What did you know about Korea prior to coming here?

Question

Obviously, if you have never been to Korea this question is not for you.

Answer 1

My first experience in Korea was in 1996. Before coming here, I read the book "Lonely Planet - Korea." That was about the extent of what I knew about Korea. But, there isn't any book or travel guide that can duplicate the rush of being in a foreign country for the first time. I really believe unless you experience a foreign country, you don't know about it. So, to answer your question ---- I knew nothing.

I remember on my first flight to Korea, I tried to order a Diet Coke on Korean Air and nobody knew what I was talking about. At that time I was thinking to myself, "What am I doing? This is going to be a long year. What are the penalties again for canceling my contract?" Then after arriving at Kimpo Airport, my first impression was there are tons of people and everybody looks alike.

Anyway, I ended up having probably the most exciting year of my life.

Answer 2

Before we found out we were moving here, I didn't have a very clear picture of Korea.
I got some Korea travel guides, those were okay. I learned a lot more by reading blogs written by EFL teachers here, and even doing a search for "Korea" on YouTube.
I knew that Korea was very tech-savvy, how to say a few of the food words, what a hanbok is, a little about the history of Korea for the last 100 years, and that Spam is considered a food here. Oh, and the monsoon climate, and the fact that most city-dwellers live in apartments.

Answer 3

Well, I had lived in JApan for a few years, so I thought "that will help me assimilate to another Asian culture"
HA! I was an idiot.
The JApanese are more like Amerians than they are Korean. The fact that China, Japan and Korea are all in Asia is a geographical miracle because that is the only thing they have in common!
I took a few culture and language classes from my company but you hav to truly live here to get it. I had very little Korean history and thought KOrea was an island. (which it is, really, because the only way off is by sea or plane until the NOrth comes around)
Now, I tell anyone moving here to REALLY study their history first. Most people find their idiosychrocies disturbing, but there is a historical reason for everything KOReans do. (including pushing, spitting, garbage problems, etc) And it helps, when feeling frustrated here, to know the reasons behimd the actions.