I learnt that Korea has one the highest suicide rates in the world. And a Korean psychologist explains why: extreme high competition, need to compare with others, high intolerance towards weakness, overambitious...It must be hell if you are sensitive! While we have that in almost every society, that high suicide rate IS alarming! And your impression just emphasizes this.
They have a large portion of elderly people who fell out of the system when they economy shoot up. Many live without any money and when kids no longer take care of the elderly many take their life.
There are a lot of Koreans moving to Japan and they say that they feel more relaxed in tokyo and osaka. Koreans also study harder than Japanese cuz they say that a lot of Japanese highschools have romantic relationships while in Korea they can only date when they reach college.
a lot if the things you said were my exact feelings. The bleakness, the depressing atmosphere, the angry aggressive unhappy vibe so many people have. The brutally drab architecture. The attitude you get walking into many stores. Of course there are good things too, but you nailed some ofvthe downsides.
FattyMcFatterson and in another video? and this time you called me a 'kunt'. this is too much. please stop being mean to me! i really really don't like it.
wow your video made me think about my country a lot in different view and i respect your opinion, and most of your thought i do agree even though I AM KOREAN. Also i read some comments foreigners wrote about Korea. I could sympathize to all that complaints, and since i also experienced what you said in my whole life, i wouldn’t deny it. But I just want to explain causes why Koreans generally have those attitudes, and give you understandable reasons about Korea’s atmosphere. Please excuse my imperfect english. First of all, i just want to make sure that many Koreans are aware of the problems about rudeness and hate it as you guys do. We’re not just accepting or thinking it okay. So...there are numerous causes of how a country gets its own atmosphere but to put it briefly... it all starts with very high population density. 1. the old Until mid-1900s, most of Koreans were farmers, so they had as much kids as you can have , like 10 kids per family, to provide hands. (because infant mortality rate was high) Since then, Korea’s population density became high. In mid-1900s the Korean war and WW2 devastated Korea, which came to cause most people in that generation unlearned. Moreover, they had to experience their family and friends being aparted or got killed. Especially women are sexually harassed by Japanese or left alone and had to earn a livelihood in dangerous battlefield. This generation lived through all these chaos are who we call now rude people or according to your video, rude old women. The young think they are rude and stubborn occasionally, but historically, they had to be that kind of people to survive... 2.the middle-age this generation has their own painful memories... They had to build Korea from the scratch so they always had pressure to achieve sth fast as you can. In 1980s we had IMF, which produced tons of the jobless and beggars. So since the pressure to revive Korea(which was more poor than Ghana in GDP then), this generation, who is now the mid-aged, has become impatient, rude(impetuousness seems to be rude obviously), and performanceism. 3.the young Like i mentioned at first, as Korea develops and become stabilized, competition in performance got extreme, since high population density but limited office available. Influenced by their parent’s generation, the culture that going university is necessary and concentrate only on SAT score has spread. So only aiming at the university, the young have to get through extreme competition and focus only on their performance, without education of humanism(of course there are some education stuff but who care if not affecting you score?again, performanceism!). Well I am part of these gloomy young generation, and to describe high school student life in Korea, you have to study at least 14 hours if following school and private education schedule(in average, 80% of children start private education since elementary school and need to spend 300million dollars to raise a child) . In teenage, we sleep under 6 hours a day. (which explains why teenage suicide rate in Korea is no.1) This is why the general atmosphere is gloomy and some of the young are rude, only watching their phone. +the air pollution is also about performanceism, since most of high quality private education and firms are concentrated in Seoul the capital, people even not living there close commute Seoul everyday, which explains why there are so many cars and bad air pollution in Seoul.
신혜리 your english is great! Thank you for taking your time and writing this. I think people in general should put more effort in understanding before starting to complain.
literally 300million dollars. depends on teachers and city but in seoul usually it costs 280 dollars per a month for one private education class and students get 1~10 classes. If you think these private education(we call it academy) starts when students are at age 10 and finishes when 19, also considering students spend most of their vacation in there, parents do spend 300 million dollars...In Seoul, this cost gets even higher.
Anyone who doesn't understand would think you're being unfairly critical, but I agree with you 100%. I could add plenty more, and of course there are positive aspects too, like, as you mentioned, the ancient architecture, and the mountainous landscape can be quite beautiful. Plenty of Korean people, especially those I've met who have spent time outside the country agree that it is stifling and depressing, and some of those friends want to leave Korea and settle elsewhere. The suicide rate is also telling. I think Korea was dealt a bad hand in history, what with it's geographical location between interfering and ambitious giants, and in having been so heavily influenced by Neo-Confucianism (which fucks people UP!), but I won't go into that here. Korea didn't have the same time to develop as a society during its record-breaking rise from poorest country in Asia to economic powerhouse. There are too many anachronisms that jar with modernity, amd hopefully it's just a phase Korea has to go through. :/
Pikukat your comment is very interesting! As an ethnic Korean i tend to be pretty defensive of Korea but I completely agree with your theory of why a lot of cultural/mannerisms in Korea are... unappealing? Korea has gone through an interesting cultural development and it has influenced a lot of what modern Korean society looks like now
Wow! First time I read a comment like that. I absolutely agree! Korea and Koreans had no time to adapt socially psychologically from being super poor to having all this wealth and consumerism around!!! It’s a crowded little country, people are superficial and over ambitious. Im Korean but my family moved to Europe very early and I couldn’t be more happy. I love korea. But I would only want to live there if I had no worries about money and time.
Pikukat Wow... I never thought about the previous history and how those bad vibes spread through generations. I feel bad for them. But this is an interesting comment. I felt like I learned a lot!
I am currently working as a teacher in Korea, and I agree 100% with all of the complaints you mentioned in this video (although I personally enjoy the spicy food). As a fellow Brit, I have to say the thing I find most infuriating is the pushing and shoving by the adjummas. I too have been tempted on a bad day to shove them back!
I can relate to you on some things. Korea is a very collectivist country and there's not a lot of individuals there and they are very blunt, but I spent 2 years there and I had never felt more welcomed than I did in Korea. I think if you went to the country side, you may have a different experience. People in big cities tend to be colder than in the rural areas.
@@McFlashh There are racist people everywhere. Generally, people tend to have biases towards their own in-group, which is probably what you are referring to, and I can agree with that. But, from the time I wrote that comment, to now, the majority of Asian people I've met have been very kind and friendly towards me, so I cannot agree with calling Asian people as a whole racists.
I had to look up the legless people because it sounds so strange, and it turns out they're called 'seal men' and lost their legs to polio. They do receive welfare from the government, but they can't get jobs so all they can do is crawl around and ask for money.
I'm a Korean and even as a native Korean life here is bad af just so many freaking people crammed in such a small space and the whole thing about excessive competition and all that... it's just annoying I understand you
I lived in Daegu, Korea for a year. Yes, Traffic and driving was horrific, I thought we were going to get hit everyday they drive so crazy! Some people are really fcked up for no reason, a guy keyed my moms van once and I think its because he knew she was american or something. But generally everyone was very nice and i felt very safe. i dont know if people were saying negative things about me (being black) but id say that korea is worth visiting. And compared to the customer service in America, all the korean stores i visited went above and beyond my expectations. I really enjoyed their spicy food, the kimchi, the cheap street items, shopping and bars- the culture is very unique and interesting. So like I said, I wouldn’t live there but i would definitely visit again.
that's not completely true. they look up to "white folks" Americans and Europeans. They don't mind Japanese and Chinese too much, but they look down on anybody who's darker than them. since Lew said he is black, I find it surprising that he found customer service to be above his expectation. and someone keying your car is probably either you drove very nice car, so they were jealous, or you parked your car in their parking spot.
I agree with what you said specially about the big difference between Koreans and Japanese mannerism. Koreans are straight forward and can come across as rude asf. Japanese are more nice and will try not to offend you. Update: I studied in the UK not in Korea. I had the same experience when I was in my uni dorm, Korean students would play loud music during mid night in next door share studio room and they couldn't care about other people. While Japanese people would always ask before doing anything if I was in the studio room. I found that Korean people are very rude and obnoxious, they are very materialistic and not caring type. So, if you lived in Japan then I can definitely see why you found Koreans so rude.
I think being australian, them being straight forward doesn't really affect us, but visiting Japan I picked up their mannerism straight away like bowing and saying sumimasen a lot and thanking them. But apparently you aren't suppose to thank the clerks when I was in a family mart.
Please don't assume that Koreans are straight forward and can come across as rude. Americans are rude asf. I lived in the USA for 1 week and for the couple of days I was persecuted by a bunch of Nazi.
I like the way you tell the story,it's gentle and tender even though the story you are telling is irritating,I literally like you.literally?I am not sure if it's a right expression or not,I just pick up from online video during my learning English.keeping working,my boy:)
as someone who comes from a multicultural family [Korean ma], i can tell you Koreans are very direct and not afraid to raise their voice. i'd say the most annoying thing about Korean culture is how you can't avoid comments on your weight. aside from that, i'm actually not too bothered by anything else that wouldn't bother me about East Asia in general. One thing they need to acknowledge is the mental health epidemic that's taking too many people's lives in their countries. Mental illnesses are considered taboo/non-existent in East Asia. A K-pop star just recently took his life and of course the media treated it like just another day.
