A Korean here. Randomly stumbled on your video and I feel you on so many things you addressed. Even Koreans go on a full rant about the exact same things you complained about so you don’t need to justify, rationalize anything you’re trying to say to not piss off the Koreans😅We’re fully aware of what you’re trying to get across and we probably hate it more than you do 😂
Thank you so much for this comment! For reasons I can’t understand, some people who have never been or lived here try to dismiss my opinions and experiences saying I’m just full of complaints and I should adapt to the culture😂 So coming from a Korean, this really means a lot!
The funny part is: I felt bad in Seoul (the city & its citizens are too busy to care). But Busan is the CITY for my standards of life. Damn, I like Busan & its beach vibes. Therefore the people are more calm & care for others. So many helped me out & we talked about deep stuff!! I was so happy (I‘m back home. I only can stay for 3weeks on vacation.) 🤷🏼♀️ If everything works out I’ll be back next year to Busan.
I definitely agree with you. I was in Busan a week ago and it was wonderful. People were so friendly and nice. I choose Busan because the big city life of Seoul was not for me and I'm glad I made that choice. I definitely want to go back.
@@jikusikatv People have different experiences in any place. I'm from LA and I can't stand New York. Rude and aggressive people. But my friends say that they love it there.
For real , I worked a teaching job there at a university. It was a dystopian job, and the the more I learned about the Korean mindset the more I hated it. One day I decided to just quietly go back to Japan. The life is indeed cruel and unforgiving. No second chances for anyone. Some helpful people , but most are just rude and stressed. Japan is polite and soft spoken, respectful. I really missed that.
GIRL SAMEEEE! "I want to know about you, and not your capitalistic experiences." I FELT THATTTT. My co-workers are also watered-down versions of themselves. They conceal their true opinions and often times stay neutral, apathetic to situations. They don't want to offend anyone so they just nod along and keep themselves small. I understand that they don't want to start conflicts, so it is what it is. I mostly hang out with other foreigners in my free time. I only talk to Koreans either at work during lunch or in my hobby classes during the evenings.
Sooo true I had an experience of studying in russian university(I am also turkish tho) where I was learning korean(yeah xD) and the difference between teachers was so clear. For example, russian teacher will give you a compiment to emphasize your intelligence and knowledge( "Wow! You seem to be very knowledgeable on the topic" or something like "Look at her, she went to the source and read the translations of all this works, is not it amazing?" BUT korean professor will be always highlighting your appearance "Your skin is white and glowing" or "You look cute", "Cute earrings/cute outfit, "Where did you buy this jacket? Cute!" and for the first time it is really sweet and pleasing but then it continues from teacher to teacher, so you understand that it is just becomes tiring because they admit ONLY your looks like there is no your personality, definetely not you studying 24/7 - NO, only your face-card matters! (we had male and female korean teachers, but only 2 of them were caring nice people who admitted our academic sucess and did not pay attention to your looks). Furthermore, my russian friends are open to talk about books/art/hobby/music/games/memes/history/politics/economy and literally about everything because they are highly educated interesting persons BUT everytime when I tried to make a friendship with koreans, I struggled a lot because there are a lot of nice people however it seems like they are not supposed to talk about anything else except fashion/kpop/fashion again/looks/bags/caffes/food/and other material capitalistic shit and you are just suffering from disability of making a close friendship and this so sad :(
Those capitalistic/materialistic aspects are what bothers me the most about Kpop. I understand that it's a business after all but it's also art. I only really stan BTS and I believe that a key factor of their global success is them having lyrics with deeper meaning (their early songs No More Dream and N.O are so underrated - they do have kind of cliché hip hop MVs though, maybe that's the problem 😆). But on the other hand: whenever the BTS members talk about luxury brands and trendy things as if they were essential to life it kind of makes me roll my eyes.
You are correct. As a Korean, that is the most infuriating aspect of that society. That is the main reason I emigrated from Korea. The Confucian grip on the whole society is slowing the progress and growth of the country. It justifies everything unethical. Or the people with any power try to force others using the Confucian position. So sickening.
@@soonmipark9791 Well... representative countries with Confucian culture. China, Korea, and Japan are the countries that have achieved (have achieved) the fastest development in the world.
@ it is not due to Confuscianism. That principle is applied to all the aspects of life and it is quite toxic. They justify the persecution of females. The discrimination and abuses endured by wives from husband’s family are justified. I don’t believe that is healthy for the society. That gives the reason for not wanting to get married for young women with education.
좋은 영상 잘봤습니다~ 한국은 꿈의 나라가 아니죠 그저 누구보다 더 많이 일했고 희생과 땀으로 이루어진 나라이기 때문에 노동자 대우가 지속적으로 개선 되고 있지만 흔히 다른 타국가에 비하면 턱없이 부족하죠. 한국보다 괜찮은 호주나 뉴질랜드 캐나다 미국 등으로 가시는것도 좋을듯 싶어요 당신이 행복한게 제일 중요하니깐!
I hear this! I'm in my 2nd year of learning Korean and will be there next summer, I'm preparing myself for what the reality will be. Thanks for your honesty and candour.
Relating 100%! been here for over 3 yrs now~~ One thing I would add to the ‘shallow relationships’ point is that what most koreans like to talk about is… other people!! 😂 Other people’s experiences, behaviors, relations yada yada yada~~ GOSSIP is such a huge thing here! 😖 and it so happens that gossip/rumors hold power here!! It’s not just entertainment, there are plenty of cases where people get so alienated from their social groups due to rumors/gossips that they commit s**cide 😢
I just wanted to say that I relate 100% to everything said in the video but one thing I gotta add is that is a true hardship in Korea is that you can never complain publicly, maybe that's why I love this video. Of course, as a foreigner you are obliged to fit it and learn the culture but I feel like the problem Korea (and many other countries have) is not heling immigrants fit in. Even though, they are welcoming foreigners as scholars, skilled workers or even unskilled workers that provide then with cheap labor the locals don't want to do, there is very little understanding of what foreigners have to go through. This is not only among Koreans and their government but also other foreigners who keep on with the "if you don't like it, leave" behavior which is so not right. You can try to fit in in so many ways and be respectful but if the country you're in doesn't support you with that it will be nearly impossible to succeed. Also as a foreigner, you're always a foreigners so imo it's wrong to expect foreigners to never complain and share their opinion about the bad sides :// Eylul this was a really good video btw haha 👋🏻
Monikaaa!!💖First of all thank you so so much for helping me get my current job and saving my life....I never thought my work experience here could get so much better and I don't even know how to thank you. Also I completely agree with you on the fact that whenever someone says something relatively negative about this country they are advised to leave it. Like how about if we work on this and try to make it better? Not to mention all the competition among foreigners to try to become the 'better foreigner' (whatever that means). I'm soo soo glad you enjoyed the video and I hope to join you in Europe soon hehhehe✨
@@eylulnim it's okay you don't have to thank me I'm glad both you and asmita are loving it there cause I went through well at my first job too 🥹 yesss please come and put your multilingual skills to work here haha also I need to visit Istanbul it's stunning 🥰
Girllll you're very brave in my opinion to voice yourself. When I was 14 I came to know about kpop and Korea and stuff. I wanted to move there and later I learnt that Korea has one the highest ranking in studies so I wanted to study there but as I grew older and consumed enough of Korean culture I just felt it was not for me. Even though everything is so pretty, but I feel it's very conservative. I would probably go to Korea if I have the chance but probably for a trip there not to live. It's just not for everyone.
My take away from the video is that in addition to studying a language, it is important to understand a country's culture and history if you plan to be there for an extended period. All of the concerns that you raised can be traced back through neo-Confucianism and the rapid industrialization and democratization of SK. We have to remember that although it outwardly appears very advanced, this version of SK is still very young and evolving. Lastly in terms of college, I attended one of the top schools in the US which has a high percentage of foreign students. I can't remember a single class offered in anything other than English unless it was a foreign language course, so if the college was making an effort to accommodate international students that's great.
I loves how realistic this was. Many foreigners in Korea I’ve seen do not usually work a typical job in Korea but since you have, you saw more of that culture. I think Korea would be a good place to visit, be in for a couple of years but not long term residency. I hate conforming and shallow relationships but the culture is different from America in that way. This was refreshing to hear❤
i first came to korea as an exchange student 10 years ago (wow) and i still think it was the best thing i have ever done and it made me grow in the best way possible but, two years ago i worked in a company and i really believe my whole opinion about korea changed after that. I couldn't fit in the nene alkesibnida culture so it was super difficult and exhausting. I really think this is helping me to start closing my korean chapter after fully living the reality.
This was very informative, im older than most people deciding to move to Korea, im 35 now and will do it when im 36 which might seem old to a lot of people but trust me its not lol. I have a lot of life experience and ive lived in other countries for years and I didnt do it in a privileged way so I got super exploited in work places and suffered xenophobia, immigration offices and bureaucracy etc so I knoooow the ins and outs of all the bad things you can go through but I still love experiencing new things and I want this to be my next stop. I agree with you that a lot of places get romanticized and this happens a lot to Korea because of kdramas and if someone is like 18 and has no real life experience they will come into a real shock. I think the best advice I can give is just go very open minded and aware that things wont be easy and you might suffer a lot and I mean a lot :'D but you will also experience a lot of things that will open your mind and your heart and I have never regretted a single moment of my life despite all the struggles because they all have made me the person that I am today :)
I'm currently facing the same challenges here in China I am a student studying in China and everything you mentioned about the struggles of university life resonates with my experience here as well
Many years ago, I applied for a scholarship in Korea but I didn't get it. It was devastating for me because it was my dream to go to Korea. Nowadays I've been hearing a lot of things like these about Korea and now I'm kinda glad I didn't make it lol. I'd love to visit for vacation, but definitely don't want to live or work there.
This speaker is extremely intelligent. What she said applies to many expatriates in many countries. Her wisdom is not exclusive to South Korea. Listen to her. She does not lecture, she shares in a very entertaining charming and persuasive way.
Girl, omg, when you said "I want to know about you, and not your capitalistic experiences." I felt that. I couldn't have said it better or hear a better definition frfr. Also, the way you articulate in English? On point. I wish I could talk and express myself as freely, complex and dynamically as you do (English is my second language, I guess it is yours too, that's why I envy you haha).
Bottom line is: Seoul is great for shopping, medical tourism and eating out. Not so great for building any sort of life (unless you're escaping war or poverty). As a Portuguese weirdo, who constantly complains about herd mentality, I wouldn't trade any of my freedoms just for the convenience of Korean society. The biggest inconvenience is being surrounded by people pretending to be perfect and by aseptic high rises. They constantly try to disinfect themselves, when that mentality IS the infection itself. Some people say Seoul is soulless, and they're not totally wrong.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, very beneficial to know this kinda info as well. I was very starry-eyed when I was younger but now that I'm older, I would still like to visit Korea but for the short-term.
She is the only video I have watched that has really shed a light on how I imagined Koreans are just from looking&listening from afar. They have a real problem and I hope they make adjustments cos that life in that country is so not it.
