Abused in South korea?

Question

Does anybody have a bad experience living , working, studying , or anything in South korea, i mean in anything? Or its just me ? Because i've lived here for about two years and always have to face the people staring at you , and also those words that i hate so much such as : shipalomma , or ke shekia or the usually used aiigu wegu saram eishhh, migug pavo etc . For koreans , please do not be offended , it's true.

Answer 1

I've lived in Korea for 5 years and I know exactly what you speak of.

The first 3 years of my stay here I was forced to work from early morning to late at night. At first I didn't mind because I thought that Koreans have good and strenious work ethics. But then I realized that I was the only one that had to do it. My other Korean colleagues weren't asked to do so.

The last 2 years I've been in Seoul and it has gotten better. Better because now my collegues just plain forgot about me sitting in my office. Nobody talks to us foreigners.

And it's true what you say. When you go out on the streets you get verbally abused by some. Even young kids scream at you for no reason. Well, I've done something about that. I learned the Korean language. Now when Koreans point and scream "foreigner!", I turn around and scream back "Korean!" in their own language. The taxi drivers don't cheat me on taxi fares anymore, because I speak to them in Korean the whole part of the trip.

I live in a crappy home, got a crappy computer, have to pay all debts as soon as possible, can't get any thing fixed, etc. On the other hand my Korean colleagues have nice homes which they got from the school I work for, newest computers, and if they owe me anything they'll tell me to wait and sometimes don't even pay me back! Also they can get things fixed as soon as possible.

I live in what Koreans call a "shatek", which means that a lot of the teachers here live right next to me. It's a complex of homes for teachers. Everybody has a good time outside and do gardening together and such stuff, but the foreigners are never invited and if we join we get treated like we're not even there. In 6 months we have lost 4 teachers due to the lack of respect they have for us. And one is thinking of leaving now as well.

One can blame it on Xenophobia. That Koreans are scared of foreigners, but I think they are simply uneducated on foreign culture and manners. For me the bathroom of a house should be the cleanest and safest place in the house. For them it's just a room they'd rather not be in.

I have lots more to say, but I think this is enough.

So to answer your question...Yes, I've had the same bad experience in Korea!

Answer 2

I was robbed by a Halmoni. Im not lying. Then I was homeless on Haeundae Beach for a week, but actually that was one of my most favourite times in Korea.
I don't get abused, but I do get told off for standing in alleyways out of everyones way smoking. That's coz im a girl, and it would happen to Korean women too.. so im not too phased by that.

The only physical abuse I have experienced is the ajumma racing to get a seat on the subway, and losing my balance, or getting a few bruises in the process haha. Other than that it's all self inflicted on drunken soju nights!

It is offending to be asked if im American. There are more countries in the world. Actually I only get asked silly questions like this if I happen to be speaking english.
Other than that I dont generally get bothered. If im wearing sunglasses, nobody would even know im a foreigner.

I nearly got ripped off by a taxi driver, because I didn't know my exact way home. We had a conversation in Korean about how he likes to pick up foreigners and charge double. Most often in Itaewon. I guess if you can't speak Korean, you cant argue your way out of it? Makes it more important to learn the language.

I've done similar to what Porgie did, and when someone called me an American I called them Chinese.

Living is a breeze, I met my friends in NZ, and we all live in relative harmony. I don't get treated any different because im a foreigner.

I have been with other foreign friends visiting, and realised how lucky I am to have dark hair. They actually get followed down the street by persistant ajumma and their kids.

Answer 3

I'm born here in Southern California and I'm Korean and I honestly hate Korea with a passion. Some people are rude, and when they know you are an American foreigner (white) they do usually are rude to you. When I went there I didn't get sh*ttalked about since I can understand what they are saying, they usually stare when you start speaking English, and plus my mom was there so she would communicate to me in Korean and I'd respond in English. I just think they're jealous because I live in California and they don't because most Koreans want to come to America. But I really don't like Korea because they push people around and it's just terrible, but you have to remember that it's like that EVERYWHERE, and it's NOT just Korea. Americans here do that too, hell, Southern California people are not afraid to push someone aside.

Answer 4

I was there for 4 years. We, my family and I, enjoyed it there for the most part, but I supervised an office of Korean nationals, so I was treated differently I suppose.

I treated my workers with respect and they treated me with respect. We were all engineers.

I personally know that some American women were treated very badly - good looking women getting sexually harassed and overweight women getting made fun of on the subway by teenagers.

Answer 5

ship pal nom - usually means idiot
keh seck ia - son of a *****
aiigu wegu saram ai eesh - usually means why the hell'd you do...ugh
meguk pabo - means american dummy

didn't know if you knew what they meant. but happens. honestly it's really no different than koreans tourists coming here and looking around. they get the same sneers and racist comments etc.

Answer 6

Honestly I had good time in South Korea, somtimes they say things but they dont mean it.

Answer 7

koreans are cool