As an American living in Korea for 2 years, everything you said is 100% true. I especially can't stand the bad costumer service and rude older women. Coming from the states where manners are considered very important, it pains me every time someone doesn't say thank you if you do something nice for them. This has happened so much to me that I've somewhat lost the will to do nice things for others just for the hell of it...
I think you miss interpreted the point. All they're saying is that they grew up in a place where "please" and "thank you" are common, then they moved to another place where it's not so common. That this new place they are now staying for an extended period time, that seems to vastly differ in manners, made them give up their politeness. I don't think race is a key factor.
I'm not implying that it's not common in South Korea, I'm implying that it's not common in the place that the original commenter is staying. Yes, they're staying in South Korea but we don't know where exactly in South Korea. Also, giving up things just so you can fit a part of the group better is common human practice. An example would be how to drive in a city versus driving in a less densely populated area. It's pretty different, and you're going to adapt. Just apply the same concept to mannerisms of a group. You can say we agree that race isn't an important factor, but we mean it in completely different ways. You meant it to the original commenter as an accusation because they dared to use a point of reference just like the man in this video did to convey a point that to them, the people where they were living near were ruder compared to the people that they lived near back home. None of what the original commenter said really brought importance to race till you made it that way. I was just pointing out your virtue signaling.
People adapting to their environment is now opinion than fact? I don't think so. The driving example is to point how different you're going to drive in different places. Yes, everyone who earns their driving license has the capacity to drive how driving books dictate you to. But that doesn't take into account how specific environments can mess with that ideal situation. When driving in a city there's a lot of traffic, people rushing, cutting you off, etc. Driving in a less densely population you wouldn't ordinarily have the same issues with a city. You can take your time, people won't cut you off as much, etc. Do you understand what I'm trying to get at? The example was supposed to be addressing you being baffled why a person would change the way they behave. Like I said, it's common human practice to change little things about yourself to fit in where ever you are. Now, the original commenter wasn't comparing races. At all. All they said was "As an American, I agree" and "Coming from the states..". You somehow took it as them saying America is best when it comes to manners. When they are in fact from America and I have no doubt that they know how rude people from America can be. No one would bat an eye if this conversation was a person saying how rude people in New York than in, say, Georgia. What you were saying in your first comment was basically "There are assholes and good people everywhere so stop judging between races that just shows you're stupid" dressed up in the most pretentious way possible to a simple comment about their own experiences. Their own feelings. Their own comparison to their life in the U.S. versus in South Korea. You went out of your way to try and prove you're mightier than thou by bringing in race to something that really wasn't about race. That was my point.
Okay, but did you understand the point I was trying to make with the driving example? Also, you aren't going to address anything else I said? Sorry for repeating things I already stated but still not about race. More like living environments. They say they lived there for two years, it's not logical to assume they meant every person they had ever meant in South Korea had terrible manners so the next conclusion would be that they meant behaviors common to the place they're staying at. Which is a fair outlook and harmless criticism if they are comparing it back at home which just so happened to be in the U.S.
I am a Korean American living in Seoul, over two years now, and a lot what you mentioned is true but I also feel like you are a very sensitive person. The way you speak, the things you find unpleasant, etc. To be honest, I've been to Japan twice on vacation and even though customer service wise they are way more polite, Japan is very gloomy too. Perhaps it is because people like to be quiet in public but overall Japan is not lively either. But anyways, a lot of the things such as public behavior can be explained but it's too long and I've had this conversation with my korean and korean-American friends too many times; so I don't want to get into it. The key things people need to know about Korea if they ever plan to visit is, Koreans are very competitive and aggressive, and judgmental as well. If you don't grow thick skin in this country good luck because it's not a very pleasant place if you are very sensitive. Unless of course, you are a pretty white girl, they'll probably get special treatment and a pass for most everything.
I think everything he said is very evident of British culture. We aren’t the nicest people in the world but things such as what he said about the customer service, talking loudly on the phone and the elderly ladies ect is considered incredibly rude here. Also stereotypically we are somewhat antisocial
Daniel Lim what you said is quite true - koreans are superficial and judgmental. but you are korean american. You don't know how stressful it is here and how competitive it is, we don't have any resources and the only way you make it here is extemely good grades or good looks or born with rich parents.
@@yagamilight1862 No, not him. The first person to make a comment here. "this guy look like gay." No "like", Just "looks gay." But a more important issue is that the korean who said was just trying to be an asshole. I responded to the wrong comment! Oops.
@@jeffersondavis9415 You've misunderstood, Gay Femme. My comment contains the necessary punctuation and quotation marks to answer the question of why @weqe dsa has bigger fish to fry than whether Daniel looks gay. It sounds like a kind of pidgin English, yet he criticizes someone's apparent sexual orientation. I forgive you. You waded into the water late.
I'm south Korean, studying in US highschool now, I think koreans should really reflect themselves. I totally agree with your thoughts, it is a nice video that can know our problems..but the problem is, if koreans watch your video, most of them will not like it, might just get angry at you, not even trying to change their attitude! To say as a Korean, we tend to look at our country in just our point of view, not respecting criticisms from people like you, and very ignorant of foreign countries' manners and stuff. We fight with so emotional things, mammonism is everywhere, the conflict between old and young is serious, and today, even conflict between male and female is getting worse! As a korean, I have no pride about koreans. Of course it is a shame thing, not to love my own country, but I feel hopeless and miserable of myself that change in Korea seems to not happen in a close future, because we don't even know its necessity, even it is a serious problem. After I have been studying in US, I am very surprised of "excuse me" and "thank you". In korea, do you know what they say if you say about manners and other ettiquettes? They say these manners are so formal.., things that should be changed from old confucianism custom..not knowing its real need and benefit. Ah.. I just don't know. Maybe I'm just a losing trend person in Korea. But I can't understand.. They destroy old things that are still useful as a name of progress, and leave things that really needs to be changed. Like education system, its form came from Japan, and still not changing even all people think it has problem and ..even Japan changed their old education system! I have so much other things to say.. like our government' s stupid policy toward north korea, giving them money, as a name of donate, which is actually used for making nukes,... man.. every time I criticise my own country, I even hate myself. You know what? Suprisingly amount of people like me are leaving Korea, even at this moment, it is not a joke, my friend or brother-like university student who attends the best korean university even says he will leave Korea to get career. It is because of Korea's strange culture that people who study science and engineering kind of things are too hard to live in korea. Government doesn't invest much in science and technological studies, compared to other countries, which will eventually lead to retreat of entire country, because Korea's one of the main products is electronic devices from industry like SAMSUNG, now China is catching up right behind...I can't understand my own country! Do you know how depressing it is? Back to topic, it is a understandable thing that many Koreans don't respect you. It is because they don't even respect themselves...How can we respect our own country even it is so messy? I am so embarrassed, so angry while watching your video. My anger is not towards you, but the problematic people in Korea. I don't know what to do... I am dead inside...insulting my own country.. Thanks for letting me know your point of view towards Korea. Thank you.
You are struggling with something many Koreans struggle with. Korean society is a composite of both those who seek to move on and those who are stuck in the same rut. It is a mess in many ways but is many ways is changing, just not all at the same time and in the same places. Everywhere you will see change, some for the better, some for the worse. Koreans like many in other countries seek a better life but there is a momentum of values, culture, and customs can be at odds and in conflict with each other, again just like many countries. So no generalizations will be helpful when they are merely damning and disdainful, especially against your own country and countrymen. Have compassion for yourself and your fellow Koreans. Understand the problems and issues are also true of any country but to different degrees. While what the poster said is accurate from his perspective, it doesn't necessarily mean that everything he said is the absolute and definitive way to understand and see Korea clearly. Korea is still changing, and it's changing in good ways as well. For those who are sensitive to things that make them uncomfortable, that is what they will see clearly but those whose comfort zone is more robust, they will also be able to see that not everything that makes them uncomfortable is bad. The conceit is to believe that everything you are comfortable with is good and everything that makes you uncomfortable is bad. It is kind of like the rabbit complaining to the giraffe that there isn't enough grass when the giraffe is happily eating the leaves off the branches. Just because it was bad for the rabbit doesn't mean it is necessarily bad for the giraffe. It would be conceited of the rabbit to say that what hold true for him has to hold true for others as well. I have known many British friends who have enjoyed and are enjoying their experiences in Korea. That doesn't mean that every British person finds everything about Korea to their liking. It's just to a certain degree that they are able to negotiate what is uncomfortable with what they can appreciate in spite of it. It is true that many Koreans are competitive, aggressive, shallow, judgemental and stuck in the "us" vs "them" mentality, but it is also true that many Koreans, especially, the younger ones realize that it's time to reconsider the values that have defined them, and to a certain part, been the engine for Korea's amazing economic development. Some of it was good and necessary for those times but may not be so helpful anymore. It's good to share what makes you uncomfortable but not at the expense of making other people or places look bad by any form of disdain or insult. The poster is making a genuine attempt to share how he saw and experienced Korea, but it doesn't mean that it is how everyone will also experience Korea. Cheer up, there is hope yet for Korea to be a country that you can be proud of, regardless of what others may think.
Dude, no one is perfect; no country is perfect. Just accept whatever is given to you and use it to your advantage. Enjoy your life; in the end, nothing matters.
