Lost in Seoul, Korea. What's a great way to make friends here?

Question

I arrived in Seoul 4 weeks ago and I must admit I was overwhelmed by many aspects of Korean society. I am quite bored and lonely here.

Answer 1

There's a very westernised part of Seoul called Iteawon. There are many western style bars and Ex pats who go there. If you are working as a English teacher there should be lots of other foreigners where you're working.

Also make lots of Korean friends at first it might seem like they only want to use you to practice English speaking. Be patient and you'll make some close friends both Korean and foreign.
If you like to sing and drink alcohol you'll have no problem fitting in. If you're a teatottler I would suggest joining a bilingual church

On your weekends I would suggest going on excursions outside of Seoul . Some of your newly found Korean friend may join you this should be a good experience. An afternoon spent climbing mountains or seeing temples will be great. You can also enjoy some traditional Korean foods too.

Answer 2

Being winter, it may be a bit harder to make friends, because its not very nice in the cold. However, if you like skiing or snowboarding there are many 'clubs' which you could join, where everyone meets a few times a month etc.
Actually there are clubs for every type of hobby you can imagine.
Are you able to speak Korean or read it?
You could post a notice on the daum.net website, where you explain you want friends to show you around, or explain certain parts of the Korean society. You'd be overwhelmed with how many people would probably be willing to help you.
Email me for more info if you want~

Answer 3

I'd answer through another question : what kind of people would you like to meet ? Actually, some people could be already waiting to meet you - since you are a foreigner and the language barrier is a genuine problem here, check with your Embassy what associations and activities are available. Do what you enjoy doing and people will come to you. Koreans like to belong to several circles and sports are excellent entry points. But if you take taekwondo lessons, you may end up only with foreigners.

Answer 4

im not sure if i can put web addresses in here as it may look like advertising! but im gonna try. http://www.koreanfriendfinder.com is a completely free korean dating/friendship site i have made a few friends here. and http://www.adventurekorea.com is essential for all travelers in korea not only can you see the country but you can turn up on your own have an awesome weekend and leave with a bunch of new friend.... i meet almost all my friends in korea this way. another good tip would be learn the language... i used to do free language classes and the tutor used to invite us to all her korean friends parties and i meet a lot of koreans this way, you can find a language exchange partner on http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/ there is a small fee but then your on the site for life. to be honest koreans arnt the easiest people to get on with so i would suggest trying to get some western friends first. and feel free to email me im going to be here for a while yet and i know a few people around. rob.

Answer 5

I can understand your situation.
but I'm sure that quite a few Koreans are really kindly.(especially young people.. not the elderly!)

If you have a problem with living in Korean, you can ask me, I'm glad to help you. :)
(I'm living in Seoul in Korea right now.)

[e-mail]

Answer 6

Well, koreans can be either shy or very stubborn. My suggestion is come across as a friendly person and be generous. Win them over with your kindness.