Some random algorithms brought me to this relatable video, and as a Korean, I totally agree with everything, especially the part about the lack of empathy!!! also Korea has been a homogeneous country (though not really these days) for a long time, so a diverse and inclusive culture hasn't really developed yet :( I usually don't comment on RUclips videos but I'm also in my 20s working abroad like far from home... so this felt oddly relatable and I just had to leave a comment! Thank you so much for sharing your information and hope you find a better environment for your future! :)
Thank you for sharing! It is important to talk about those things too! I guess, Korea is not for free-spirit people. Would be interesting to know about Turkey too. I have heard a lot of good things about Turkey.
I am definitely in the category of having romanticized South Korea, mostly because I'm a kpop fan. But the last few years I've been catching up on more domestic information about SK, how people are treated, the work environment, rules, laws, racism, domestic violence, and the view Korean men have on women, Koreans believing they are superior to other Asian people. I went to SK for a month last year and absolutely loved it. I loved the food, the history, the nature, and the culture and I'm going back soon, but just for vacation. When I was in Seoul, my friend and I were interviewed on the streets of Gangnam by Jessi and Lee Seok-hoon (still can't believe that happened) and one of the questions was if we had experienced any racism while being there, which seems to be a common question to foreigners? We did in some way experience it, like some Koreans who didn't want to get into the same elevator. Two years ago, I was fully set on moving to SK someday, but now I don't see myself doing that anymore. I would still go there for a longer trip, but definitely not moving there.
Why does Korea not have pre college language schools before the actual course starts? Germany has language schools where you have to attend for 1yr before you start taking classes in german.It's part of the curriculum for foreign students.
Because they probably don't want to focus so much on foreign students coming to study in their country plus it's a somewhat new thing compared to European countries - it's only in the past 10 years that studying on Korea has actually become more popular and the percentage of foreign students is still somewhat small compared to countries like Germany, UK, France etc. This is not to say it's not unfair or there shouldn't be a pre-university language class, because that's definitely needed if they want to provide classes for foreign students in general, but might explain why they don't have it yet.
Gosh I relate so much to everything said. I feel you articulated it all so well. I had a similar reaction to the work culture coming from America - like what is considered hard working seems like doing a lot of nothing and just stretching out unimportant tasks over a longer day to appear like you are so overworked. As an American I feel like we bust butt to get a lot done so we can get out on time. I feel similarly with social life, its like most people only are interested in superficial topics and I get bored and feel like theres an issue with people opening up in general. I am very grateful to the way my parents raised me because I really think I have a high tolerance for going against the grain. I rarely stayed overtime in my companies. Maybe some people didnt like that but i also knew they cant fire us for that. It has helped me that over the years i have made friends with koreans who also go against the norm but at times it feels very lonely because it feels like everyone else is so restrained and unable to express their true selves.
This video was very insightful. Thanks for sharing your experience. Everyone has their own unique experience when visiting different countries. We can all learn so much from each other and how cultural differences can impact our experiences.
This is very valuable information to many who have this fantasy idea about Korea. My niece went as a tourist there and absolutely loved it, but to live there is a different kettle of fish. I have another two nieces who are talking about working there, I will forward this clip to them. Thank you.
I think that this is also how many Koreans feel, just overall overwhelmed with society and the work place, take care of your menthal health. Your very inteligent and pretty to waste your life on society. Finding a work place where your job, expertize and opinions are valued and appreciated its so good for your work life balance. So I think you just need a diferent job and maybe in a different continent. Stay strong! greetings from Mexico, smile!
Do have to say this can also maybe be more than just korean but instead Big City culture. I think you can see the same problem in New York City, Tokyo, Shanghai, etc especially if hanging with specific people
As someone who study abroad in Korea because I had no other option as the other programs were cancelled. At the begining, you have the pink rose glasses on, everything is pretty, but as you live in Korea you realize that the atmosphere is kind of sad. So Seoul its all about grinding, materialism and shallowness. You could see it in people's faces how depressing life in the city is, as you said. As you go far from the city, people looked a bit more chill but the depressing aura still there. Beyond that, relationships and close connections are nearly impossible with locals. At first I thought that is was because of the language and culture difference but gee even my korean girlfriend said "no. Its really hard to make real friends here in Korea because people first assess you not for who you are, but where you work at, studied, how much you make, how good looking you are" that was something that shocked me 😟 imagine living in a society so competitive that people see your worth for the things you have and not for YOU, the human. Its scary, because that means relationships are very superficial. Also all those couples in the streets, I was like there is so much love here. Later on I learned through locals was that most people in Korea get in relationships not for love but the looks of it as you mentioned. To avoid been alone, to look dateable. Therefore, breaking up is so easy because most people really are not truly in-love with each other. There is no real compromise, which is so depressing 🥺 Korea is lovely to visit for a couple of weeks or months, but living? Nope thanks. Sending love, glad I found your channel ❤
Absolutely loved you telling it as it really is in Korean society - I admire all you have done so far and obviously what you will plan to do somewhere else in the future. Embrace what is to come and have a wonderful life you clever girl- you deserve it! 🥰🇬🇧
this is sooooooo relatable… living in korea for the past year and a half i definitely feel the lack of empathy and shallowness in relationships with korean people. that’s definitely why i have only like 1 korean friend. i also totally relate to not wanting to speak korean. when i speak korean it feels like im putting on an act and not really saying things that i want to say and expressing my true self.
You can be yourself in any language once you are more confident. I totally get that feeling though and it’s hindered me from really advancing in learning it.
Like I see most of this stuff as a viewer of Korea, on the outside looking in. That's why I wouldn't want to live there. It's great for multiple visits but my mental life couldnt handle living there. But I also want to blame a part of the struggles you reflect on as some of the effects of being somewhere during the pandemic. I've changed drastically in a negative way during this time period as well. Started a new job, new environment, new shift (overnight). I talked less, did less, got frustrated quicker, 3+ years of my life with that started hopeful but I've definitely change. Thank you for sharing your opinion in a very detailed manor. 💜🙆🏾♀️💜
No sick days?! 😱 11 vacation days?! This is not normal. What is happening if you have some serious illness? In Romania we have sick days, you need a certificate from your MD and 21-22 vacation days. Some companies give you an extra day every 2 or 5 worked years.
I've lived and worked/studied in Japan for a while (though that is more than 10 years ago!). I've had a very, very similar experience. I still love Japan (and Korea) for travelling, but I would never want to live there again.
You are a very bright young lady with high-level critical thinking skills. You are the proverbial "big fish in a little pond" feeling suffocated by a society that has a strong national/ethnic/cultural identity and is not quite sure how to weave non-Koreans into the fabric of society. To avoid regrets, go abroad to see and experience more of the world while you are young before age and family responsibilities (should you choose to pursue one, that is) severely limit your options. Best of luck in your search for happiness and contentment.
I am happy for watching this video. I plan on eventually visiting South Korea with my bsf. But me being me, I always do my research. And this video is an amazing example to not be delulu and go because of Kdrama and Kpop. Learn the reality, the pros and cons, and the culture before going to a different country. ( and learn at least the basics of the language to be respectful and will help you while visiting)
My gosh, I'm a Korean who's spent a lot of time abroad to come back and work here. Everything you said in this video, is 150% true and I truly relate to it.
Those are the same points I noticed while in university, and I'm Korean to begin with😂😂 The quality of college education is just not that good in Korea. No structured curriculum, professors who are not that enthusiastic about fiving lectures,and for foreigners specifically, no great internship. The overall culture of Korean college students in which most of then do not really focus on their majors does not help.
Wow - so interesting. I can totally see your points and validate them. I’m Korean but grew up in USA. Thanks for your perspective. From my pov, I always thought Korea can change in an instant (compared to Japan, for example). The young people are changing in their views but it’ll take a few generations to see the changes you want to see.
So I feel like what you're describing is an issue with the culture in Seoul, more so than with Korea itself. I agree with a lot of your points, and that hyper-competitive environment can be toxic, and suffocating for someone who is very expressive like yourself. I'm a Korean American and I don't think I could survive that Seoul work life culture. Everyone is so stressed out and on edge, so it's probably why you find it so impersonal and shallow. That being said, I have always said that you have to experience Korea outside of Seoul. Everyone is so much more welcoming and friendlier. Anyways, I wish you the best and I hope you find what you're looking for wherever it may be. Take care!
The algorithm somehow recommended this to me and it was enlightening to watch this. Asian/Korean culture is stifling you and your personal growth and that's totally fine to admit. I think a lot of native Koreans recognize these flaws too but since they grew up with it, they don't know anything better/different. I knew Korea wasn't the ideal place that the media likes to portray, but this video fleshed out those sentiments pretty well.
girl this video was incredibly necessary and i personally think you expressed everything perfectly, considering all aspects and reasonings. as a senior about to graduate from a korean uni, these are the same exact reasons (to a t) i tell people who really want to know why i’m not planning to stay here long-term. also another thing is the amount of hate crimes and misogyny here… life here as a woman is incredibly confusing tbh. the sexualization, objectification, sexism and misogyny women experience all at the same time?? also being shit on for being a feminist just because they don’t want to accept what feminism is really about. you feel totally safe walking home alone at 3am but not in a restroom stall because you might be filmed and posted in disgusting chat rooms. just my 2 cents, i literally could write pages about all this lol. great video ✨
I don't know which country you are from, but don't talk about social issues in other countries. Misogyny? Do you really know if there is misogyny in Korea or what causes it? In fact, it is a little funny that Mongolians, who have the highest number of killers per foreigner in Korea, refer to misogyny.
In Korea, 80% of the younger generation hold university degrees. The issue in Korea isn’t a lack of skilled workers but rather an oversupply of highly qualified individuals compared to the number of available jobs. Naturally, university graduates tend to avoid physical labor positions, which leads to greater workforce shortages in these fields. As a result, many foreigners voluntarily take on these roles.
Fake respect: compulsory outward-showing gestures of respect founded way back in confucianism. I've been told "the idea is when you go through the motions of respect, eventually you'll feel it inside." Nope. Forcing the motions of respect doesn't often create authentic respect. I'm married to a Korean.
There's pros and cons in every society, Asian culture is less individualistic but is less drama and its safer because people tend to follow more social rules and are less self-centered I mean, in Asia you won't see someone trashing entire Supermarket just because they were not happy about the customer service =3
I agree that it has some very strong pros like safety, but less drama I have to disagree unfortunately hahah There's soooo much drama going on because people are less likely to tell you how they really feel and they tend to gossip and judge people in secrecy. Your social currency is very important here and bullying cases are no joke. To the point where it seriously messes with people's mental health
I am an immigrant myself, I think the reason why Korea is passive in accepting immigrants is that accepting immigrants means bringing with them the political correctness and social problems from which they originally came. 조선족 from China and 고려인 from the former Soviet Union are representative examples. In particular, Korean-Chinese people are so numerous that they even have local voting rights and despite being of the same ethnicity, whenever the interests of their country and Korea clash, they struggle between their patriotism and their actual interests. There is conflict and pride takes precedence over love for the place where one currently lives. They are the same ethnicity as Koreans and still have this kind of problem so why wouldn't other foreigners? Although those people may cause some problems, most of the labor force can be filled with Korean foreigners from many developing countries cheaply, and they understand Korea well culturally, they are quick to pick up the language, make fewer complaints about the Korean system, and integrate well into Korean society, so it takes much less time than cultivating immigrants from other ethnic groups with different religions and backgrounds. It takes effort. Except for a very small number of people, most people who come to Korea have their own country and their home country. The reason they come to Korea is because they want to live a better life. When an individual comes to a country to immigrate to, he or she immigrates because it is beneficial to him/her. Therefore, the country also accepts immigrants considering the national interest.