Whether you like korea or not mostly depends on what you are used to and what kind of person you are. I am from a big city that feels pretty much the same to seoul. And people are loud and it doesn't matter to me because i am used to it. But i get that if you are from a quieter city that the cars and stuff can be off putting. Also about the customer service it really depends i for an instance found that the Koreans were annoyingly over attentive to me(like constantly trying to ask if i need help). Also if you are not a city person seoul can be awful so then i suggest you go to busan(which i love more than seoul because of its mundane vibes, but if you are an extrovert seoul has a lot more interesting things to do). You do have a point about the older people that think they can do anything. That is super annoying but that doesn't mean that the whole country is bad like the people in this comment section imply. Every country has bad points, even korea( even though some people don't want to acknowledge that because they are ignorant)So I get that Korea is not for everyone but don't generalize the whole country based on your experiences of only a small part of the culture/country guys😅
Chireny de groot you've given the best, most polite response to this in my opinion, and i agree completely :) because i live in a suburban area near the city i was already used to all the ruckus that i would soon experience living in Seoul - but to me it wasn't ruckus, it was just white noise because it was something i was used to
This video is called "My experience" he is just telling his personal experience not generalizing at all. Just because South Korea is not his cup of tea it doesn't mean is a bad place to live for everybody.
I went to Korean in 2016 and I noticed a lot of the things you discussed in this video, especially the unfriendly customer service (granted, some stores had nice workers but they were overly warm and friendly). I am visiting Japan in 2018 and am excited because Japanese people seem really bubbly and warm
I would say Japanese people are extremely polite and will give you great customer service. However, friendliness/warmth is something I didnt feel there unlike Cambodia or Vietnam. Let me know what you think though - hope you have a different experience!
they are quite friendly. It does not mean they like you, it means they are just embracing thier culture of respect as second nature. at least theyre nicer and not blunt unlike south korea
They were or were not overly warm and friendly? I never been to any store or shop where the workers were overly warm and friendly. and I don't expect the store worker to be overly warm and friendly. I want them to be polite and knowledgeable and know what they are doing.
not even cars.. but even laptops! im half korean but i came to korea after high school. there was once when we had to bring our laptops to work. so i brought my striking mint laptop and everyone stared coz their's were either black, white or silver -.- no joke..
Thanks for posting this vid. I'm half white half Korean and I live the states. I have never really felt like I fit in here but after watching this vid it looks like I'm stuck here..
CyberRonin hmm I think it would be a good experience to visit Korea at least once to see how you like it? there's a CZcams channel called red dragon diaries by a half white half Korean man who seems to really like living in Korea. Maybe you might find his vids interesting... He's currently learning Korean so he makes videos about that and also food and judo videos.
As a half-Caribbean person I've always been called "a foreigner" here in the Netherlands, after getting my diploma I was sent to the Netherlands West-Indies and I've always been called "not-Curaçaoleño" by other black people in the Netherlands but I've always experienced the feeling of "otherness" being "a non-white", the moment I visited "my homeland" I never felt more like a Makamba. If you're mixed nowhere is your home...
Honestly its only the UK and some other places in Europe where the traffic is somewhat peaceful. In Canada its very similar, at least in the city Toronto. We have a lot of traffic, horning, and in general, aggressive drivers to sum it up.
you can bust a vein from driving in Montreal lol, no way I will ever drive in that city, and I think that I have to agree with the assessment that most of the big cities will be cold and rude..the more people are packed together, the more we become rude and blinkered ; i lived in Montreal for 35 years and am now living in a town with a population of 2000 and the contrast is amazing
Try looking up videos of the traffic in Japan, it’s so respectful and the Japanese even have a way of bowing 🙇 to say thank you by blinking your tale lights, look it up, it’s so amazing
Thanks for this video Daniel! It was really interesting. I’ve seen a lot of videos on peoples experiences living in Korea but never heard any of these things.
Lived in S.Korea for 7 years, after a while those things are just commonplace. The recycling trucks and vending trucks (Korean melons, Ginseng, Mushrooms, fish, and vegetables proved to be a useful service. I wished we had them here in Canada.) Yes, they are loud, but wow are they ever convenient!!
Everyone who has taught in both Japan and Korea that I know prefer Japan. All the time. I wanted to teach English in Japan but the pay was higher in Korea. I only went there by default. It wasn't my first choice at all but I still had a good time.
le sigh can i ask what you preferred about Japan and the good things you found in Korea? I'm considering teaching English in East Asia and any information is useful to me :)
So sorry for such a late response! I never taught in Japan so I can't give specifics. I just wanted to go there for some reason. Good things in Korea: Food, respect for elders, great nightlife in Seoul, inexpensive clothes and transportation, higher teacher's salary, super fast wifi and McDonalds delivers. LOL
As a Korean, I beg you to go to JAPAN... In fact, Korea is the most hospitable country in east Asia. In Hong Kong, Singapore, foreign workers will be treated like slaves from local HK,Sg people. In Japan, foreign workers will be left out and isolated by Japanese people, society. On the contrary, Korea is too nice and give highest salary to foreign worker than Jpn,HK,Sg. There's MILLIONS of foreign workers and Koreans are getting sick of them. They don't try to assimilate and they in general are under-educated than ordinary Korean. I bet if you work in Japan longer than 2 yrs, you will become to feel that Korea was paradise to foreigner. lol
went there for a week when i had k gf. it did feel very industrial and smoggy, though the food was nice. the thing i liked the most was that the people weren't really dodgy. it's not like london where you see people who could mug you. felt like being a kid, everything was new.
i really like this video as all you see are good vids about korea or when people say stuff they dont like its always the same stuff.. but this was really nice and i can actually relate to something even tho i'm from germany and that's the beggars on trains thing and just asking people for money like of course i feel bad for them too, but i don't want to be harrassed like if i want to give you money to help you, then i will go up to you and give you money like it's really awkward when i'm on the train and this person goes around asking people for money and i'm sitting there on the other side of the wagon already thinking about whether i should just pretend that i'm busy or say that i don't have any money on me.. and the customer service thing is crazy like if they behaved like that in germany it'd drive me nuts.. the cashier talking on the phone while serving a customer?? man i'd leave that store so fast and never come back if that happened here.. that's just SO rude like idk it makes me angry just thinking about it LOL
The train stuff only has happened once to me and I'm really glad. Especially if it's in the night and the train is rather empty, it is way too terrifying when older men suddenly talk to you and want you to spend money. I think that may be really different depending on where exactly you live in Germany. I'm from Munich, so everything is rather nice but I feel like in Cologne or Berlin, there would be more beggars... The difference between the beggars he mentioned and those in Germany is probably, that those in Korea are Koreans as well while I experienced them to often be foreigners or like (I think) illegal immigrants.
In the US we have a chain restaurant called Saigon Bay. They serve Pho and many Vietnamese women work there. The food is fantastic, but the customer service is so bad. The waitresses won't smile at you or make eye contact. I really enjoy hearing about the cultural differences you experienced between Japan and South Korea.
+Treasure Warren yes thats what i felt like the korean customer service was like. Very very different to japan where its like they bend over backwards to please you. Im glad you enjoyed my video :)
making eye contact in Confucionist culture means they are challenging you. so it is rude to make direct eye contacts, especially to people who are above your station. like boss, superior, and patron.
I am Vietnamese . And i would say all the bad thing in South Korea is exist in my country with new level . I am so tired living here . One of the worst society in the world
I looked up divorce video and found you but had start from being of you channel to really learn about what made me subscribe instantly. YOU'RE SO RAW AND INTERESTING TO LISTEN TO
There used to be a lot of brick buildings in the early 90s but the population in Seoul is too large. Most of the air pollution, sand, etc is blown over from northeast China where it is much worse. Traffic has always been horrible, but I think customer service is much better than in the US. Also so many people these days feel depressed over lack of economic opportunity coupled with high living costs and low wages (hell choson). You would probably enjoy a smaller town outside of Seoul. Enjoyed your post.
I'm Korean. I agree with you strongly. I studied hard in high school, but am studying so hard in Korean university too. Korean suicide rate is no.1 in OECD countries(except Lithuania of New no.1). Korea is very stiffen society.
I feel crazy when I read how so many people love it in South Korea... they are obviously very different people with different values than me. I suppose if you are some trendy, shallow, materialistic, love to shop until you drop, obsessed with makeup, love to drink, etc sort of person it must be great for you here. other than that, I really didn't find it had that much to offer. I even came thinking Kpop was catchy at first, until that's all I heard everywhere. the same unoriginal sort of pop groups that sound all the same, or the sort of romantic "singing on the top of a mountain" dramatic love songs you'd hear everywhere too lol. it started to drive me mad. even "the nature" these city people from foreign countries loved to go hiking in I found to be incredibly subpar... there are no animals that live there other than rats that I saw in the piles of garbage in the country towns and stray cats and dogs. maybe the OCCASIONAL bird... but even those were rare. the air quality is absolute shit, and no it's not just from blowing over from China like Koreans all love to use as a scapegoat. it felt disgusting when it rained. not nice, clean, wonderful smelling rain like what I'm used to where my home is. the temples were interesting yet underwhelming compared to other countries'. and their god damn "bali bali" culture... and how so many Koreans I've encountered insist on working so many hours yet don't get jack shit done or are organized at all it seemed. yet Koreans and other foreigners all get so OVERLY DEFENSIVE and idiotic if I say any one of these things... guess what? that's another strike against Korea for me haha. I hate that attitude... stubbornly patriotic or travel snobs that act ~so much better~ than you and insist you have no right to ~omgz complain about different cultures u jus dun understanndddd!!!~. like damn, people can criticize my home country but I'd never act like how some have to me just making a small complaint about "wonderful Korea" lol.
