I'm a Korean and I lived in Taiwan for all my life (went there at 2). My Korean sucks.. I can barely speak it or understand it. I was talking to my friend on the phone in english in the subway and these korean assholes told me to shut up. shoved me away, said shit to me. How can they accept Americans/Foreigners if they can't accept their own fucking race LOL.. sides, i've seen americans in the subway before and the kids kept pointing at them etc even their parents kept saying shit about them which is fucking retarded too.
i am korean and i've been having an experience that is very disturbing lately. for some reason that i can only speculate on, i've been stared at a lot by dirty old korean males. i can't go a day without at least several very obviously and invasively staring at me and i've noticed they don't do this to other females. it's as if they can tell i'm 'different' which makes me feel very paranoid, especially since i dress the same as everyone else here and i also am the same race. it seems that if you are a single female who is asian that is a bit older (as in 30 or older), you are considered trash or something pathetic that is okay to be leered at by these older males. this is symptomatic of the remnants of a sexist culture as well as such a conformist culture where people are expected to marry by a certain age. this is definitely not a culture that recognizes single females (beyond a certain age) as normal. so the result has been that i've been lewdly stared at and it's always males who are at least twenty or more years older than me. even worse, they don't look at women their own age or closer to their own age as well as stare like a rapist. you can almost feel the lascivious, sneaky, passive-aggressiveness. i've had these older males try to run into me on the street, randomly try to stop and start a conversation, sometimes block my path slyly etc. you can tell that none of this was a mistake but a pretense that it was or that they needed info. what is the most insulting is i can tell they know 'who' or what 'type' they do this to and don't. they certainly wouldn't do this to their 'own' as in native culture but only to someone percieved as 'different' or an outcast, so not seen as worthy or protected by the herd. adding further insult to injury is these males are nowhere near the level of attractiveness as those they try to solicit (of course they won't get anywhere). it's just really strange in their attitude that they think you would be interested. the age difference is heinous, the generation gap is huge, the difference in looks is apalling, the difference in style and taste is atrocious etc. these men are extremely unattractive to the point they don't even seem to have subpar hygiene, luridly aloof manners, no style whatsoever and nothing a female would be attracted to. they are horrid. it is 'scratch your head' type of puzzling and extremely insulting when they pick you out viewed as their 'chance' when i'm usually better looking than most at any given time. it is not only baffling in this regard but seems to be some type of subconcious sexist affront to bolster their ego. still, i'm just confused as to why they have no sense of appropriateness or social awareness as to who would be attracted to them in return, as if that doesn't even matter. these aren't the days where men club women over the head and drag them away etc. i've noticed i've become more 'shy' since these experiences, not as bold in going out alone etc and have become much more protective of my sense of privacy. i literally feel like i'm going to be stared at so don't want to go out at all. i have to say that the city i'm in seems to have a surplus of old single males walking around but in seoul i didn't experience this very much because there were so many people that they really can't get away with it as well as people being so busy. even though i'm in a medium city, it feels kind of country and the people a bit more backwater kind of like the south in america.
i understand some of your complaints as i see many things i don't like about this culture. i really don't like how cookie cutter they are (copying everything western or white when it's not even necessary which is inane) or how conformist one has to be as well as the sexist culture. i also can't stand how they dye their hair orange (?). the flipside of what you don't see is that those who have a better vision and a real respect for asian culture are a minority among the majority. it's conform or get screwed. that being said, it's like that everywhere. in america as well, just expressed in different ways or pros/cons in different areas or degrees. now that i've experienced korea more, i agree that china or japan is better, even as being more interesting. they have very poor zoning, every street is redundant with the same businesses and they congest as much as possible with land shortage. does one need ten restaurants of the same on one street? the whole country, more or less is a concrete jungle with no appreciation or desire for green spaces and very consumerist. they also have no sense of real levity such as having street artists. there should be a plethora. it's very monotone. it's shows stupidity but again, you'll notice inefficient or stupid crap everywhere you go in some way. on a sidenote, i can give a different perspective as a korean-american. if you grew up in 'korea' as a korean, it's not usually that bad and can even be pleasant as one will have friends from primary/high school onto college as well as from their profession as that is how lifelong connections here are forged and they tend to take them seriously. as well, their school system (even with the rigidity and it's own problems) is more sane than most westernized/american schools where it's like a prison yard with overt disrespect, sexuality and aggression. also, asians as well as koreans especially of the younger generation tend to have more civil manners than westerners, especially americans. so there are positives to this culture if one has grown up adapting to it, among other positive factors or variable as well. as for outsiders or even korean born foreigners, it's really no different than any foreigner. it's a culture where people's connections stem from childhood and also a culture where connections based on education/profession/class has more weight. as a korean-american, you are a total outsider just as any foreigner because you did not go to school here and basically have no past here.