Yhea I understand. I also struggled by language barriar. And Yes. Our education system too much focused 'memorized', not understanding. Lack of discussion also. Contradicting be able to rude attitude. Well, You hit the nail on head!
I've can see parallels in my former workplace and also, having been through Chinese primary school. This sort of respect for elders and conformity stemmed from Confucius beliefs. It can be quite suffocating for there is never an open space for discussion or debate. But I was quite fortunate to have a leader that made sure we go back on time and not subjugate the staff to working late.
I was an international student for 12 years in the US. To be honest, most schools are not responsible for making international students mingle with the locals. You just have to speak the language and know how to make friends. Most of my Korean friends throughout high school to grad school in the US didn't have one American friend until they left. And of course the schools I went in the US didn't write any school announcements in Korean just for the Korean students, even if there were hundreds of them. I was the only Korean international student who had American friends, even if there were many Koreans who were fluent in English. I think it's pretty normal in any other society in the world to have different social groups.
I think it depends on situations and case by case, but for me, I had suffered a lot, even if I know Korean (my Topik level is 5) and my Korean is not perfect and its obvious cause I am a foreigner, but so many people told me that my Korean sucks (cause I look like Korean and people expect that I must know Korean as a native speaker), some people didn’t believe me and were shouting at me calling stupid cause I don’t speak perfect Korean or teased me because of my accent. Our professor was telling us that we need to study 24/7 just to be in the same level as Koreans… And so on and on and on… its not like its happening everyday but frequently and it is really hard to integrate in Korea even if I really love Korea 💔
It is not normal. Korea has an unnecessary penchant for people to remain in a box, they are too socially inept to understand that lending a helping hand, approaching people to make them feel welcomed is also a huge part of basic human decency and I have come to really accept that Koreans lack a lot of those humanitarian qualities. The horrible statistics in Korea says it all, so all this “all countries can be trash” mantra used by Koreans to deflect from their horrible mindsets, lifestyle and way of life is tired and pathetic. Maybe do better, maybe try to improve and change, maybe do things differently but no, there’s always some excuse used as defense mechanism for why things must remain how they are. Shame!
not responsible for getting them to mingle, but most universities have international student orientations that are quite helpful. Also, there are often clubs/societies for international students
See, this is shocking for me ! Because at my uni ( in the U.S), it was literally part of my work-study job to help international students feel welcome and design programs for them to mingle with domestic students. Our school even had dorms just for this purpose called "global house". Events were posted on bulletins in various languages and in various sns sites like kakaotalk, we chat etc. Also had town halls to speak about issues on campus pertaining to intl. Students. Of course our school was not perfect. But we truly made a lot of effort. I feel sorry for students who didn't have a similar experience.
Why do I feel like you are talking about work and life in Paris 😂😂😭😭. It’s mostly the same stuff work culture makes no sense. I got a bore out. You have to sit at your desk. Making Parisian friends is almost impossible so most of my friends are from foreign countries. Classism is very present too.
@@ksjrvouaeli asian country(china, japan ,korea) all have this.... over respecting code culture. its not always bad. but this is the thing that make these fakeness ,not being your self, too much concern etc. problems. so i was talking about countries that don't have these traits. anyway thank you.
Man this is depressingly similar to the situation in my country (Japan). I’m always baffled at westerners who come with dreams of working and living there. Like girl just come here on vacations, I promise it’s much more enjoyable…
Thank you for sharing! It is important to talk about those things too! I guess, Korea is not for free-spirit people. Would be interesting ti know about Turkey too. I have heard a lot of good things about Turkey.
I didn't study in uni here, but many of my friends did and have expressed the same feelings. I also felt that during my level 5 kiip class, the instructor only read from the book. Like i can do that alone. I agree with everything you said. Actually, Megan Bowen did a really good video about the 'shallow-ness' of relationships here. She explained the reasons behind it using data and excerpts from Korean psychologists as well. Shes been here 10 years now, you should take a look.
Making friends or join clubs as an international student is the worst and most depressing part of University life here, you are losing friends every 6 months or clubs don’t even try to see how they work around because you are a foreigner and you don’t understand how it works. When I transferred the University also didn’t bother to explain how credits work here so I even had to delay my graduation because I wasn’t doing it “right”. I could write a whole essay on the problems I’ve had…
Exaaaactly. And every single uni here basically has an international student office that basically NEVER is helpful. They literally don't know anything. Whenever I asked them a question the answer would always be 'we don't know' kjfkdfjlfd Drives me crazy to even think about it now honestly
The part of everybody following a trend reminded me of my first time in Korea last year... I visited Seoul and there were moments I looked around myself and everybody was wearing pretty much the same thing. Obviously it depends on to which part of Seoul you go, for example if I went somewhere not so close to the centre, it was not that same, but on the other hand when I was walking in Gangnam I told to myself: "Guys... do you know this is not North Korea? You can choose what to wear on your own..." 😅😅 because there... there it felt like people go shopping all together to have matching clothes top to bottom 😅😅
I relate a lot to this. Main reason I decided not to stay in Korea. Trust, you can be just as happy or even more somewhere else that fits you more :) it’s ok to let go
Finally a reality of moving abroad! First of all, thank you for sharing also the "bad" side of Korea. I really never find the cons of living in Korea and it is scary that there is this need to not show it. But, apart from this, I am so happy also that our generation speaks loudly about the work condition we are living in, unfortunately not only in Korea. I am an Italian living in Germany and I really found an immense difference. You don´t even have sick days! And that is one of the many reasons why I left my country, unfortunately. So I really think it is something that we can speak about generally, reason why I really loved this video, you can relate to it not only if you had experienced it there. Anyway, keep posting because I am really happy of the content you share and wish you the best for everything (:
I think you rarely hear the bad side because a lot of influencers receive sponsorships from the government, the anti defamation laws make it hard to be too specific and overall Korean people very viciously attack people online who do.
heheheh i honestly imagined the type of comments was like no, i've been living here for far too long for strangers to tell me i haven't seen enough....
Eylulnim, you sound like a very intelligent person, and I understand your regrets about SK. The expression "hindsight is 20/20" comes to mind. Would you have known or believed these negatives about SK if you had not experienced them yourself at age 18? Everything you mentioned in your video is, also, what most S Koreans dislike about their culture, and is why I have never had a desire to move there.
I'm an older gal who has seriously been considering a move to South Korea in the next few years (I have responsibilities here that I can not leave yet) so I made sure to click play and you honestly confirmed everything I thought so thank you. I told my daughter that I didn't think Korea was very friendly and that I thought it was greatly romanticized on TikTok, RUclips, and other forms of TV and social media. However, I pointed out that this was why I actually liked the idea of living there. Personally I do not have any friends, so I literally said I think the people there didn't seem to be overly welcoming or friendly but that's what I liked. Leave me alone, let me do my thing. I will say that I think that being opinionated anywhere is difficult though. That's literally why I don't have friends here in the US. I can see how for someone who is younger and trying to date (I gave up dating over 12 yrs ago lol) or socialize living in Korea would be very difficult. Although I will say that we were considering moving to places outside of Seoul like Busan or Incheon just to have more bang for our buck and more family-friendly environments and I see in the comments that Busan does seem to be what I've researched. I think with any move, especially internationally people should always research as much as they can as if it's for a big exam because in the end you will be tested. Good luck! I hope you find a place that offers you the lifestyle and connections that you desire.
I totally agree on the university experience. I'm currently in Korea as an exchange student at Hanyang, studying English. While my professors are both native English speakers, they have to severely simplify the contents of their lessons. Back home in Germany, I actually study English linguistics so you have to have a pretty high level of English proficiency to really study the language since it's not about improving your language skills but further understanding how the language works in all its aspects. Here in Korea, being an English major means you go to university to continue learning to speak and understand the language. Many people here graduate with an intermediate level of English when in Germany, you already need an advanced level of English to even study it at uni. Lots of German unis even have a placement test when you apply to study English there to ensure that you actually speak it well enough. I don't think they have that in Korea but correct me if I'm wrong. I'm honestly not surprised though since the overall English proficiency in Germany is much higher than Korea. I also miss the discussion part a lot. In Germany, we have a mix of lectures and seminars, where seminars are much more about disucssing the topics with peers and doing group work, often research projects as well. Even the lectures can be interactive, depending on the prof and the topic of course. Here the professor just talks at you and if they ask a question, it's usually a rhetorical one since no one wants to answer anyways. I do have an Audio-Visual English class though that is amazing since we get questions to discuss withh a partner or in groups and I think it really helps improve the speaking skills of many Koreans since the videos we look at are from TV shows with lots of colloquial speech. And yes, I've had the same experience with the school not really putting in too much effort to get students connected between internationals and Koreans. We do have a buddy program and I'm really lucky to have a super sweet buddy and I've met some nice people in class but the events offered by the uni are not that sufficient. I also generally feel like they treat us like we should be grateful that they even let us study here. Not as welcoming as I had hoped but also not outright hostile or anything, just kinda meh.
It's very interesting. I appreciate your thoughtful reflections and that you maintained a balanced opinion. It makes me reflect on my own country too because I know that it's also difficult for foreigners in the United States despite the U.S.'s reputation for being a multicultural country.
Heh, I'm from Europe, and I couldn't stop chuckling at the criticisms of Korean social life. A lot of the complaints about Korean culture like an obsession with trends and judging people on how they follow them, fake friendliness, lack of empathy, relationships and friendships out of simple convenience, and so on are the exact same complaints those of use who have lived in America tend to have about Americans and their culture. :D
South Korea basically exists because of the US. The American influence there seems to be huge. But at least it's not affecting their health care that much.
In big cities' life is very convenient but very competitive & suferficial relationship is common..So wherever you go,, adopt yourself to a new environment, be greatful, no tegret! There is no Utopia! Otherwise, the country you were born in is the best place for you.
The bit about not wanting to speak Korean is somewhat tangentially relatable. I want (wanted? I don't even know anymore) to learn Korean because I like the art, animation, novels and comics. There are so many talented individuals and so many great works that you can get a glimpse of only with the machine translations, and sometimes, even using the machine is very inefficient (e.g. comics). Also, Korean can be very song-like and melodious to the ear. However, the more I understand the present culture (which can be washed down to hypercapitalistic, misogynistic and superficial), the less worthwhile it seems to learn the language.