Its all because of kpop & some stupid kdramas that they see from Koreans show,but its really hard to live in Korea especially as a foreigner.its really hard for me too to see a lot of people around myself talk about how Korea is cool & amazing.they don't know the reality & it seems they don't want to know even when you talk with them & share your experience
soroor_1999 yazdi Ohhh I won't lie. I love some kdramas and kpop. Sure it's pretty good stuff for me. But I would have to agree that kpop is definitely the cause of making Korea look 'so great.' Cause I've watched some Kdramas and read a few Korean webtoons... and the place does not seem all roses, butterflies and rainbows like people wanna think. I can't see how a kdrama would tell people it's so great.. when there is so much bad shit going on in the stories that people sadly over look. Not sure HOW true these 'messed up' things are. But even I can tell that their is darkness in the cracks. Shoot.. the idols are literally barely paid props for money. An Idol does something wrong? He or she can easily be replaced. :(
As someone who works in the service industry as a sales assistant, please think twice before getting annoyed that they offer you help without you asking. The company I work for sets it as a requirement that we greet every customer and offer them help. I know it’s frustrating, it can be for us too when we’re ignored or shrugged off, but it’s generally not the sales assistants fault. Please always be polite, at least.
hey.. it's called getting a different job lol if you know you are or you may be potentially frustrating people (99% of the time you are indeed) then you should really consider is this a job for me or is it for somebody who doesn't know better or don't actually give a shit.
andrew H who are you to tell me whether my job is for me or not? I love my job and more often that not people are really lovely and accepting of my greeting and offer of help. It’s called being a decent person. Someone else’s frustration has nothing to do with me and I won’t let it ruin my career. You need to sort yourself out, bud.
It is a pretty audacious thing to say for somebody working in an entry level salesperson position to say the "customer's frustration has nothing to do with my own well being". Did you ever stop to think about why there is a surplus in the job market for the work that you are doing? It's because most people do not want to be doing the kind of work you're doing versus what exists in the market as a demand. Perhaps if you continue to be complacent and do continue in that "career(lol)", you may receive some specialized training such as "elevated service", where you will learn about different approaches to different group of target consumers. i.e. getting out of the way of the streamliners. I want you to take one thing to remember, and it is a fact and not an opinion. You are getting paid to work there, and the customer is the one paying their disposable income to your company to pay your hourly wage. You saying "someone else's frustration has nothing to do with me" is a pretty damn stupid thing to say. You want to shift the blame to the same company that you work for- that they "set it as a requirement to do x" which brings me back to my initial point; if you don't agree with your company, get a different job. If you are in agreement with your company's guideline, then don't shift the blame and admit that you're in support of the same bullshit.
bye! enjoy the minimum wage job! we (people with normal job that are not required by the company to solicit and annoy other people) are already back home from work :) gl getting 8 hours here on!
well he is from a small city in england,if he went to london his complaints would be pretty much the same.rude people,horning,pollution,depressing atmosphere.i'm sure there are trees,open fields in koorean countryside too.
I’m black my husband is white and in the Military. We lived in South Korea. I didn’t hate it and didn’t love it. Loved the food and history. . We are use to people staring at us because we’re a interracial couple. I miss the food..
Korea customer service is great once you speak some Korean and know how to use it (outside of convenience stores). It's just different than it is in West. In Korea you have to call wait staff over in restaurants and stores or they won't help you. It's a cultural difference. Once you call them over you get timely, polite, and efficient, but no thrills service. It's service on demand basically. I much prefer it to the ass kissing that goes on in America.
You've been to Korea four times, wow! It is surprising all the things you have seen in Japan, then South Korea, then Taiwan... you are a traveller! Do you know London very well?
oh wow!!! I think you would love to spend some time in simple Brazil area, where I live. You have a personality that would intrigue the brazilians, and even so, they would end up loving you man.
Mate, the bus driver driving off violently just depends on the driver really, like I’m from the uk aswell and there have been loads of time when I’ve been swung across the bus when I get in
I've been to Seoul 8 times. Seoul, just like all other big cities, are not for everyone. To me, Seoul is an extremely energetic city with constantly changing streetscape. The architecture is dynamic and I really enjoy their revitalized neighborhoods. Every time I visit, there are new areas to explore and the Koreans I encountered were always helpful and authentic in my own experience. I hope you realize sometimes you contradict yourself such as you want people to notice you and greet you when you walk into a store but then when they do, you think they are too loud. I guess you're a bit hard to please which is so you
The bare minimum polite thing to do is greet someone/look at them when they're interacting with you. Loud and constant advertising/sales people bothering you all the time are nothing close to that. The two things you're comparing are not even similar. There's no contradiction here.
disagree.. I just came back from Seoul not long ago. Their bad attitude suck big time. People (cashiers, waiters, sales people etc) all seem like they have no soul and are serving you looking like you owe them something.
I had a similar expierance with an older women on the subway platform. She jamed her walking stick into my back to move aside to make room for her, but there was enough space for two people to walk past before she shoved me anyways. I have never wanted to push an older women so much in my life. Of course I didn't, I just moved up anyways called her a bitter old women in my head and avoided being near older people in the train for the rest of my trip.
You should have gone to North Korea. I've seen plenty of videos from there and the traffic situation is so much better. It seems so much more peaceful and relaxing and I love the music Where Are You Dear General that plays over the town of Pyongyang from the town station. You have to have a guided tour and not just go where you want on your own, but I don't see that as a bad thing.
What you are describing here is basically inter cultural communication difficulties. It only means people in other countries have their own way of living and cultural practices. It's not worth complaining.
there is probably no culture in this world that keeps you from being ''polite or considering'', but i'm only saying that because koreans complain waaaay more when they go to other places about things they are waaaaaay worst at, including things he mentioned here.
People seem to take this as " Why this country stinks" instead of " I wasnt a fan of this". It gives more perspective on him and his preferences rather than anything. He wants polite people around him, he likes it quiet and calm. I live near one of the biggest cities in the US and seems pretty close to what he's talking about. It would be best for him to live in a suburban area with mild mannered people. Just the way I took it, I could be wrong
if you hated staying in Korea , why did you live there so long time, nobody asked you to stay. I live in new york , I felt same way when I was in london 6 month. any way 'hate' is a very strong word.
I loved your comment about waiting round for a mushroom truck rather than just going to the shop, lol. I say the same thing about telemarketers who call trying to sell me new windows or a roof over the phone. If my window was broken, I would find a reputable window company to replace it. I wouldn't just sit around the house everyday hoping a window seller called me. ^.^ Anyway, Hello! Just subscribed. I really enjoy your commentary with a healthy dose of sarcasm on the side xD
I can hear your complaints for hours 😆 Thank you for your information... Come to Indonesia when you have holiday, Indonesia people are loud too but also polite on the same time.. anyways again, Thank you & good Vlog!
I'm glad I was born in Colombia. By the way I want to visit England. Thanks for the video, so much latinos talk about their experiences in South Korea and they say the same as you.
