😓
If you were legally Korean at some point, you may qualify for 재외동포비자 F4 process is easy if you have the qualifications.
@@kev2582 thank you for this info…yes born in 서빙고… is there an age limit??? I just turned 55…down and out…at the twilight of my career & life…
@@classickdramaclips If you were born in Korea from Korean parents, you are in privileged class - getting residency is really easy. No age limit of sort. If you are old like in 60's you can even reclaim Korean citizenship without giving up existing one. Good luck with you r life. Second half is starting at 50's.
Another question that already has an answer :-) Yes, it should be no problem for you to get it sorted.
I lived in Korea for 13 years. I worked in sales and recruiting. What job did you have for 33 years? I'm burned out. What job can you do for so long? I can't teach English. The pay is poverty. How can you live below 100m?
I've had a few different gigs, but In was a freelance teacher for most of it. I talked about that a bit in this video. These days I work remotely for a tech non-profit based in Seattle. I've also been married for 25 years and my wife has had an income the entire time. We've done alright.
@MikeFromKorea I've been married for 6 years. My wife doesn't work. She is a housewife. I plan to stay in Korea, but it is stressful because not many companies hire foreigners. It is just reality. I'm always on edge. If I was single, I would rather teach English, less money, but less stressful.
Trying to restrain myself, but a reason I feel perhaps more a sense of belonging in Korea than in the states is the acceptance, the welcome, by my (in-law) family. My late mother in law, realizing I come from a benighted culture that doesn't have family registries, wrote me into theirs and into the family genealogy as well. Very generous (especially considering the families - 천안전씨 and 여흥민씨). I truly do feel a part of the family, not just the odd uncle.
That does make a huge difference. My wife was certain her parents would reject me. They welcomed me with open arms and so did all of her relatives. I was part of the family from the first time I met them, albeit with a bit of awkwardness for a while. We weren't so sure about her father that first night. He got home late after drinking with his friends, was quite drunk, and kept making a big deal about my inability to understand what he was saying. But when he was ready for bed, he punched me in the leg (hard!!) and told me I could marry his daughter. We've all been through life's ups and downs together as a family. Without that, my experience here would have been much different over the years.
Excellent discussion. Lots to talk about, but I'll restrain myself to Konglish. The original Konglish did clang on the ears, although living in the deep boonies as I did, I heard very little of it. I think there is even more Konglish, though, in a different guise. Here's an example - you go in to work in the morning, and people greet each other, saying, "좋은아침". Another is use of pronouns. Korean doesn't really need pronouns, doesn't even have third person pronouns, and I never used to hear them - but now sentences are usually prefaced with 나는 or 저는, and 당신 used to be heard only in Western church services addressing God. Weird. A final structure that I never used to hear (and it could be I wasn't listening) was the "I am doing" (하고있어요) construction, instead of the "I do" (해요). That feels Konglish to me, but perhaps I'm a crotchety old traditionalist.
One incident that still stands out in my memory is when someone asked me early on to buy some "Ugly" shampoo at the PX. It wasn't until I was walking up and down the shampoo aisle that I realized she was asking for "Agree". After a few months, my ears adapted and I didn't often make that kind mistake.
😂😂😂
I love to "walk with you" through Seoul. I was able to follow exactly your path, but if you show a 2-sec screen shot of your path on a map, it would make things easier.
Love your movies and I look forward to following in your footsteps soon...
Thanks! I don't always think about the route I'm walking. But I can see about doing that when it makes sense. Rather than showing a screen shot, it's probably better if I leave a map link in the description.
Get out of Seoul.Go South Young Man :)
Why are all the hikers covered up from head to toe? Strange behavior on a beautiful day lol
I believe it's simply about protecting their skin from the sun. Some people are concerned about that when they intend to spend long periods of time outdoors on sunny days.
lol - 19:52, "the foreign community is a very small minority", and there's what seems to be, judging by her dress, a southeast Asian woman right behind you.
Seoul is souless, I never felt so out of place, everything is so strict, society is really strict, I didn't enjoyed it a bit, coming from Europe Seoul is worse than any European city, no benches in the streets, no bins, etc. People are depressed and just binge drink at night. Really disappointing. There's 0 substance in this city.
Sorry your experience was so different from mine.
@@MikeFromKorea Maybe being in my early 20's is the motive, I feel korea fits better people around your age
@@BLACKLABEL405 Korea is a confusing place for many, and especially at first experience. As is true for many places, it isn't really that the place lacks, it is that the understanding is incomplete. Things aren't done differently, as much as there is a completely different way of viewing life, and your place in it. The differences aren't easily grasped in a short period of time for most. However, I can assure you that what Korea does not lack is substance.
Ask any korean if they would want to be born here. 90 per cent no.
Ask those 90% how many have lived abroad. The answer would be close to 0%. Move them abroad and then ask them ten years later if they long to be in Korea.
I'm glad to heared your story Mike 🐶🐱👣🥢 etc..
Thank you!