anyone know what it is like to live in south korea?

Question

i have asked a lot of questions about asian countries but no one ever says anything about korea.so anyone know what it is like for a non-korean to live there?also i heard it is very expensive in seoul.is that true.

Answer 1

Living in Korea is like being in another world. If you are not careful you might get so involved you could forget where you really come from. Then again it's more like a love hate relationship with most foreign people here.

Living in Seoul can be a love hate relationship. i.e. pushing and shoving in the public subways and buses; or being stared at by other Koreans. But you can love the beautiful scenery and convienence/nightlife. Somtimes you'll fell like a movie star walking down the sidewalk with people looking at you out of the sides of their eyes. Or sometimes you'll feel like an idiot if someone tries to say something to you in Korean and you try to respond only with escaping air. hehe

Anyways most people get over that last tidbit after a few years. There are alot of men that come over here and marry Korean women. AND they stay here. Korea kind of grows on you as the days pass by. Believe me, time passes like the wind when you are here. Some people end up making alot of money and affording $500,000 apartments in the rich districts or they end up living in the ghetto living paycheck to paycheck with no way out. If you've been in Korea for more than 4 or 5 years you might know what I'm talking about.

There is a sense of xenophobia haunting the minds of many Koreans. But they hide it very well. Many of them do not approve of international marriages between foreigners and Koreans, especially Korean women to foreign men. If a foreigner makes problems with a Korean it's not a good sign for the foreigner. There are no discrimination laws in Korea, if you get it there's no complaining. But it's the foreign population that brought this on. There are lots of illegal immigrants in Korea just like the U.S. And alot of foreigners have made problems in the past. i.e. Murder, rape, assault. Anytime a foreigner commits a crime like that it makes front page news. Korea is small so news gets around fast.

Korea is a beautiful place and Koreans feel a sense of family amongst each other. They are known for coming together in times of crisis and giving a helping hand to those that are down. Koreans tend to share glasses while drinking, and eat out of the same dishes while eating. You'll tend to see women holding hands or men with their arms around each others shoulders. That's just the warmth that Korean people have.

It's hard to be accepted by Koreans like this. However if you prove to be good-mannered and well-liked you can make many friends here. There is always a sense of awkwardness when meeting or drinking with some Korean counterparts if they are not your really good friends. You'll just find that they are very playful and kind, and love to have fun. They feel a sense of family when they are with their friends, and if you are one of their friends they will treat you with outmost respect.

Westernization is taking over in Korea these days, so alot of these things are starting to wear out. As the selfishness of the west invades this country we have yet to see what the future will bring, however I believe that the Korean will never lose their sense of Pride and Nationalism for their country.

It can be an honor to live here, or it can be hell. Just like most any other place.

Answer 2

Well, i am a Korean myself. And I recently came to America. What can I say... hmm. seoul is a cross between tokyo and beijing. Seoul is a place that contains both the ancient architectures and modern ones. Seoulians are usually nice, but also very very very very competitive. I lived in pyung chang dong, and often went down to the main district (where the chung hwa dea, president's house, is). You just have to get into the habit of parking in parkinglots not on streets. Parking on streets = NO. You can't really say that the fine is that expensive. Common, the fine in New York C. is $125. Anyways, most people think that Korea is effected a lot by Japan and China, but its not true. Korea is very different from its neighboring countries. For e.g., we have a totally different grammar from chinese and a totally different writing system from Japanese. Chinese people use very long chopsticks, we, koreans, use chopsticks and spoons, japan uses very very short chopsticks (chopsticks only, no spoons). One thing that you must realize is that Korea is extremely competitive. So, ahn neung hi gae shib shi o!

Answer 3

Don't worry. I just moved here, which is Busan, from California about a month ago. It will be pretty difficult if you don't know how to speak the language, but will get extra help all the time. The food's all right. Some Americans don't like them, since they have the "Asian" taste. But after a couple of tries, you'll realize that they're very good food! They also have a couple of American-ish stores, such as Burger King, McDonald's, Pizza-Hut, and such. There are a lot of baseball games going on in Busan. It's so lovely when you watch the fireworks after it, especially from your balcony. :) Hope this helped. Really, Busan is a wonderful city. If you do come here, I wish you the best. Help always come!

Answer 4

I am American and live here in Seoul. For some rason, Americans learn Japanese and Chinese history, but not much about Korea. Korea is making a real attempt at adding tourism to their national income and you can seee a lot of Japanese skiing here in the winter months, but not too many westerners.
Seoul is expensive, but it is not as you would expect. You might valet park at a pricey hotel or department store and be charged a lot of money, but I use all of the local parking garages/lots around town and never pay more than a few dollars. (a hotel or department store would be expensive in any city in the world)
Seoul is mostly expensive for rent,utilities and western food. But I can feed my family dinner for $15 if we eat at a Korean restaurant. and a taxi across Seoul is $2.00. The subway or train ride is $1 to anywhere you want to go. Bottles water is .50 cents at 7-11.
Korea is hit-or-miss on western standards. While they have a Starbucks on every corner, (yes, it is over priced like everywhere else in the world), they have trash rotting in the streets for days, spit frequently and share the same bowl of soup at dinner.
Koreans are , above else, extremely warm and friendly. They adore children and will give away their last dollar to help someone in need. But they will also step on their first-born to get the last seat on hte train or the last cabbage on sale.
I love living here and will miss it when I leave.

Answer 5

Its very expensive! Just as expensive as Toykyo. I parked my rental car in the city center valet for 1 hour and they charged $75.00!!! If you are not Korean you may have trouble communicating. Most people are learning english now but still it may be complicated getting around on your own.

Answer 6

hey allen don't you wanna live in thailand thought you like thailand
i think korea is nice country i have never visit but i would like to go have look as well, coz i have got poster of waterfall in korea and its gorgeous

Answer 7

Uhhh... I dont understand why people say it's expensive in seoul in my opiniion.. My whole family went to seoul and they say it's not expensive at all..
lol