we're living in a variety cultures and different stories from each part of the world, iam Indonesian but i respect any cultures, whether its korean culture, japanese, western, latins or etc. i just wanna say to u guys let's be more understanding to each other culture and less complaining in the future ! then this world will be a better place to live in
I've been to Korea about every year since 2008, and I can see how many things have improved ALOT already, which are now still kind of annoying, but way less annoying. So back then it was not yet illegal to sell your stuff on the train or beg for money, they ebmven brought some carts/driving tables(?) like the food-cart thingys on airplanes, filled with their goods. Now its illegal, so they just bring small bags or buggys, to be able to runaway fast but also its gotten WAY LESS selling stuff on the trains. The(legless) beggers were always playing loud sad music, while robbing through the train, I think this has stopped by now..? At least I rarely see them begging on the train anymore, so I cant tell if they still use the loud music. Then also, while shopping somewhere, people would drag you inside of their shops, shouting "window shopping! window shopping!" so that I would maybe find something I want to buy when already being in their store, but I never bought anything at all when they would dare to drag me inside , how rude is that? Also when walking through the drinking-streets at night (which are often just beside or among the shopping streets), some men would drag the girls inside if their club ,so that many guys will come to pay to go inside if they would find out there are foreign girls inside, they would shout "come to our bar, we have foreign female guests tonight" or something like this, I really had to pull my friend out of one guys hands and had to run away from them, as we just wanted to go shopping ...(it was in insadong), now its totally forbidden to drag anyone inside if shops or bars, which is a good thing, but they are now shouting louder than ever, to get my attention... and handing all of these free face masks or shit, so that people will feel bad about taking it wthout going inside to buy something.. Then the old guys finally stopped talking to me in russian, asking "how much?" , as most foreigners in korea back in 2008 and before, were russian prostitutes... nowadays theres millions of foreigners so the old guys are afraid to ask when the chance is zero that these girls are russian prostitutes anymore.. some old men were spitting in front of our feet, because I guess they thought we are dirty prostitutes and wanted to show that we are not welcome, usually they spit alot but to the sides of the street or in front if themselves, but they were spitting our way on purpose.. also one old guy was running after us at night when we were at a PC bang to contact our families, then when we wanted to leave, one old guy that was watching us all the time, also got up and wanted to leave.. so when I told my friend to run, we started running and he came after us ,guess he also thought we were just there for sex.. yeah sure in a pc bang.. These days I dont feel like some sexual object anymore because of course no russian prostitutes anymore or hard to find.. Oh and also, elder people in korea are kind ogmf treated like the holy cow in india, because the men were fighting in war, and the women were mostly nurses or some other help at that time, or if worse, were sexually abused by the japanese back then, so all of them get priority here and there, cheaper prices for lots of things or even cmpletely for free, so after all this time, they acted like they are the center of attention. 'Let me go through, I've fought in the war!' and same for the women, actually in 2008 it was rare to see younger people sitting down on the train, as there were too many old people in every train, so as soon as the door opened, any young and heakthy person would make space for the elder people which surely would enter now, but these days people in korea care a little less, dont smile as much anymore, no nice customer service anymore, using their phone at work, which you would NEVER see in 2008 or 2009, even the dishes were always prepared for you at your table, nowadays they often tell me to do it myself as f a foreigner would know the right way to prepare the korean dish.. then I went to lotte world in 2009 for the first time and everyone was smiley and friendly and there was just happiness that I could feel, last time I went there was in 2015 I think, it was horrible.. they were looking like they want to finush their shift asap but still had to wave their hands to tell us 'goodbye and enjoy your ride' ..and just after I came back from japan, being in disneyland.. it felt even worse then.. I kind of like Korea but compared to Japan its reallly realllly just okay. You may want to go there for teavelling shortly or to see your kpop idols, but after you finished that, please run away! , telling this to ALL of my friends, that are going to study in korea, they decide if 6 or 12 months , I ALWAYS tell them just take 6 months or even less, trust me!, my best friend didnt listen to me and chose 12 months, after 3-4 months she wad crying, and wanted to stop her studies, so she came back for vacation shortly but returned to finush what she had started.. but she would never go back again for longer than 2 weeks. The most Ive stayed in Korea at once was 3 months, and after 1-2 months I already wanted to go back but had to go through that ... never again. Boring, depressing.
I'm a korean and even though not everyone is like how you described, I mostly agree with you. Honestly it's so heartbreaking to hear about yours and other's bad experience in korea and wonder if things in my country will even get better. Hope your doing okay now. :))
I can relate with the customer service story. Japanese people are so welcoming and smiling, however when I went to a Korean store they don’t even look in your face haha The mushroom thing made me laugh! That’s a good point, if you want to buy mushroom you would just go to the market and buy it and not sit there waiting for someone to announce if you wanna buy mushrooms! Lol 😂
I honestly do not like korean people in general and I am not saying all koreans are the same. But most of them act so annoyingly stuck up and I do not get along with them even if I am also an asian and I am Vietnamese. They do not seem to like Vietnameses as they think they are better than us which is ridiculous. NO HATING TOWARDS ME, IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE BLOCKED OUT OF MY COMMENT. I just express my opinion, and if you do not like it just leave no drama please.
lol I’m Korean American but this is so relatable because when I visited South Korea to see my grandparents people drove so badly on the streets I swear we almost got into two accidents during the two weeks I was staying there 😂
I've been to both countries but I live in Japan. Yes, what you said is true, but there are also good Koreans. I find Korea more lively than Japan. It's always gloomy here. LOL! People don't smile. I was actually kinda shocked when I visited the US and Hong Kong because people there are more cheerful.
Hah! I was in Seoul in 2006 and i had the same thought whilst travelling from the airport to the hotel, " why are the cars all silver, black and white?" They have the most colourful food though... so it kinda says that they're 'cold' on the outside but personally, they're actually quite warm people when u get to know them
Coming from Japan to Korea experience, I whole heartily agree and everything you said like rudeness of them! haha! ;-) By the way, London is one of my favorite cities and the country side in England is beyond amazing! ;-)
I'm sorry you didn't like South Korea, all the issues you've mentioned is.. improving? :/ It's not a perfect country and we're not as people pleasing as Japan but we can be just as friendly and respectful. Most people here are speaking from anecdotal evidence, first impressions go a long way right? And to the fake username Japanese nationalists lurking here. Y'all must be jizzing your pants at this video.
I think a lot of it has to do with the slight overpopulation issue. too much competition, too much stress, too much critcism, too much too much too much. if i grew up in that hell yeah i'd have a depressed and rude attitude. people in train cars bus drivers in new york are like that too, but they have some like..decent attitudes most of the time. im guessing back in england, you didn't live in a big city. almost all big cities have people like in seoul and tokyo.
I am South Korean, and I mostly agree with your opinion except homeless in subway and soldiers&polices stuff.. You should not feel hateful about homeless, and I don't know where you lived.. but I live in Seoul, I can't see soldiers usually.. if you lived in Kangwondo, then you could see many soldiers, however, they don't touch civilians.. If they fight civilians, they will be in big trouble, like going to detention cell, or recorded, or going to military jail. They always educate never fight,don't argue with civilians.. So they don't even argue with civilians. you don't have to worry at least soldier stuff, if you come to Korea again. and police is also kind at least you don't make any trouble. they also never threat people.. anyway thanks for opinion.
2900405 lmao true... one of my friend also bought a Samsung mobile from korea and i was lauhging like madness.. i don't why but i was continuously laughing 😂
We are on the same page....most koreans are rude and lack discipline and manners...even in the public places they're so loud and egoistic people....but i think it is their culture...so impatient and keep on complaining the small things...but i'm trying hard to be flexible and understand them since i am living here in their country...however, some koreans i know are good to me...those people are well educated and they could travel so many countries. so that's why they were open minded...some people say..out of ten koreans only one is kind and generous....sorry to hear that guys...actually, i felt the same way...
I agree on the traffic. And their driving style is the worst! Whenever i ride either a bus or a taxi i'll have palpitation because of their terrible driving and they won't stop honking each other lol
Very informative. I was interested in teaching there for awhile, but now I don't think so. But I heard that Korea is a lot cheaper to live in than Japan on the whole.
Funny how you mention that, I think I've noticed cars in a parkway once as I was about to leave from work and most were monochrome too here in America, White, Black, and Silver... There were a few colored ones like red, but yeah. :p Maybe the percentage of monochrome cars to colored is lower, but there's still a lot of them... I'd want a blue one personally because that's my favorite color. :p
It's well known in psychology that loud pushy noisy people are actually living in fear of (not being liked as someone popular) this is basically a stage that many in younger years 13 - 29 pass through. Unfortunately, that behavior is paid forward and backwards in the whole of society. South Korea also, has the highest suicide rate per capita. Which is a direct reflection of the system in place in that society.
I am from America and was stationed in korea for 2 years.every thing you said is spot on.i could not wait to get the hell out of there.I had a chance to go back for two weeks for free an turned it down.never going back.
You went to Japan and Korea with permanent British mindset and not enjoying whatever you see or do on a daily basis. The best thing for you is staying at home ( Brexit ) and get all your fish and chips, eggs and bacons!!
@Meat Ball - Have you ever been to Korea? I guess not since you seem to think Korean architecture isn't boring. 90% of Koreans live in big oblong concrete apartment buildings, they are either grey or a shade of beige. If you don't think that's boring then I feel sorry for you.
Meat Ball, while UK architecture is not exactly as beautiful as, let's say, italian or german architecture, but at least it has much more preserved buildings and structures that look traditional and are much more interesting than the bleakness of korean buildings with their copy-paste building pattern.
I'm going to advise you, never go to Africa and stay far away from Beijing, if loud noises, pollution, people trying to sell you things and seeing people in military uniforms bother you that much. I probably wouldn't recommend spending much time in the UK (outside of your room) either if seeing grim faces bother you that much. I get there can be annoying things but focusing on just the negative aspects of a country or culture reflects poorly on you more so than the place you're griping about. Since you didn't indicate you spent much time outside of Seoul, it's a bit like making a judgement about the whole of the UK having just spent time in London (if it sat within artillery range of an enemy that it has a tenuous truce with).