I went to Chung-Ang university, finished in 2012 and mixed really well with the local students even though I couldn't speak the language. From day one, each foreign student was buddied up with a local student and for the first term we had socials every weekend.
I wanted to have a degree from south korea after watching kpop and kdrama but I changed my thought later on cause the korean society is different and way different from where I come from, in my country people really helpful, kind, caring... so I thought I might not fit in that society and would be wasting my youth.... like I might get better opportunities from other country....
I thought of acquiring a degree in Korean studies due to my interest in North Korea as a humanitarian case of considerable concern... but now, perhaps it's not as good of an idea. I'm not sure, I'm considering my options.
Good for you for thinking that way that you didn’t even have to make that mistake of moving there and finding out and I really expected a lot of people would not go as well since they can tell from their basic understanding of the country that it is just so backwards and unnecessarily strict. But they went ahead and found out the hard way. Tough luck to them.
@@MarianaCarvalho-gu8zxhello! I also have an interest in that field! I hope you find the right path for you but I really feel there’s such a negative view on Korea and living there on social media now that most people don’t actually have real experience with. Only listen to those who have actually been there lol. I do think it’s really hard to get into the NK human rights industry in general because I’ve been looking at the job pages for years for some of the organizations. I think specializing in the field would be helpful. Yes, there are issues for foreigners living in Korea. Yes, many people don’t know how to act when dealing with foreigners, and yes it will be hard. But if you have a passion/are motivated and you’ve done the self work to not need approval from strangers and acquaintances, Korea will probably not be the toxic experience people warn you about. Also if you speak Korean, things will be a lot better for you. Actually, most people are neutral, not mean. And many people actually ARE kind but they assume you can’t communicate with each other and then it may feel like they’re talking badly about you to your face (but I only ever overheard positive things about me when people thought I couldn’t understand). However, I had my issues with ahjeosshis and that was my frequent frustration in Korea. These situations showed me insight into the difference between gender equality there but that’s all I’ll say on that haha. I lived there for a year in the countryside and tried but built almost no support system. I essentially burned out as an extrovert. If you’re passionate about helping North Koreans, it really would be beneficial to study that degree and live in Korea (or at least gain Korean proficiency) but you have to be realistic about if you can and would enjoy it. Can you handle language barriers and living in a foreign country alone? Good luck 😊 edit: but idk if Korean studies would be helpful unless there’s a strong emphasis on North Korea. Research the class list and ask grads from similar programs.
Man, it would be really hard for me in Korea, same thing in Japan. Both countries are really individualistic. Coming from a totally different reality (born and raised in Italy, but ethnically North African) I can’t see myself in a country where people are kind of selfish and cold. Of course I’m planning to visit it, but that’s just it. You only live once and I’m planning to live the best life I can
Thank you for sharing, in my school program i have learned about high context cultures and work life in different cultures. It is interesting hearing your experience because i am very aware of turkish work life and culture as well. I am from the US about to graduate with my masters in international business, i was looking into companies to work in korea. I am visiting next week and i will see first hand, but i definitely see your points and brings more perspective that maybe i should continue looking for a job here in Miami rather then Korea. My only question to you is what’s next? Any country you have in mind?
Just watch a couple of their TV dramas or movies and you learn a lot SK culture (My Liberation Diary, The Interest of Love etc.). If you are not living in a big city or at least working there, you are a peasant, and not accepted by the city people, if you are not coming from a good family or worse you do not have a family, then you are a complete outsider, if you do not have higher than high school education you should not be looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend with a degree because their family will most likely not accept you...
When i was in the Army i spent a year in Korea and had a wonderful time. But the secret to my happiness was that i didn't have to rely on Korean culture 100,% of the time. i did have my own place off post, and i liked Korean food. What made it great was i worked for the US Army, not Koreans. You would not get me to be under the authority of Koreans. Not a chance. I got along great with Kotean people in general. So as a member of the American military you have the best of noth worlds. i dealt with the negative things i rarely encountered because i wasnt stranded. And i never particilarly wanted to be Korean. I simply enjoyed 98% of my experiences.
I have been following you on Instagram for the past few months and I admire your capabilities and intelligence. You are an inspiration to become a polyglot. Thank you so much for showing this side of your life in South Korea. I've experienced South Korea as a tourist and that was enough for me to realize some of the topics you mention in this video. I resonate so much with 'being a watered-down version of yourself'. That was the reason why I am, sadly, loosing interest in continuing learning Korean.
Hey Eylul ! I also studied in Korea and worked for a bit there and I am now in a different place but if I have to explain life to you as an adult who is may be 8 years older than you is that the beginnings of a career are always hard and difficult everywhere in the world the grass always seem greener in the other side but it is not, I worked with korean and international people and even European and believe me it is not about the country or the system it is just about people usually. The more you will grow up you will mature up and accept certain things cuz you will become more grounded and pragmatic about life. Life is just full of obstacles and just take care of you brain and make it a positive and nice place and dream big and high as you did when you were little and dreamt to go to Korea and you will achieve it all even in South Korea itself. Make your own opportunities dont wait for someone to offer it to you. Stay positive and healthy and find your happy place ❤
Thank you sooo much💖 I always love to learn about different perspectives, especially of people who are more experienced than me. I'm definitely trying to make the most of it and I'm definitely happy here, but I think it's because the source of my happiness has always been me:) And yes I do think I would be less annoyed as I get older hahahah But for now I don't think I want to just accept how things work here. There will certainly be obstacles everywhere but I think that's what my 20's are for😂 I want to see and experience more and who knows, maybe at the end of the day I'd think this place was not so bad afterall:)
@@sarahalves68920 Yes ! I agree with you she should find her happy place . I only wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t think elsewhere would be heaven cuz it is just planet earth and life , hence she should lower her expectations so she doesnt get disappointed . I worked in different settings in different countries with different people with different cultural backgrounds so I know from experience it is always the people you work with and manage the work that will influence things around you . Also even though the system is rotten you dont need to be part of it you can just respect and leave it . Of course I am not saying she should accept being oppressed and mistreated but anyway it is about the mindest she will shape throughout these upcoming years. She is in her golden age and she has all the time infront of her to experience life. Anyway I hope Eylul only encounters nice and genuine people and catch happy moments ~ Stay positive.
@@eylulnim think that u will be happy in the US. Hope u dont make a mistake of hopping to another asian country.. they are all pretty much the same as s. korea
I dated a Korean man for 4 years and for him specifically, lack of empathy was also one of the things we fought consistently over. He sometimes would outright say things like "Everyone else is also going through stress/sadness etc. you don't need to exaggerate it and get over it." Whenever I told him, that's not how relationships or human empathy works, he would normalize not being empathetic to others and instead just "sucking it up".
I was born and raised in Korea, but I live in the United States because I think the Western way of life is better for me. No matter how much people like it, if it doesn't apply to me, it can be a problem. Living in the U.S., sometimes there are language barrier and I realize racist remarks a bit in hindsight, but I think that's the price of not living in my home country. I think it's important to either live with it or find a place that suits us better. I hope you can find a country or place that fits your philosophy of life, and it's nice to hear a realistic story like yours instead of all the foreigners talking about the good things about Korea.
Its so interesting seeing your views on this . I wonder if you have watched the NewJeans/HYBE drama, specifically the recent Hanni appearance at the National Assembly regarding bullying.
I really don’t understand why so many people take things so personally. I think Eylul didn’t say anything wrong about disliking certain aspects of Korea; in fact, I bet she loves the country. However, there are a few things I've noticed during my two trips to Korea Eylul mentioned -one for a month and another for three months-like the focus on trends and shallow conversations with my Korean friends. I care about my friends and love them, but I can see how society operates there. I don’t have an issue with that, but I can understand how it might affect someone trying to adjust to a new country and language. Koreans have many years to excel their native languages which International students/ foreigners don’t have and that’s a fact. So that everything is in Korean as an international promotion university is not right and the right response shouldn’t be, “Well, you should go back to your country,” but rather to have an honest conversation: “As Koreans we do these things, and here’s our perspective on how we see it.” I get wanting to defend the country you live in. I can relate because I speak fluent in my language and am a citizen of my country, so I don’t experience the same struggles as my international friends. There are many things they don’t have access to which I do. To truly understand this, I need to be open to making international friends. So should y’all hear out their struggle and maybe let’s do smth about it One issue in Korea is that people one act let’s say- The separation of Koreans and internationals in school can be described different ways by different people a Korean person would say and me honestly “They don’t mean harm they are just shy or reluctant to mingle” someone else might say they AREN’T fond of foreigners. It’s important to share both the good, different and bad perspectives. But if people get defensive how will the foreigners will know or how can they actually ask for help? This video I see it more as asking for help and society change rather than bashing a country. We should try to explain the intentions behind a lot of what Korean do/mean -unless it’s something obviously offensive, in which case the intentions are clear. I hope this is clear for a lot of ppl.
A Korean here. Randomly stumbled on your video and I feel you on so many things you addressed. Even Koreans go on a full rant about the exact same things you complained about so you don’t need to justify, rationalize anything you’re trying to say to not piss off the Koreans😅We’re fully aware of what you’re trying to get across and we probably hate it more than you do 😂
Thank you so much for this comment! For reasons I can’t understand, some people who have never been or lived here try to dismiss my opinions and experiences saying I’m just full of complaints and I should adapt to the culture😂 So coming from a Korean, this really means a lot!
that's a very Korean name you have
@@gomer2813 한국인 맞는데?
@@gomer2813 shoo away anime pfp
@@gomer2813 you can immediately tell someone's korean when they refer to themselves as 'a korean'. your mistake.
The lack of empathy is so real! I’m glad it’s not just me who noticed.
The funny part is: I felt bad in Seoul (the city & its citizens are too busy to care). But Busan is the CITY for my standards of life. Damn, I like Busan & its beach vibes. Therefore the people are more calm & care for others. So many helped me out & we talked about deep stuff!! I was so happy (I‘m back home. I only can stay for 3weeks on vacation.) 🤷🏼♀️ If everything works out I’ll be back next year to Busan.
I'm also moving to Busan next year.
Buscan is wonderful!
I definitely agree with you. I was in Busan a week ago and it was wonderful. People were so friendly and nice. I choose Busan because the big city life of Seoul was not for me and I'm glad I made that choice. I definitely want to go back.
@@jikusikatvoh shiz 😢sorry to hear that
@@jikusikatv People have different experiences in any place. I'm from LA and I can't stand New York. Rude and aggressive people. But my friends say that they love it there.
Totally agree - Korea is great for vacation but real life is cruel over there
Could not live and work in Korea. Disrespect lacking towards employees and the age thing another thing 🌏
For real , I worked a teaching job there at a university. It was a dystopian job, and the the more I learned about the Korean mindset the more I hated it. One day I decided to just quietly go back to Japan. The life is indeed cruel and unforgiving. No second chances for anyone. Some helpful people , but most are just rude and stressed. Japan is polite and soft spoken, respectful. I really missed that.
it applies for literally every single country on the earth
@@eddenoy321it means you dont know much about Japan…
Same with Japan, apparently.