can anyone explain why i might be stared at? its' not like i'm significantly more or less attractive or do anything to draw attention to myself. actually i'm quiet and dress conservatively too or casual. i just had this happen again and again it was an older male around sixty to sixty-five years old. it was so direct and so unabashed that it's actually social injustice. i found this out when i decided to stare randomly at people today and it was clear they found it 'strange' reacting with discomfort and offended by their body language/facial expressions. it's as if these men seem to think others have no rights or why am i picked out? i could kind of understand if i was wearing a clown outfit, dressed risque, behaving exaggeratingly or talking loudly to get attention but i'm doing none of these things. it's very disturbing. could it be that koreans are that sneaky and it's such a comformist culture that they can 'sense' that easily when one is different or not of native culture??? edit: i've analyzed this and realized it might have to do with body language. i've noticed that koreans are rather stoic and don't use much hand gestures or body language, especially females or none at all. they move and act rather robotic or 'mousy' in body language. the females don't exhibit any natural charisma either even if they are dressed risque, no one really stands out from the crowd. so for a female to exhibit or have a sense of natural charisma expressed through more fluid body language that expresses moods may be viewed especially by perverts and or hypermasculine males (though they may appear otherwise) who feel castrated as 'provocative' or 'empowered' thus resentful, lascivious or envious and very noticed especially by an asian female as it's considered unusual in their culture. also when one is empowered or has a sense of charisma that is different than the majority will be noticed by those who especially feel most disempowered; usually sexist males where power over or above females is something they assume as an entitlement, status quo or foregone conclusion. the lewd staring is indicative of social pressure to conform or to repress females.
As a Hispanic male i can tell you that my experience with Koreans has not been positive, i find them extremely racist. They might treat you better if you're white. I dont like to generalize people, but like i said my experience with them has not been good, i grew up around koreans most of my child hood, they are a very tight knit group of peeople. Having said that i admire parts of their culture (althought it seems some what of a closed culture, not really open to foreigners specially not brown foreigners) and I like Korean food its awesome. Kimchi is great.
I can tell you that as a minority, i feel uncomfortable walking into a Korean business, its all eyes on you.
S. Korea was alright, just a short stay but it was a whirlwind of being very drunk. I didn't feel discriminated except maybe once upon being denied going into a nightclub and asked to take a walk more or less... only once and I flipped out on the bouncer so these local chicks talked to them for me... another time these dudes came to our table and hung out, later told were "mafia" types by the local chicks we were with... whatever they liked doing shots of jameson. I plan on going back sometime, plus KoreanAir is tits. Hot towels and pizza-churro snack thingys on commercial? Oh yes.
Oh man....well most of you know what happened...but Jesus, have to agree, worst place I have ever been in my life with the nastiest, most awful people I have ever met. I will NEVER go back.
As We All Know Life Has It's Goods And It's Bads, What You Thought Was Good Turned Bad, And In My Opinion You Did A Very Good Job Of Turning A Bad Situation Into A Totally New Chapter In Your Life.... Once Again, I Wish You Well For The Future.... Cheers Glen.
I hear they're all motherfuckin' gentlemen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhd6BM1MDeU"]Waveya Korea dance team PSY, k-pop cover sexy performence - YouTube
i have been to korea 2 months ago, my impression: genuine people, i love them! on the other hand I do understand why westerners cant stand them: because they are the way they are, i call it genuine, they dont give you that fake smile and then talk behind your back, they are serious and down to earth, humble,quiet,calmed people. they dont turn up the music crazy loud when driving, but rather calm. love it Very helpful. I prefer such people much more than pretenders who talk behind your back.
You should try being a little bit of what you like instead of the perception you try and give off here.
Wow......It was hard to try to read through some of that stuff. My advice to anyone traveling abroad is do your homework before you get there, because this is where people fail. Study the culture, try to get some language down, understand the history (then you understand their frame of mind) do's and dont's (kind vs offensive gestures) etc. There's so much info out there you can get your hands on to be at least street smart when you go to these places. YouTube, forums (Not HF, but cultural in nature and specific to that country), and an endless number of publications and articles, etc., are just a few resources and venues that you can tap into that will better prepare you for foreign travel. Remember that it's THEIR COUNTRY, and to not expect things to be done like you're back at home, because it's really not your home. Stay away from topics like politics, religion, and never say you hate being there and hate the people, and give people the impression that you think you are "above" or better than them. That's a good way to stand out, and get the shit kicked out of you, and possibly never make it back.