Ok, this rather old video somehow was recommended to me and was actually interested... Sadly I don't fully agree with you. I'm not here to shit on you but some things you said really annoyed me... It seems to me that you went to another country and got offended about the fact that they don't act like british people. They won't and they shouldn't! You mentioned the traffic and I was just like "More lanes? Awesome! There's a lot of honking? Well, that's what happens when people drive like idiots, you should let them know, nothing rude about that!" But then again, I'm not british, I'm german. Honking isn't rude to me. And our bigger cities are also full of cars even though we have amazing public transportation (probably because cars are considered a status symbol here... maybe also in korea?) I don't like that you act like british traffic is so great and the koreans are doing it wrong. Same goes for the people. The things they say, talking loud in public, the bluntness, the smaller personal space, the not saying "Excuse me" while being in a hurry... it is not rude to them. So I don't get how people are offended about that. That's just how they know it, it's normal to them. And I really don't get why you think it's rude that people in stores or supermarkets want to help you! That sounds so nice to me :D In the big cities in Germany there are also beggars on the trains, on the streets they are also common and a lot of them are disabled and missing limbs. Unfortunatly a lot of these people don't seek the help of the government or the amount of money that they receive isn't enough. The beggars would be normal to me. If you don't want to donate, then just don't. I don't understand how someone feels harrassed by that, sorry! The people-blending-in-part and "heartless" designs of buildings is very interesting and makes me kind of sad. Weird that their idols stick out so much but the ordinary koreans don't want to... the fact that they don't smile so much, the military (But then... in Europe the military is also quite present in recent times. I was in Paris recently and saw soldiers and policemen everywhere), the air pollution is also a valid reason not to like a place... TL;DR: It is ok if you don't want to live there. But it seems like you look down on their culture and behavior and keep comparing the countries you visited to your home country. Cultures are different and it's great that people are different! Some of your points were interesting, I definitely learned something... and I like your accent :D I will surely check out more of your videos! (& sorry for the bad english)
I would be so annoyed by honking here in Germany. If people can't drive, they shouldn't and if everyone is just honking all the time, it helps no one and no one will know, who is honked at (?) anymore. Since I've also never been in Korea, I don't know to which extent they do this, but if I take a look at a lot of southern countries, where people are honking all the time, it's just annoying and loud. Nobody needs this, really. I also don't think, that the city centre of our bigger cities is really that full of cars. At least I haven't noticed yet. I think the traffic is relatively light here (compared to e.g. Rome). Puh warte, irgendwie ist es mir gerade zu schwer, auf Englisch zu schreiben. Das Ding mit den Menmschen dort ist eben, dass sie sich so verhalten. Das Problem ist für ihn, dass es anscheinend zu ihrer Kultur gehört (wenn sie es nicht anders kennen und so aufgewachsen sind) und er es dagegen anders kennt und anders besser findet. Ich meine, nur weil man in ein anderes Land fährt, kann man ja nicht plötzlich seine Moral- oder Verhaltensvorstellungen ändern. Als Beispiel: In einem anderen Video habe ich gesehen, dass Menschen in Korea einfach so niesen und husten, ohne sich die Hand vorn Mund zu halten. Wenn ich jetzt dort wäre und das erleben würde, wie mich jemand anniest, dann finde ich das natürlich immer noch eklig, auch wenn es für die Koreaner da normal ist, das zu tun und dann würde ich genau das auch in so einem Video sagen. Er kommt einfach mit einem bestimmten Teil ihrer Kultur nicht klar und empfindet das als unhöflich. Tatsächlich wissen wir aber auch nicht, ob diese Eigenschaft (vor allem der alten Leute), jetzt wirklich so normal ist. Hier in Deutschland gibts immerhin auch genug alte Leute, die sich unglaublich unhöflich verhalten für unsere Standards. Wir haben keine Ahnung, ob so eine alte, jeden anstoßende Frau als vollkommen akzeptabel oder unhöflich angesehen wird. Außer jemand von uns hat Kontakt zu Koreanern aus Korea, ich habe das nicht. :D Ich finde Bettler tatsächlich auch manchmal... störend. Wenn sie nur irgendwo sitzen und ihr Ding machen, ok, ich muss ihnen nichts spenden, ich kann weitergehen. Was ich aber richtig unangenehm finde, ist wenn einer einen anspricht und wirklich direkt um Geld bittet. Am besten noch, wenn man alleine draußen ist. Ne, das ist einfach unangenehm. Warum ist das Militär eigentlich so aktiv plötzlich? Bei Frankreich dachte ich, dass es nach Charlie Hebdo eine logische Folge war und ich glaube anfangs war es auch deswegen (bin kurz danach mal in Paris gewesen und war echt ein wenig erschrocken über das viele Militär). Dann war ich aber vor kurzem in Rom und da ist es genau so. Hier in DE habe ich das noch nie gesehen. Ich finde es nicht schlimm, dass er eine andere Kultur kritisiert oder nicht mag. Ich zb finde es ganz schrecklich, dass in asiatischen Ländern oftmals ein riesiger Druck auf die Kinder ausgeübt wird, gute Leistungen zu erzielen usw. Oder dass in Japan die Sprache relativ sexistisch ist oder dass es in den USA immer noch die Todessttrafe gibt (in manchen Staaten) und dass in Saudi Arabien Menschenrechte mit Füßen getreten werden usw. Ich mag auch nicht, dass wir Deutschen so unglaublich oft rummeckern (aber das tu ich leider selbst zu gerne) oder dass wir wirklich unglaublich unhöflich sind, habe ich im Gefühl. Vor allem was das Verhalten im Internet angeht. Irgendwie lese ich bei jeglichen englischsprachigen CZcamsrn (bspw.) wesentlich weniger Beleidigungen und sowas als bei Deutschen... Es ist nicht verwerflich, andere Kulturen zu kritisieren (so wie man natürlich auch fähig sein muss, die eigen zu kritisieren). Es tut mir so leid, wenn du das alles hier wirklich liest, ich weiß nicht, wieso ich hier so einen Roman geschrieben habe, ich sollte echt schlafen gehen :D Ich finds übrigens interessant, dass wir so eine komplett unterschiedliche Sichtweise auf Dinge wie Bettler und Autolärm haben, obwohl wir wahrscheinlich ähnliche Erfahrungen haben.
I'd like to hear of your experience if you ever went to India. My predication is you'll absolutely hate it because it's a lot like Korea based on your description lol
Tbh I really like the music coming out of Korea and the culture but I would still prefer to live in Japan and I could never properly articulate why, until I watched your video. It reminded me of some problems that I'd noticed. I feel like South Korea still has a lot of social evolution to go through; High suicide rates due to unyielding pressure on young people and neglect of older people, weird taboos about living with your parter/having a child before marriage, plummeting birth rates in part due to the lack of free/affordable childcare, crazy drinking culture, lax driving laws that result in many deaths from car accidents, attitudes towards mental health, attitudes towards homosexuality, attitudes towards plastic surgery and beauty ideals, growing cyber bullying problems...every country has its own issues but I could just go on and on....
Very much true. Old womans don't respect younger people or even when they know you are a foreigner, so they end up pushing you off the way in a sarcastic way. I really hate that. Age is also big deal in korea and how they respect. It's horrible. Like, regardless of age, race, etc., everyone deserve respect.I stayed for 7 months now and I tried to understand and like the korean things but i think it's too much rudeness to take in. I think it's not healthy for living a life in korea. Give you huge pressure and stress because they want you to be the same as them which you'll never be because you are not. I came from the Philippines which is known to be "the happiest people in the world", it's not a good country as well but the people in the Philippines are way much more better.
I am from the philippines and im afraid that if you visit our country, the only thing that you would like is the people who always smile and are very accomodating. We have a very low suicidal rates though a lot are in poverty line. Weather is humid and we our loud.
I learnt that Korea has one the highest suicide rates in the world. And a Korean psychologist explains why: extreme high competition, need to compare with others, high intolerance towards weakness, overambitious...It must be hell if you are sensitive! While we have that in almost every society, that high suicide rate IS alarming! And your impression just emphasizes this.
Japan also+++
They have a large portion of elderly people who fell out of the system when they economy shoot up. Many live without any money and when kids no longer take care of the elderly many take their life.
ChuckNoctis Do know of articles or references on the subject?
South Korea: Suicide nation on youtube
There are a lot of Koreans moving to Japan and they say that they feel more relaxed in tokyo and osaka.
Koreans also study harder than Japanese cuz they say that a lot of Japanese highschools have romantic relationships while in Korea they can only date when they reach college.
a lot if the things you said were my exact feelings. The bleakness, the depressing atmosphere, the angry aggressive unhappy vibe so many people have. The brutally drab architecture. The attitude you get walking into many stores.
Of course there are good things too, but you nailed some ofvthe downsides.
FattyMcFatterson and in another video? and this time you called me a 'kunt'. this is too much. please stop being mean to me! i really really don't like it.
FattyMcFatterson
You wanna be cool, huh? Stop that nonsense
so which is best country for living in this world ...no racism , no unhappy and no angry ad no aggressive....tell me....
This entire video could be used to describe Hanoi, I think that this is just the way Chinese cultures develop (other than Japan's).
cho jackie b Philippines
wow your video made me think about my country a lot in different view and i respect your opinion, and most of your thought i do agree even though I AM KOREAN.
Also i read some comments foreigners wrote about Korea. I could sympathize to all that complaints, and since i also experienced what you said in my whole life, i wouldn’t deny it.
But I just want to explain causes why Koreans generally have those attitudes, and give you understandable reasons about Korea’s atmosphere. Please excuse my imperfect english.
First of all, i just want to make sure that many Koreans are aware of the problems about rudeness and hate it as you guys do. We’re not just accepting or thinking it okay.
So...there are numerous causes of how a country gets its own atmosphere but to put it briefly... it all starts with very high population density.
1. the old
Until mid-1900s, most of Koreans were farmers, so they had as much kids as you can have , like 10 kids per family, to provide hands. (because infant mortality rate was high) Since then, Korea’s population density became high.