GIRL SAMEEEE! "I want to know about you, and not your capitalistic experiences." I FELT THATTTT. My co-workers are also watered-down versions of themselves. They conceal their true opinions and often times stay neutral, apathetic to situations. They don't want to offend anyone so they just nod along and keep themselves small. I understand that they don't want to start conflicts, so it is what it is. I mostly hang out with other foreigners in my free time. I only talk to Koreans either at work during lunch or in my hobby classes during the evenings.
Agreed, it's the same for me teaching HS in Jindo Island!
Sooo true
I had an experience of studying in russian university(I am also turkish tho) where I was learning korean(yeah xD) and the difference between teachers was so clear. For example, russian teacher will give you a compiment to emphasize your intelligence and knowledge( "Wow! You seem to be very knowledgeable on the topic" or something like "Look at her, she went to the source and read the translations of all this works, is not it amazing?" BUT korean professor will be always highlighting your appearance "Your skin is white and glowing" or "You look cute", "Cute earrings/cute outfit, "Where did you buy this jacket? Cute!" and for the first time it is really sweet and pleasing but then it continues from teacher to teacher, so you understand that it is just becomes tiring because they admit ONLY your looks like there is no your personality, definetely not you studying 24/7 - NO, only your face-card matters!
(we had male and female korean teachers, but only 2 of them were caring nice people who admitted our academic sucess and did not pay attention to your looks).
Furthermore, my russian friends are open to talk about books/art/hobby/music/games/memes/history/politics/economy and literally about everything because they are highly educated interesting persons BUT everytime when I tried to make a friendship with koreans, I struggled a lot because there are a lot of nice people however it seems like they are not supposed to talk about anything else except fashion/kpop/fashion again/looks/bags/caffes/food/and other material capitalistic shit and you are just suffering from disability of making a close friendship and this so sad :(
Those capitalistic/materialistic aspects are what bothers me the most about Kpop. I understand that it's a business after all but it's also art. I only really stan BTS and I believe that a key factor of their global success is them having lyrics with deeper meaning (their early songs No More Dream and N.O are so underrated - they do have kind of cliché hip hop MVs though, maybe that's the problem 😆). But on the other hand: whenever the BTS members talk about luxury brands and trendy things as if they were essential to life it kind of makes me roll my eyes.
the clutches of confucianism on work ethics and society are so strong and when you notice it you can't unsee it, truly exhausting
Where can i read more about this? It's so intriguing
You are correct. As a Korean, that is the most infuriating aspect of that society. That is the main reason I emigrated from Korea. The Confucian grip on the whole society is slowing the progress and growth of the country. It justifies everything unethical. Or the people with any power try to force others using the Confucian position. So sickening.
@@soonmipark9791 Well... representative countries with Confucian culture. China, Korea, and Japan are the countries that have achieved (have achieved) the fastest development in the world.
As someone who respects their culture, I think there are pros and cons.
@ it is not due to Confuscianism. That principle is applied to all the aspects of life and it is quite toxic. They justify the persecution of females. The discrimination and abuses endured by wives from husband’s family are justified. I don’t believe that is healthy for the society. That gives the reason for not wanting to get married for young women with education.
좋은 영상 잘봤습니다~ 한국은 꿈의 나라가 아니죠 그저 누구보다 더 많이 일했고 희생과 땀으로 이루어진 나라이기 때문에 노동자 대우가 지속적으로 개선 되고 있지만 흔히 다른 타국가에 비하면 턱없이 부족하죠. 한국보다 괜찮은 호주나 뉴질랜드 캐나다 미국 등으로 가시는것도 좋을듯 싶어요 당신이 행복한게 제일 중요하니깐!
Not the USA it's so much worse here!
@@DavidNunezPNW No, America is a good country.
@@아리-t3p I live in Los Angeles and let me tell you it's so unaffordable and getting worse!
@@아리-t3pit really isn’t…
@@DavidNunezPNW well you live in LA so understandable😂 but not really the case for all other places in the us
I hear this! I'm in my 2nd year of learning Korean and will be there next summer, I'm preparing myself for what the reality will be. Thanks for your honesty and candour.
Hope this helps!
Relating 100%! been here for over 3 yrs now~~ One thing I would add to the ‘shallow relationships’ point is that what most koreans like to talk about is… other people!! 😂 Other people’s experiences, behaviors, relations yada yada yada~~ GOSSIP is such a huge thing here! 😖 and it so happens that gossip/rumors hold power here!! It’s not just entertainment, there are plenty of cases where people get so alienated from their social groups due to rumors/gossips that they commit s**cide 😢
I just wanted to say that I relate 100% to everything said in the video but one thing I gotta add is that is a true hardship in Korea is that you can never complain publicly, maybe that's why I love this video. Of course, as a foreigner you are obliged to fit it and learn the culture but I feel like the problem Korea (and many other countries have) is not heling immigrants fit in. Even though, they are welcoming foreigners as scholars, skilled workers or even unskilled workers that provide then with cheap labor the locals don't want to do, there is very little understanding of what foreigners have to go through. This is not only among Koreans and their government but also other foreigners who keep on with the "if you don't like it, leave" behavior which is so not right. You can try to fit in in so many ways and be respectful but if the country you're in doesn't support you with that it will be nearly impossible to succeed. Also as a foreigner, you're always a foreigners so imo it's wrong to expect foreigners to never complain and share their opinion about the bad sides ://
Eylul this was a really good video btw haha 👋🏻
Monikaaa!!💖First of all thank you so so much for helping me get my current job and saving my life....I never thought my work experience here could get so much better and I don't even know how to thank you. Also I completely agree with you on the fact that whenever someone says something relatively negative about this country they are advised to leave it. Like how about if we work on this and try to make it better? Not to mention all the competition among foreigners to try to become the 'better foreigner' (whatever that means). I'm soo soo glad you enjoyed the video and I hope to join you in Europe soon hehhehe✨
@@eylulnim it's okay you don't have to thank me I'm glad both you and asmita are loving it there cause I went through well at my first job too 🥹 yesss please come and put your multilingual skills to work here haha also I need to visit Istanbul it's stunning 🥰
This is what I feel like in Germany even though I was born here. That's why I don't think I will have the most problems if I would move to Korea...
@@Strawberryheavn determined to experience that Kpop in the flesh obsession despite being told these harsh truths huh? SMH
@@Nadeeyahh typical inferiority complex person you are
Girllll you're very brave in my opinion to voice yourself.
When I was 14 I came to know about kpop and Korea and stuff. I wanted to move there and later I learnt that Korea has one the highest ranking in studies so I wanted to study there but as I grew older and consumed enough of Korean culture I just felt it was not for me. Even though everything is so pretty, but I feel it's very conservative. I would probably go to Korea if I have the chance but probably for a trip there not to live. It's just not for everyone.
My take away from the video is that in addition to studying a language, it is important to understand a country's culture and history if you plan to be there for an extended period. All of the concerns that you raised can be traced back through neo-Confucianism and the rapid industrialization and democratization of SK. We have to remember that although it outwardly appears very advanced, this version of SK is still very young and evolving. Lastly in terms of college, I attended one of the top schools in the US which has a high percentage of foreign students. I can't remember a single class offered in anything other than English unless it was a foreign language course, so if the college was making an effort to accommodate international students that's great.
I loves how realistic this was. Many foreigners in Korea I’ve seen do not usually work a typical job in Korea but since you have, you saw more of that culture. I think Korea would be a good place to visit, be in for a couple of years but not long term residency. I hate conforming and shallow relationships but the culture is different from America in that way. This was refreshing to hear❤
i first came to korea as an exchange student 10 years ago (wow) and i still think it was the best thing i have ever done and it made me grow in the best way possible but, two years ago i worked in a company and i really believe my whole opinion about korea changed after that. I couldn't fit in the nene alkesibnida culture so it was super difficult and exhausting. I really think this is helping me to start closing my korean chapter after fully living the reality.
This was very informative, im older than most people deciding to move to Korea, im 35 now and will do it when im 36 which might seem old to a lot of people but trust me its not lol. I have a lot of life experience and ive lived in other countries for years and I didnt do it in a privileged way so I got super exploited in work places and suffered xenophobia, immigration offices and bureaucracy etc so I knoooow the ins and outs of all the bad things you can go through but I still love experiencing new things and I want this to be my next stop. I agree with you that a lot of places get romanticized and this happens a lot to Korea because of kdramas and if someone is like 18 and has no real life experience they will come into a real shock. I think the best advice I can give is just go very open minded and aware that things wont be easy and you might suffer a lot and I mean a lot :'D but you will also experience a lot of things that will open your mind and your heart and I have never regretted a single moment of my life despite all the struggles because they all have made me the person that I am today :)
Can I ask what other countries you've lived in especially countries you faced xenophobia or racism?
Well said. ❤
I'm currently facing the same challenges here in China I am a student studying in China and everything you mentioned about the struggles of university life resonates with my experience here as well
Many years ago, I applied for a scholarship in Korea but I didn't get it. It was devastating for me because it was my dream to go to Korea. Nowadays I've been hearing a lot of things like these about Korea and now I'm kinda glad I didn't make it lol. I'd love to visit for vacation, but definitely don't want to live or work there.
This speaker is extremely intelligent. What she said applies to many expatriates in many countries. Her wisdom is not exclusive to South Korea. Listen to her. She does not lecture, she shares in a very entertaining charming and persuasive way.
Girl, omg, when you said "I want to know about you, and not your capitalistic experiences." I felt that. I couldn't have said it better or hear a better definition frfr. Also, the way you articulate in English? On point. I wish I could talk and express myself as freely, complex and dynamically as you do (English is my second language, I guess it is yours too, that's why I envy you haha).
Bottom line is: Seoul is great for shopping, medical tourism and eating out. Not so great for building any sort of life (unless you're escaping war or poverty).
As a Portuguese weirdo, who constantly complains about herd mentality, I wouldn't trade any of my freedoms just for the convenience of Korean society. The biggest inconvenience is being surrounded by people pretending to be perfect and by aseptic high rises.
They constantly try to disinfect themselves, when that mentality IS the infection itself.
Some people say Seoul is soulless, and they're not totally wrong.
You sound like someone who would thrive in Berlin :D
Unfortunately, it has gotten quite expensive ...
Thanks for sharing your experiences, very beneficial to know this kinda info as well. I was very starry-eyed when I was younger but now that I'm older, I would still like to visit Korea but for the short-term.
Alas 😅 someone spoke about the actual problems. Thank you
She is the only video I have watched that has really shed a light on how I imagined Koreans are just from looking&listening from afar. They have a real problem and I hope they make adjustments cos that life in that country is so not it.
Some random algorithms brought me to this relatable video, and as a Korean, I totally agree with everything, especially the part about the lack of empathy!!! also Korea has been a homogeneous country (though not really these days) for a long time, so a diverse and inclusive culture hasn't really developed yet :(
I usually don't comment on RUclips videos but I'm also in my 20s working abroad like far from home... so this felt oddly relatable and I just had to leave a comment! Thank you so much for sharing your information and hope you find a better environment for your future! :)
Thank you for sharing! It is important to talk about those things too! I guess, Korea is not for free-spirit people. Would be interesting to know about Turkey too. I have heard a lot of good things about Turkey.
I am definitely in the category of having romanticized South Korea, mostly because I'm a kpop fan. But the last few years I've been catching up on more domestic information about SK, how people are treated, the work environment, rules, laws, racism, domestic violence, and the view Korean men have on women, Koreans believing they are superior to other Asian people.
I went to SK for a month last year and absolutely loved it. I loved the food, the history, the nature, and the culture and I'm going back soon, but just for vacation. When I was in Seoul, my friend and I were interviewed on the streets of Gangnam by Jessi and Lee Seok-hoon (still can't believe that happened) and one of the questions was if we had experienced any racism while being there, which seems to be a common question to foreigners? We did in some way experience it, like some Koreans who didn't want to get into the same elevator.
Two years ago, I was fully set on moving to SK someday, but now I don't see myself doing that anymore. I would still go there for a longer trip, but definitely not moving there.
"Koreans believing they are superior to other Asian people"
That's every country though
Why does Korea not have pre college language schools before the actual course starts? Germany has language schools where you have to attend for 1yr before you start taking classes in german.It's part of the curriculum for foreign students.
Because they probably don't want to focus so much on foreign students coming to study in their country plus it's a somewhat new thing compared to European countries - it's only in the past 10 years that studying on Korea has actually become more popular and the percentage of foreign students is still somewhat small compared to countries like Germany, UK, France etc.
This is not to say it's not unfair or there shouldn't be a pre-university language class, because that's definitely needed if they want to provide classes for foreign students in general, but might explain why they don't have it yet.
This is a very balanced take. Thanks for sharing your experience 😊
Thank you so much I'm really glad you think so💖
Gosh I relate so much to everything said. I feel you articulated it all so well. I had a similar reaction to the work culture coming from America - like what is considered hard working seems like doing a lot of nothing and just stretching out unimportant tasks over a longer day to appear like you are so overworked. As an American I feel like we bust butt to get a lot done so we can get out on time. I feel similarly with social life, its like most people only are interested in superficial topics and I get bored and feel like theres an issue with people opening up in general. I am very grateful to the way my parents raised me because I really think I have a high tolerance for going against the grain. I rarely stayed overtime in my companies. Maybe some people didnt like that but i also knew they cant fire us for that. It has helped me that over the years i have made friends with koreans who also go against the norm but at times it feels very lonely because it feels like everyone else is so restrained and unable to express their true selves.
That's sad to hear, the Koreans are so restrained and can't be genuine. I'm guessing, it has a lot to do with the Confucianism legacy.
This video was very insightful. Thanks for sharing your experience. Everyone has their own unique experience when visiting different countries. We can all learn so much from each other and how cultural differences can impact our experiences.
This is very valuable information to many who have this fantasy idea about Korea. My niece went as a tourist there and absolutely loved it, but to live there is a different kettle of fish. I have another two nieces who are talking about working there, I will forward this clip to them. Thank you.
Thank you for this video. It's given me a lot of insight into Korean culture !
I think that this is also how many Koreans feel, just overall overwhelmed with society and the work place, take care of your menthal health. Your very inteligent and pretty to waste your life on society. Finding a work place where your job, expertize and opinions are valued and appreciated its so good for your work life balance. So I think you just need a diferent job and maybe in a different continent. Stay strong! greetings from Mexico, smile!
Do have to say this can also maybe be more than just korean but instead Big City culture. I think you can see the same problem in New York City, Tokyo, Shanghai, etc especially if hanging with specific people
As someone who study abroad in Korea because I had no other option as the other programs were cancelled. At the begining, you have the pink rose glasses on, everything is pretty, but as you live in Korea you realize that the atmosphere is kind of sad. So Seoul its all about grinding, materialism and shallowness. You could see it in people's faces how depressing life in the city is, as you said. As you go far from the city, people looked a bit more chill but the depressing aura still there. Beyond that, relationships and close connections are nearly impossible with locals. At first I thought that is was because of the language and culture difference but gee even my korean girlfriend said "no. Its really hard to make real friends here in Korea because people first assess you not for who you are, but where you work at, studied, how much you make, how good looking you are" that was something that shocked me 😟 imagine living in a society so competitive that people see your worth for the things you have and not for YOU, the human. Its scary, because that means relationships are very superficial. Also all those couples in the streets, I was like there is so much love here. Later on I learned through locals was that most people in Korea get in relationships not for love but the looks of it as you mentioned. To avoid been alone, to look dateable. Therefore, breaking up is so easy because most people really are not truly in-love with each other. There is no real compromise, which is so depressing 🥺
Korea is lovely to visit for a couple of weeks or months, but living? Nope thanks. Sending love, glad I found your channel ❤
Absolutely loved you telling it as it really is in Korean society -
I admire all you have done so far and obviously what you will plan to do somewhere else in the future. Embrace what is to come and have a wonderful life you clever girl- you deserve it!
🥰🇬🇧
this is sooooooo relatable… living in korea for the past year and a half i definitely feel the lack of empathy and shallowness in relationships with korean people. that’s definitely why i have only like 1 korean friend. i also totally relate to not wanting to speak korean. when i speak korean it feels like im putting on an act and not really saying things that i want to say and expressing my true self.
If you dont want to speak korean why are you in korea?? Do you want koreans to speak english with you? Thats so stupid
You can be yourself in any language once you are more confident. I totally get that feeling though and it’s hindered me from really advancing in learning it.
Like I see most of this stuff as a viewer of Korea, on the outside looking in. That's why I wouldn't want to live there. It's great for multiple visits but my mental life couldnt handle living there.
But I also want to blame a part of the struggles you reflect on as some of the effects of being somewhere during the pandemic.
I've changed drastically in a negative way during this time period as well. Started a new job, new environment, new shift (overnight). I talked less, did less, got frustrated quicker, 3+ years of my life with that started hopeful but I've definitely change.
Thank you for sharing your opinion in a very detailed manor. 💜🙆🏾♀️💜
No sick days?! 😱 11 vacation days?! This is not normal. What is happening if you have some serious illness? In Romania we have sick days, you need a certificate from your MD and 21-22 vacation days. Some companies give you an extra day every 2 or 5 worked years.
US is only 2 weeks total. And you use those days fir when you are sick or need to male doctor appointments.
I've lived and worked/studied in Japan for a while (though that is more than 10 years ago!). I've had a very, very similar experience. I still love Japan (and Korea) for travelling, but I would never want to live there again.
me neither:( but I l love both countries too❤
That was really brutally honest but thats your opinion, sooo thanks for Sharing!!❤❤
You are a very bright young lady with high-level critical thinking skills. You are the proverbial "big fish in a little pond" feeling suffocated by a society that has a strong national/ethnic/cultural identity and is not quite sure how to weave non-Koreans into the fabric of society. To avoid regrets, go abroad to see and experience more of the world while you are young before age and family responsibilities (should you choose to pursue one, that is) severely limit your options. Best of luck in your search for happiness and contentment.
I am happy for watching this video. I plan on eventually visiting South Korea with my bsf. But me being me, I always do my research. And this video is an amazing example to not be delulu and go because of Kdrama and Kpop. Learn the reality, the pros and cons, and the culture before going to a different country. ( and learn at least the basics of the language to be respectful and will help you while visiting)
I'm so proud of you to point these things out! ❤
My gosh, I'm a Korean who's spent a lot of time abroad to come back and work here. Everything you said in this video, is 150% true and I truly relate to it.
Those are the same points I noticed while in university, and I'm Korean to begin with😂😂 The quality of college education is just not that good in Korea. No structured curriculum, professors who are not that enthusiastic about fiving lectures,and for foreigners specifically, no great internship. The overall culture of Korean college students in which most of then do not really focus on their majors does not help.
Wow - so interesting. I can totally see your points and validate them. I’m Korean but grew up in USA. Thanks for your perspective. From my pov, I always thought Korea can change in an instant (compared to Japan, for example). The young people are changing in their views but it’ll take a few generations to see the changes you want to see.
So I feel like what you're describing is an issue with the culture in Seoul, more so than with Korea itself. I agree with a lot of your points, and that hyper-competitive environment can be toxic, and suffocating for someone who is very expressive like yourself. I'm a Korean American and I don't think I could survive that Seoul work life culture. Everyone is so stressed out and on edge, so it's probably why you find it so impersonal and shallow.
That being said, I have always said that you have to experience Korea outside of Seoul. Everyone is so much more welcoming and friendlier.
Anyways, I wish you the best and I hope you find what you're looking for wherever it may be. Take care!
The algorithm somehow recommended this to me and it was enlightening to watch this. Asian/Korean culture is stifling you and your personal growth and that's totally fine to admit. I think a lot of native Koreans recognize these flaws too but since they grew up with it, they don't know anything better/different.
I knew Korea wasn't the ideal place that the media likes to portray, but this video fleshed out those sentiments pretty well.
girl this video was incredibly necessary and i personally think you expressed everything perfectly, considering all aspects and reasonings. as a senior about to graduate from a korean uni, these are the same exact reasons (to a t) i tell people who really want to know why i’m not planning to stay here long-term. also another thing is the amount of hate crimes and misogyny here… life here as a woman is incredibly confusing tbh. the sexualization, objectification, sexism and misogyny women experience all at the same time?? also being shit on for being a feminist just because they don’t want to accept what feminism is really about. you feel totally safe walking home alone at 3am but not in a restroom stall because you might be filmed and posted in disgusting chat rooms. just my 2 cents, i literally could write pages about all this lol. great video ✨
I don't know which country you are from, but don't talk about social issues in other countries. Misogyny? Do you really know if there is misogyny in Korea or what causes it?
In fact, it is a little funny that Mongolians, who have the highest number of killers per foreigner in Korea, refer to misogyny.
In Korea, 80% of the younger generation hold university degrees. The issue in Korea isn’t a lack of skilled workers but rather an oversupply of highly qualified individuals compared to the number of available jobs. Naturally, university graduates tend to avoid physical labor positions, which leads to greater workforce shortages in these fields. As a result, many foreigners voluntarily take on these roles.
I get you!!!!! Thank you for sharing your honest opinion. ❤
Fake respect: compulsory outward-showing gestures of respect founded way back in confucianism. I've been told "the idea is when you go through the motions of respect, eventually you'll feel it inside." Nope. Forcing the motions of respect doesn't often create authentic respect. I'm married to a Korean.
this was so interesting!
There's pros and cons in every society, Asian culture is less individualistic but is less drama and its safer because people tend to follow more social rules and are less self-centered I mean, in Asia you won't see someone trashing entire Supermarket just because they were not happy about the customer service =3
I agree that it has some very strong pros like safety, but less drama I have to disagree unfortunately hahah There's soooo much drama going on because people are less likely to tell you how they really feel and they tend to gossip and judge people in secrecy. Your social currency is very important here and bullying cases are no joke. To the point where it seriously messes with people's mental health
I am an immigrant myself, I think the reason why Korea is passive in accepting immigrants is that accepting immigrants means bringing with them the political correctness and social problems from which they originally came.