In mid-1900s the Korean war and WW2 devastated Korea, which came to cause most people in that generation unlearned. Moreover, they had to experience their family and friends being aparted or got killed. Especially women are sexually harassed by Japanese or left alone and had to earn a livelihood in dangerous battlefield. This generation lived through all these chaos are who we call now rude people or according to your video, rude old women. The young think they are rude and stubborn occasionally, but historically, they had to be that kind of people to survive...
2.the middle-age
this generation has their own painful memories... They had to build Korea from the scratch so they always had pressure to achieve sth fast as you can. In 1980s we had IMF, which produced tons of the jobless and beggars. So since the pressure to revive Korea(which was more poor than Ghana in GDP then), this generation, who is now the mid-aged, has become impatient, rude(impetuousness seems to be rude obviously), and performanceism.
3.the young
Like i mentioned at first, as Korea develops and become stabilized, competition in performance got extreme, since high population density but limited office available. Influenced by their parent’s generation, the culture that going university is necessary and concentrate only on SAT score has spread. So only aiming at the university, the young have to get through extreme competition and focus only on their performance, without education of humanism(of course there are some education stuff but who care if not affecting you score?again, performanceism!). Well I am part of these gloomy young generation, and to describe high school student life in Korea, you have to study at least 14 hours if following school and private education schedule(in average, 80% of children start private education since elementary school and need to spend 300million dollars to raise a child) . In teenage, we sleep under 6 hours a day. (which explains why teenage suicide rate in Korea is no.1) This is why the general atmosphere is gloomy and some of the young are rude, only watching their phone.
+the air pollution is also about performanceism, since most of high quality private education and firms are concentrated in Seoul the capital, people even not living there close commute Seoul everyday, which explains why there are so many cars and bad air pollution in Seoul.
Thank you sincerely for your comment and insight.
Very informative. Thank you for taking the time to explain in detail.
300 million won ie 300,000 dollars. Excellent comment.
신혜리 your english is great! Thank you for taking your time and writing this. I think people in general should put more effort in understanding before starting to complain.
literally 300million dollars. depends on teachers and city but in seoul usually it costs 280 dollars per a month for one private education class and students get 1~10 classes. If you think these private education(we call it academy) starts when students are at age 10 and finishes when 19, also considering students spend most of their vacation in there, parents do spend 300 million dollars...In Seoul, this cost gets even higher.
It's funny how the old the old ladies in Korea look EXACTLY the same. All have the same hair etc.
CafeNervoza that's because in Korea there's this thing when once you get to a certain age you should cut ur hair or something like that
it's because they are old, and don't care anymore.
so they assume hair style that requires the least amount of care and maintenance.
They're just all the same person 😂😂 Clones of each other there to put you in your place! XD
@@disneydatney8751 What are you talking about? There's nothing like that.
It’s the same in south east Asia. It’s creepy and pathetic.
Anyone who doesn't understand would think you're being unfairly critical, but I agree with you 100%. I could add plenty more, and of course there are positive aspects too, like, as you mentioned, the ancient architecture, and the mountainous landscape can be quite beautiful. Plenty of Korean people, especially those I've met who have spent time outside the country agree that it is stifling and depressing, and some of those friends want to leave Korea and settle elsewhere. The suicide rate is also telling. I think Korea was dealt a bad hand in history, what with it's geographical location between interfering and ambitious giants, and in having been so heavily influenced by Neo-Confucianism (which fucks people UP!), but I won't go into that here. Korea didn't have the same time to develop as a society during its record-breaking rise from poorest country in Asia to economic powerhouse. There are too many anachronisms that jar with modernity, amd hopefully it's just a phase Korea has to go through. :/
Pikukat your comment is very interesting! As an ethnic Korean i tend to be pretty defensive of Korea but I completely agree with your theory of why a lot of cultural/mannerisms in Korea are... unappealing? Korea has gone through an interesting cultural development and it has influenced a lot of what modern Korean society looks like now
Wow! First time I read a comment like that. I absolutely agree! Korea and Koreans had no time to adapt socially psychologically from being super poor to having all this wealth and consumerism around!!! It’s a crowded little country, people are superficial and over ambitious. Im Korean but my family moved to Europe very early and I couldn’t be more happy. I love korea. But I would only want to live there if I had no worries about money and time.
Pikukat Wow... I never thought about the previous history and how those bad vibes spread through generations. I feel bad for them. But this is an interesting comment. I felt like I learned a lot!
Well said
[M mo
I am currently working as a teacher in Korea, and I agree 100% with all of the complaints you mentioned in this video (although I personally enjoy the spicy food). As a fellow Brit, I have to say the thing I find most infuriating is the pushing and shoving by the adjummas. I too have been tempted on a bad day to shove them back!
I can relate to you on some things. Korea is a very collectivist country and there's not a lot of individuals there and they are very blunt, but I spent 2 years there and I had never felt more welcomed than I did in Korea. I think if you went to the country side, you may have a different experience. People in big cities tend to be colder than in the rural areas.
I found this to be true in European countries as well.
@@McFlashh There are racist people everywhere. Generally, people tend to have biases towards their own in-group, which is probably what you are referring to, and I can agree with that. But, from the time I wrote that comment, to now, the majority of Asian people I've met have been very kind and friendly towards me, so I cannot agree with calling Asian people as a whole racists.
GOOD to have a unfiltered, unpolitically correct views about Korea.
I had to look up the legless people because it sounds so strange, and it turns out they're called 'seal men' and lost their legs to polio. They do receive welfare from the government, but they can't get jobs so all they can do is crawl around and ask for money.
I'm a Korean and even as a native Korean life here is bad af just so many freaking people crammed in such a small space and the whole thing about excessive competition and all that... it's just annoying I understand you
I lived in Daegu, Korea for a year. Yes, Traffic and driving was horrific, I thought we were going to get hit everyday they drive so crazy! Some people are really fcked up for no reason, a guy keyed my moms van once and I think its because he knew she was american or something. But generally everyone was very nice and i felt very safe. i dont know if people were saying negative things about me (being black) but id say that korea is worth visiting. And compared to the customer service in America, all the korean stores i visited went above and beyond my expectations. I really enjoyed their spicy food, the kimchi, the cheap street items, shopping and bars- the culture is very unique and interesting. So like I said, I wouldn’t live there but i would definitely visit again.
Lord Lew They look upon Americans and those westerns side but for other Asians and Muslims they look down on em.
that's not completely true. they look up to "white folks" Americans and Europeans.
They don't mind Japanese and Chinese too much, but they look down on anybody who's darker than them.
since Lew said he is black, I find it surprising that he found customer service to be above his expectation.
and someone keying your car is probably either you drove very nice car, so they were jealous, or you parked your car in their parking spot.
funny cause as an Asian when I went to western countries I think they are more polite
OMG!!! That is exactly how I felt when I was living there.
Me too
@@lily5890 serious?
I agree with what you said specially about the big difference between Koreans and Japanese mannerism.
Koreans are straight forward and can come across as rude asf.
Japanese are more nice and will try not to offend you.
Update: I studied in the UK not in Korea.
I had the same experience when I was in my uni dorm, Korean students would play loud music during mid night in next door share studio room and they couldn't care about other people. While Japanese people would always ask before doing anything if I was in the studio room. I found that Korean people are very rude and obnoxious, they are very materialistic and not caring type. So, if you lived in Japan then I can definitely see why you found Koreans so rude.
Exactly!
I think being australian, them being straight forward doesn't really affect us, but visiting Japan I picked up their mannerism straight away like bowing and saying sumimasen a lot and thanking them. But apparently you aren't suppose to thank the clerks when I was in a family mart.
Both Korean and japanese will backstabbing you in a heartbeat.
Please don't assume that Koreans are straight forward and can come across as rude. Americans are rude asf. I lived in the USA for 1 week and for the couple of days I was persecuted by a bunch of Nazi.
our case was rude, it was insane
I like the way you tell the story,it's gentle and tender even though the story you are telling is irritating,I literally like you.literally?I am not sure if it's a right expression or not,I just pick up from online video during my learning English.keeping working,my boy:)
as someone who comes from a multicultural family [Korean ma], i can tell you Koreans are very direct and not afraid to raise their voice. i'd say the most annoying thing about Korean culture is how you can't avoid comments on your weight. aside from that, i'm actually not too bothered by anything else that wouldn't bother me about East Asia in general. One thing they need to acknowledge is the mental health epidemic that's taking too many people's lives in their countries. Mental illnesses are considered taboo/non-existent in East Asia. A K-pop star just recently took his life and of course the media treated it like just another day.
It’s considered a taboo topic for basically all of Asia
I'm korean thanks for keeping it real, I enjoy watching your videos.
As an American living in Korea for 2 years, everything you said is 100% true. I especially can't stand the bad costumer service and rude older women. Coming from the states where manners are considered very important, it pains me every time someone doesn't say thank you if you do something nice for them. This has happened so much to me that I've somewhat lost the will to do nice things for others just for the hell of it...
I think you miss interpreted the point. All they're saying is that they grew up in a place where "please" and "thank you" are common, then they moved to another place where it's not so common. That this new place they are now staying for an extended period time, that seems to vastly differ in manners, made them give up their politeness. I don't think race is a key factor.