조선족 from China and 고려인 from the former Soviet Union are representative examples. In particular, Korean-Chinese people are so numerous that they even have local voting rights and despite being of the same ethnicity, whenever the interests of their country and Korea clash, they struggle between their patriotism and their actual interests. There is conflict and pride takes precedence over love for the place where one currently lives. They are the same ethnicity as Koreans and still have this kind of problem so why wouldn't other foreigners? Although those people may cause some problems, most of the labor force can be filled with Korean foreigners from many developing countries cheaply, and they understand Korea well culturally, they are quick to pick up the language, make fewer complaints about the Korean system, and integrate well into Korean society, so it takes much less time than cultivating immigrants from other ethnic groups with different religions and backgrounds. It takes effort. Except for a very small number of people, most people who come to Korea have their own country and their home country. The reason they come to Korea is because they want to live a better life. When an individual comes to a country to immigrate to, he or she immigrates because it is beneficial to him/her. Therefore, the country also accepts immigrants considering the national interest.
Yhea I understand. I also struggled by language barriar. And Yes. Our education system too much focused 'memorized', not understanding. Lack of discussion also. Contradicting be able to rude attitude. Well, You hit the nail on head!
I've can see parallels in my former workplace and also, having been through Chinese primary school. This sort of respect for elders and conformity stemmed from Confucius beliefs. It can be quite suffocating for there is never an open space for discussion or debate. But I was quite fortunate to have a leader that made sure we go back on time and not subjugate the staff to working late.
I was an international student for 12 years in the US. To be honest, most schools are not responsible for making international students mingle with the locals. You just have to speak the language and know how to make friends. Most of my Korean friends throughout high school to grad school in the US didn't have one American friend until they left. And of course the schools I went in the US didn't write any school announcements in Korean just for the Korean students, even if there were hundreds of them. I was the only Korean international student who had American friends, even if there were many Koreans who were fluent in English. I think it's pretty normal in any other society in the world to have different social groups.
I think it depends on situations and case by case, but for me, I had suffered a lot, even if I know Korean (my Topik level is 5) and my Korean is not perfect and its obvious cause I am a foreigner, but so many people told me that my Korean sucks (cause I look like Korean and people expect that I must know Korean as a native speaker), some people didn’t believe me and were shouting at me calling stupid cause I don’t speak perfect Korean or teased me because of my accent. Our professor was telling us that we need to study 24/7 just to be in the same level as Koreans… And so on and on and on… its not like its happening everyday but frequently and it is really hard to integrate in Korea even if I really love Korea 💔
It is not normal. Korea has an unnecessary penchant for people to remain in a box, they are too socially inept to understand that lending a helping hand, approaching people to make them feel welcomed is also a huge part of basic human decency and I have come to really accept that Koreans lack a lot of those humanitarian qualities. The horrible statistics in Korea says it all, so all this “all countries can be trash” mantra used by Koreans to deflect from their horrible mindsets, lifestyle and way of life is tired and pathetic.
Maybe do better, maybe try to improve and change, maybe do things differently but no, there’s always some excuse used as defense mechanism for why things must remain how they are. Shame!
not responsible for getting them to mingle, but most universities have international student orientations that are quite helpful. Also, there are often clubs/societies for international students
See, this is shocking for me ! Because at my uni ( in the U.S), it was literally part of my work-study job to help international students feel welcome and design programs for them to mingle with domestic students. Our school even had dorms just for this purpose called "global house". Events were posted on bulletins in various languages and in various sns sites like kakaotalk, we chat etc. Also had town halls to speak about issues on campus pertaining to intl. Students. Of course our school was not perfect. But we truly made a lot of effort. I feel sorry for students who didn't have a similar experience.
Your Korean friends didn't have American friends because all they did was sit in their rooms and watch Korean TV series.
Why do I feel like you are talking about work and life in Paris 😂😂😭😭. It’s mostly the same stuff work culture makes no sense. I got a bore out. You have to sit at your desk.
Making Parisian friends is almost impossible so most of my friends are from foreign countries. Classism is very present too.
seeing this video i want to experience the west to feel how different it is. very accurate video. hope all the people who wants to come here see this.
‘the west´ is a broad term. It will largely depend on where you go even in the same country. Internships are not easy for foreigners in US as well.
@@ksjrvouaeli asian country(china, japan ,korea) all have this.... over respecting code culture. its not always bad. but this is the thing that make these fakeness ,not being your self, too much concern etc. problems. so i was talking about countries that don't have these traits. anyway thank you.
Man this is depressingly similar to the situation in my country (Japan). I’m always baffled at westerners who come with dreams of working and living there. Like girl just come here on vacations, I promise it’s much more enjoyable…
Thank you for sharing! It is important to talk about those things too! I guess, Korea is not for free-spirit people. Would be interesting ti know about Turkey too. I have heard a lot of good things about Turkey.
I didn't study in uni here, but many of my friends did and have expressed the same feelings. I also felt that during my level 5 kiip class, the instructor only read from the book. Like i can do that alone. I agree with everything you said. Actually, Megan Bowen did a really good video about the 'shallow-ness' of relationships here. She explained the reasons behind it using data and excerpts from Korean psychologists as well. Shes been here 10 years now, you should take a look.
I really hope things get better for you.
Making friends or join clubs as an international student is the worst and most depressing part of University life here, you are losing friends every 6 months or clubs don’t even try to see how they work around because you are a foreigner and you don’t understand how it works.
When I transferred the University also didn’t bother to explain how credits work here so I even had to delay my graduation because I wasn’t doing it “right”. I could write a whole essay on the problems I’ve had…
Exaaaactly. And every single uni here basically has an international student office that basically NEVER is helpful. They literally don't know anything. Whenever I asked them a question the answer would always be 'we don't know' kjfkdfjlfd Drives me crazy to even think about it now honestly
@@eylulnim I didn’t say this but I perfected my fake crying just so I could get help from the office workers lol
The part of everybody following a trend reminded me of my first time in Korea last year... I visited Seoul and there were moments I looked around myself and everybody was wearing pretty much the same thing.
Obviously it depends on to which part of Seoul you go, for example if I went somewhere not so close to the centre, it was not that same, but on the other hand when I was walking in Gangnam I told to myself: "Guys... do you know this is not North Korea? You can choose what to wear on your own..." 😅😅 because there... there it felt like people go shopping all together to have matching clothes top to bottom 😅😅
Stüssy has entered the chat lol
@@kristinas2231 What do you mean?
@@WiseSmellyLegs i saw a lot if not every Korean man wearing Stussy) maybe thats why
I relate a lot to this. Main reason I decided not to stay in Korea. Trust, you can be just as happy or even more somewhere else that fits you more :) it’s ok to let go
Finally a reality of moving abroad! First of all, thank you for sharing also the "bad" side of Korea. I really never find the cons of living in Korea and it is scary that there is this need to not show it. But, apart from this, I am so happy also that our generation speaks loudly about the work condition we are living in, unfortunately not only in Korea. I am an Italian living in Germany and I really found an immense difference. You don´t even have sick days! And that is one of the many reasons why I left my country, unfortunately. So I really think it is something that we can speak about generally, reason why I really loved this video, you can relate to it not only if you had experienced it there. Anyway, keep posting because I am really happy of the content you share and wish you the best for everything (:
I think you rarely hear the bad side because a lot of influencers receive sponsorships from the government, the anti defamation laws make it hard to be too specific and overall Korean people very viciously attack people online who do.
We appreciate your opinion. Thanks.
love how you shut down people who would call you an outsider in a snap of a finger
heheheh i honestly imagined the type of comments was like no, i've been living here for far too long for strangers to tell me i haven't seen enough....
Eylulnim, you sound like a very intelligent person, and I understand your regrets about SK. The expression "hindsight is 20/20" comes to mind. Would you have known or believed these negatives about SK if you had not experienced them yourself at age 18? Everything you mentioned in your video is, also, what most S Koreans dislike about their culture, and is why I have never had a desire to move there.
I'm an older gal who has seriously been considering a move to South Korea in the next few years (I have responsibilities here that I can not leave yet) so I made sure to click play and you honestly confirmed everything I thought so thank you. I told my daughter that I didn't think Korea was very friendly and that I thought it was greatly romanticized on TikTok, RUclips, and other forms of TV and social media. However, I pointed out that this was why I actually liked the idea of living there. Personally I do not have any friends, so I literally said I think the people there didn't seem to be overly welcoming or friendly but that's what I liked. Leave me alone, let me do my thing. I will say that I think that being opinionated anywhere is difficult though. That's literally why I don't have friends here in the US. I can see how for someone who is younger and trying to date (I gave up dating over 12 yrs ago lol) or socialize living in Korea would be very difficult. Although I will say that we were considering moving to places outside of Seoul like Busan or Incheon just to have more bang for our buck and more family-friendly environments and I see in the comments that Busan does seem to be what I've researched. I think with any move, especially internationally people should always research as much as they can as if it's for a big exam because in the end you will be tested. Good luck! I hope you find a place that offers you the lifestyle and connections that you desire.
So , are you still planning to move to SK?
@@jmxrmv I’m unable to go right now but yes I’m definitely hoping to go in the next few years. If not permanently than for at least a year or 2.
I totally agree on the university experience. I'm currently in Korea as an exchange student at Hanyang, studying English. While my professors are both native English speakers, they have to severely simplify the contents of their lessons. Back home in Germany, I actually study English linguistics so you have to have a pretty high level of English proficiency to really study the language since it's not about improving your language skills but further understanding how the language works in all its aspects. Here in Korea, being an English major means you go to university to continue learning to speak and understand the language. Many people here graduate with an intermediate level of English when in Germany, you already need an advanced level of English to even study it at uni. Lots of German unis even have a placement test when you apply to study English there to ensure that you actually speak it well enough. I don't think they have that in Korea but correct me if I'm wrong. I'm honestly not surprised though since the overall English proficiency in Germany is much higher than Korea.
I also miss the discussion part a lot. In Germany, we have a mix of lectures and seminars, where seminars are much more about disucssing the topics with peers and doing group work, often research projects as well. Even the lectures can be interactive, depending on the prof and the topic of course. Here the professor just talks at you and if they ask a question, it's usually a rhetorical one since no one wants to answer anyways. I do have an Audio-Visual English class though that is amazing since we get questions to discuss withh a partner or in groups and I think it really helps improve the speaking skills of many Koreans since the videos we look at are from TV shows with lots of colloquial speech.
And yes, I've had the same experience with the school not really putting in too much effort to get students connected between internationals and Koreans. We do have a buddy program and I'm really lucky to have a super sweet buddy and I've met some nice people in class but the events offered by the uni are not that sufficient. I also generally feel like they treat us like we should be grateful that they even let us study here. Not as welcoming as I had hoped but also not outright hostile or anything, just kinda meh.
It's very interesting. I appreciate your thoughtful reflections and that you maintained a balanced opinion.
It makes me reflect on my own country too because I know that it's also difficult for foreigners in the United States despite the U.S.'s reputation for being a multicultural country.
Heh, I'm from Europe, and I couldn't stop chuckling at the criticisms of Korean social life. A lot of the complaints about Korean culture like an obsession with trends and judging people on how they follow them, fake friendliness, lack of empathy, relationships and friendships out of simple convenience, and so on are the exact same complaints those of use who have lived in America tend to have about Americans and their culture. :D
South Korea basically exists because of the US. The American influence there seems to be huge. But at least it's not affecting their health care that much.
I can definitely confirm this as a person who also lives in America.
In big cities' life is very convenient but very competitive & suferficial relationship is common..So wherever you go,, adopt yourself to a new environment, be greatful, no tegret! There is no Utopia! Otherwise, the country you were born in is the best place for you.
Cette vidéo était tellement intéressante.
The bit about not wanting to speak Korean is somewhat tangentially relatable.
I want (wanted? I don't even know anymore) to learn Korean because I like the art, animation, novels and comics. There are so many talented individuals and so many great works that you can get a glimpse of only with the machine translations, and sometimes, even using the machine is very inefficient (e.g. comics). Also, Korean can be very song-like and melodious to the ear.
However, the more I understand the present culture (which can be washed down to hypercapitalistic, misogynistic and superficial), the less worthwhile it seems to learn the language.
I went to Chung-Ang university, finished in 2012 and mixed really well with the local students even though I couldn't speak the language. From day one, each foreign student was buddied up with a local student and for the first term we had socials every weekend.
ㅜㅜ 타국에서 고생이 많네 힘내!
나도 다른나라 가면 적응 못할거야... ㅜㅜ아마도 일단 언어부터 안되니... ㅜㅜ
내가 너와같은 언어능력이 있다면 일 그만두고 일단 전세계 여행할거다 ㅜㅜ
I literally have no intention of living in Korea but I love your videos and I find topics like this so interesting plz don’t stop making videos ❤
I wanted to have a degree from south korea after watching kpop and kdrama but I changed my thought later on cause the korean society is different and way different from where I come from, in my country people really helpful, kind, caring... so I thought I might not fit in that society and would be wasting my youth.... like I might get better opportunities from other country....
I thought of acquiring a degree in Korean studies due to my interest in North Korea as a humanitarian case of considerable concern... but now, perhaps it's not as good of an idea. I'm not sure, I'm considering my options.
Good for you for thinking that way that you didn’t even have to make that mistake of moving there and finding out and I really expected a lot of people would not go as well since they can tell from their basic understanding of the country that it is just so backwards and unnecessarily strict. But they went ahead and found out the hard way. Tough luck to them.
@@MarianaCarvalho-gu8zxhello! I also have an interest in that field! I hope you find the right path for you but I really feel there’s such a negative view on Korea and living there on social media now that most people don’t actually have real experience with. Only listen to those who have actually been there lol.
I do think it’s really hard to get into the NK human rights industry in general because I’ve been looking at the job pages for years for some of the organizations. I think specializing in the field would be helpful.
Yes, there are issues for foreigners living in Korea. Yes, many people don’t know how to act when dealing with foreigners, and yes it will be hard. But if you have a passion/are motivated and you’ve done the self work to not need approval from strangers and acquaintances, Korea will probably not be the toxic experience people warn you about. Also if you speak Korean, things will be a lot better for you. Actually, most people are neutral, not mean. And many people actually ARE kind but they assume you can’t communicate with each other and then it may feel like they’re talking badly about you to your face (but I only ever overheard positive things about me when people thought I couldn’t understand). However, I had my issues with ahjeosshis and that was my frequent frustration in Korea. These situations
showed me insight into the difference between gender equality there but that’s all I’ll say on that haha.
I lived there for a year in the countryside and tried but built almost no support system. I essentially burned out as an extrovert. If you’re passionate about helping North Koreans, it really would be beneficial to study that degree and live in Korea (or at least gain Korean proficiency) but you have to be realistic about if you can and would enjoy it. Can you handle language barriers and living in a foreign country alone? Good luck 😊 edit: but idk if Korean studies would be helpful unless there’s a strong emphasis on North Korea. Research the class list and ask grads from similar programs.
If you regret moving to Korea you are definitely not happy. You should definitely move and find your happiness!
Man, it would be really hard for me in Korea, same thing in Japan. Both countries are really individualistic. Coming from a totally different reality (born and raised in Italy, but ethnically North African) I can’t see myself in a country where people are kind of selfish and cold. Of course I’m planning to visit it, but that’s just it. You only live once and I’m planning to live the best life I can
Thank you for sharing, in my school program i have learned about high context cultures and work life in different cultures. It is interesting hearing your experience because i am very aware of turkish work life and culture as well. I am from the US about to graduate with my masters in international business, i was looking into companies to work in korea. I am visiting next week and i will see first hand, but i definitely see your points and brings more perspective that maybe i should continue looking for a job here in Miami rather then Korea. My only question to you is what’s next? Any country you have in mind?
Nice video. Thanks for your objectives thoughts
Just watch a couple of their TV dramas or movies and you learn a lot SK culture (My Liberation Diary, The Interest of Love etc.). If you are not living in a big city or at least working there, you are a peasant, and not accepted by the city people, if you are not coming from a good family or worse you do not have a family, then you are a complete outsider, if you do not have higher than high school education you should not be looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend with a degree because their family will most likely not accept you...
When i was in the Army i spent a year in Korea and had a wonderful time. But the secret to my happiness was that i didn't have to rely on Korean culture 100,% of the time. i did have my own place off post, and i liked Korean food. What made it great was i worked for the US Army, not Koreans. You would not get me to be under the authority of Koreans. Not a chance. I got along great with Kotean people in general. So as a member of the American military you have the best of noth worlds. i dealt with the negative things i rarely encountered because i wasnt stranded. And i never particilarly wanted to be Korean. I simply enjoyed 98% of my experiences.
I have been following you on Instagram for the past few months and I admire your capabilities and intelligence. You are an inspiration to become a polyglot. Thank you so much for showing this side of your life in South Korea. I've experienced South Korea as a tourist and that was enough for me to realize some of the topics you mention in this video. I resonate so much with 'being a watered-down version of yourself'. That was the reason why I am, sadly, loosing interest in continuing learning Korean.
Hey Eylul !
I also studied in Korea and worked for a bit there and I am now in a different place but if I have to explain life to you as an adult who is may be 8 years older than you is that the beginnings of a career are always hard and difficult everywhere in the world the grass always seem greener in the other side but it is not, I worked with korean and international people and even European and believe me it is not about the country or the system it is just about people usually. The more you will grow up you will mature up and accept certain things cuz you will become more grounded and pragmatic about life. Life is just full of obstacles and just take care of you brain and make it a positive and nice place and dream big and high as you did when you were little and dreamt to go to Korea and you will achieve it all even in South Korea itself. Make your own opportunities dont wait for someone to offer it to you. Stay positive and healthy and find your happy place ❤
Thank you sooo much💖 I always love to learn about different perspectives, especially of people who are more experienced than me. I'm definitely trying to make the most of it and I'm definitely happy here, but I think it's because the source of my happiness has always been me:) And yes I do think I would be less annoyed as I get older hahahah But for now I don't think I want to just accept how things work here. There will certainly be obstacles everywhere but I think that's what my 20's are for😂 I want to see and experience more and who knows, maybe at the end of the day I'd think this place was not so bad afterall:)
@@sarahalves68920 Yes ! I agree with you she should find her happy place . I only wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t think elsewhere would be heaven cuz it is just planet earth and life , hence she should lower her expectations so she doesnt get disappointed . I worked in different settings in different countries with different people with different cultural backgrounds so I know from experience it is always the people you work with and manage the work that will influence things around you . Also even though the system is rotten you dont need to be part of it you can just respect and leave it . Of course I am not saying she should accept being oppressed and mistreated but anyway it is about the mindest she will shape throughout these upcoming years. She is in her golden age and she has all the time infront of her to experience life. Anyway I hope Eylul only encounters nice and genuine people and catch happy moments ~ Stay positive.
@@eylulnim think that u will be happy in the US. Hope u dont make a mistake of hopping to another asian country.. they are all pretty much the same as s. korea
I dated a Korean man for 4 years and for him specifically, lack of empathy was also one of the things we fought consistently over. He sometimes would outright say things like "Everyone else is also going through stress/sadness etc. you don't need to exaggerate it and get over it." Whenever I told him, that's not how relationships or human empathy works, he would normalize not being empathetic to others and instead just "sucking it up".
haha love the winner song at 17:34 great video! thank you for sharing :)
Hahaha honestly it a bangeerr! Thank you for watching:)
I was born and raised in Korea, but I live in the United States because I think the Western way of life is better for me. No matter how much people like it, if it doesn't apply to me, it can be a problem. Living in the U.S., sometimes there are language barrier and I realize racist remarks a bit in hindsight, but I think that's the price of not living in my home country.
I think it's important to either live with it or find a place that suits us better. I hope you can find a country or place that fits your philosophy of life, and it's nice to hear a realistic story like yours instead of all the foreigners talking about the good things about Korea.
Its so interesting seeing your views on this . I wonder if you have watched the NewJeans/HYBE drama, specifically the recent Hanni appearance at the National Assembly regarding bullying.
I hear you. :)
after living here for 2 years, no bs was detected in this video!! ‼
As a Korean, you’re right 100%😅
Thank you for making this video
I really don’t understand why so many people take things so personally. I think Eylul didn’t say anything wrong about disliking certain aspects of Korea; in fact, I bet she loves the country. However, there are a few things I've noticed during my two trips to Korea Eylul mentioned -one for a month and another for three months-like the focus on trends and shallow conversations with my Korean friends. I care about my friends and love them, but I can see how society operates there.
I don’t have an issue with that, but I can understand how it might affect someone trying to adjust to a new country and language. Koreans have many years to excel their native languages which International students/ foreigners don’t have and that’s a fact. So that everything is in Korean as an international promotion university is not right and the right response shouldn’t be, “Well, you should go back to your country,” but rather to have an honest conversation: “As Koreans we do these things, and here’s our perspective on how we see it.”
I get wanting to defend the country you live in. I can relate because I speak fluent in my language and am a citizen of my country, so I don’t experience the same struggles as my international friends. There are many things they don’t have access to which I do. To truly understand this, I need to be open to making international friends. So should y’all hear out their struggle and maybe let’s do smth about it
One issue in Korea is that people one act let’s say- The separation of Koreans and internationals in school can be described different ways by different people a Korean person would say and me honestly “They don’t mean harm they are just shy or reluctant to mingle” someone else might say they AREN’T fond of foreigners. It’s important to share both the good, different and bad perspectives. But if people get defensive how will the foreigners will know or how can they actually ask for help? This video I see it more as asking for help and society change rather than bashing a country. We should try to explain the intentions behind a lot of what Korean do/mean -unless it’s something obviously offensive, in which case the intentions are clear.
I hope this is clear for a lot of ppl.