I'm not implying that it's not common in South Korea, I'm implying that it's not common in the place that the original commenter is staying. Yes, they're staying in South Korea but we don't know where exactly in South Korea. Also, giving up things just so you can fit a part of the group better is common human practice. An example would be how to drive in a city versus driving in a less densely populated area. It's pretty different, and you're going to adapt. Just apply the same concept to mannerisms of a group.
You can say we agree that race isn't an important factor, but we mean it in completely different ways. You meant it to the original commenter as an accusation because they dared to use a point of reference just like the man in this video did to convey a point that to them, the people where they were living near were ruder compared to the people that they lived near back home. None of what the original commenter said really brought importance to race till you made it that way. I was just pointing out your virtue signaling.
People adapting to their environment is now opinion than fact? I don't think so. The driving example is to point how different you're going to drive in different places. Yes, everyone who earns their driving license has the capacity to drive how driving books dictate you to. But that doesn't take into account how specific environments can mess with that ideal situation. When driving in a city there's a lot of traffic, people rushing, cutting you off, etc. Driving in a less densely population you wouldn't ordinarily have the same issues with a city. You can take your time, people won't cut you off as much, etc. Do you understand what I'm trying to get at? The example was supposed to be addressing you being baffled why a person would change the way they behave. Like I said, it's common human practice to change little things about yourself to fit in where ever you are.
Now, the original commenter wasn't comparing races. At all. All they said was "As an American, I agree" and "Coming from the states..". You somehow took it as them saying America is best when it comes to manners. When they are in fact from America and I have no doubt that they know how rude people from America can be. No one would bat an eye if this conversation was a person saying how rude people in New York than in, say, Georgia.
What you were saying in your first comment was basically "There are assholes and good people everywhere so stop judging between races that just shows you're stupid" dressed up in the most pretentious way possible to a simple comment about their own experiences. Their own feelings. Their own comparison to their life in the U.S. versus in South Korea. You went out of your way to try and prove you're mightier than thou by bringing in race to something that really wasn't about race. That was my point.
Okay, but did you understand the point I was trying to make with the driving example? Also, you aren't going to address anything else I said? Sorry for repeating things I already stated but still not about race. More like living environments. They say they lived there for two years, it's not logical to assume they meant every person they had ever meant in South Korea had terrible manners so the next conclusion would be that they meant behaviors common to the place they're staying at. Which is a fair outlook and harmless criticism if they are comparing it back at home which just so happened to be in the U.S.
Old and older women can be pretty rude in America too...especially in nursing homes.
I am a Korean American living in Seoul, over two years now, and a lot what you mentioned is true but I also feel like you are a very sensitive person. The way you speak, the things you find unpleasant, etc. To be honest, I've been to Japan twice on vacation and even though customer service wise they are way more polite, Japan is very gloomy too. Perhaps it is because people like to be quiet in public but overall Japan is not lively either. But anyways, a lot of the things such as public behavior can be explained but it's too long and I've had this conversation with my korean and korean-American friends too many times; so I don't want to get into it. The key things people need to know about Korea if they ever plan to visit is, Koreans are very competitive and aggressive, and judgmental as well. If you don't grow thick skin in this country good luck because it's not a very pleasant place if you are very sensitive. Unless of course, you are a pretty white girl, they'll probably get special treatment and a pass for most everything.
I think everything he said is very evident of British culture. We aren’t the nicest people in the world but things such as what he said about the customer service, talking loudly on the phone and the elderly ladies ect is considered incredibly rude here. Also stereotypically we are somewhat antisocial
Revolting Swan They are competing for everything.
Daniel Lim what you said is quite true - koreans are superficial and judgmental. but you are korean american. You don't know how stressful it is here and how competitive it is, we don't have any resources and the only way you make it here is extemely good grades or good looks or born with rich parents.
u know all my korean friends now live in japan they moved.
heaven K I'm sure he knows how competitive it is in Korea. I'm just grateful that I don't live there. I'd be a high school dropout.
I like your british accent.
@@jonasalden29201 how ? Him english is not correct could u explain please
@@yagamilight1862 No, not him. The first person to make a comment here. "this guy look like gay." No "like", Just "looks gay." But a more important issue is that the korean who said was just trying to be an asshole. I responded to the wrong comment! Oops.
@@ishe1485 Instead of worrying about his sexuality, you need to worry about your English! You sound like an illiterate fisherman.
@@jonasalden29201 well you can't speak english yourself
@@jeffersondavis9415 You've misunderstood, Gay Femme. My comment contains the necessary punctuation and quotation marks to answer the question of why @weqe dsa has bigger fish to fry than whether Daniel looks gay. It sounds like a kind of pidgin English, yet he criticizes someone's apparent sexual orientation. I forgive you. You waded into the water late.
I'm south Korean, studying in US highschool now, I think koreans should really reflect themselves. I totally agree with your thoughts, it is a nice video that can know our problems..but the problem is, if koreans watch your video, most of them will not like it, might just get angry at you, not even trying to change their attitude! To say as a Korean, we tend to look at our country in just our point of view, not respecting criticisms from people like you, and very ignorant of foreign countries' manners and stuff. We fight with so emotional things, mammonism is everywhere, the conflict between old and young is serious, and today, even conflict between male and female is getting worse! As a korean, I have no pride about koreans. Of course it is a shame thing, not to love my own country, but I feel hopeless and miserable of myself that change in Korea seems to not happen in a close future, because we don't even know its necessity, even it is a serious problem. After I have been studying in US, I am very surprised of "excuse me" and "thank you". In korea, do you know what they say if you say about manners and other ettiquettes? They say these manners are so formal.., things that should be changed from old confucianism custom..not knowing its real need and benefit. Ah.. I just don't know. Maybe I'm just a losing trend person in Korea. But I can't understand.. They destroy old things that are still useful as a name of progress, and leave things that really needs to be changed. Like education system, its form came from Japan, and still not changing even all people think it has problem and ..even Japan changed their old education system! I have so much other things to say.. like our government' s stupid policy toward north korea, giving them money, as a name of donate, which is actually used for making nukes,... man.. every time I criticise my own country, I even hate myself. You know what? Suprisingly amount of people like me are leaving Korea, even at this moment, it is not a joke, my friend or brother-like university student who attends the best korean university even says he will leave Korea to get career. It is because of Korea's strange culture that people who study science and engineering kind of things are too hard to live in korea. Government doesn't invest much in science and technological studies, compared to other countries, which will eventually lead to retreat of entire country, because Korea's one of the main products is electronic devices from industry like SAMSUNG, now China is catching up right behind...I can't understand my own country! Do you know how depressing it is? Back to topic, it is a understandable thing that many Koreans don't respect you. It is because they don't even respect themselves...How can we respect our own country even it is so messy? I am so embarrassed, so angry while watching your video. My anger is not towards you, but the problematic people in Korea. I don't know what to do... I am dead inside...insulting my own country.. Thanks for letting me know your point of view towards Korea. Thank you.
You are struggling with something many Koreans struggle with. Korean society is a composite of both those who seek to move on and those who are stuck in the same rut. It is a mess in many ways but is many ways is changing, just not all at the same time and in the same places. Everywhere you will see change, some for the better, some for the worse. Koreans like many in other countries seek a better life but there is a momentum of values, culture, and customs can be at odds and in conflict with each other, again just like many countries. So no generalizations will be helpful when they are merely damning and disdainful, especially against your own country and countrymen. Have compassion for yourself and your fellow Koreans. Understand the problems and issues are also true of any country but to different degrees.
While what the poster said is accurate from his perspective, it doesn't necessarily mean that everything he said is the absolute and definitive way to understand and see Korea clearly. Korea is still changing, and it's changing in good ways as well.
For those who are sensitive to things that make them uncomfortable, that is what they will see clearly but those whose comfort zone is more robust, they will also be able to see that not everything that makes them uncomfortable is bad. The conceit is to believe that everything you are comfortable with is good and everything that makes you uncomfortable is bad. It is kind of like the rabbit complaining to the giraffe that there isn't enough grass when the giraffe is happily eating the leaves off the branches. Just because it was bad for the rabbit doesn't mean it is necessarily bad for the giraffe. It would be conceited of the rabbit to say that what hold true for him has to hold true for others as well.
I have known many British friends who have enjoyed and are enjoying their experiences in Korea. That doesn't mean that every British person finds everything about Korea to their liking. It's just to a certain degree that they are able to negotiate what is uncomfortable with what they can appreciate in spite of it.
It is true that many Koreans are competitive, aggressive, shallow, judgemental and stuck in the "us" vs "them" mentality, but it is also true that many Koreans, especially, the younger ones realize that it's time to reconsider the values that have defined them, and to a certain part, been the engine for Korea's amazing economic development. Some of it was good and necessary for those times but may not be so helpful anymore.
It's good to share what makes you uncomfortable but not at the expense of making other people or places look bad by any form of disdain or insult. The poster is making a genuine attempt to share how he saw and experienced Korea, but it doesn't mean that it is how everyone will also experience Korea. Cheer up, there is hope yet for Korea to be a country that you can be proud of, regardless of what others may think.
Dude, no one is perfect; no country is perfect. Just accept whatever is given to you and use it to your advantage. Enjoy your life; in the end, nothing matters.
Whether you like korea or not mostly depends on what you are used to and what kind of person you are. I am from a big city that feels pretty much the same to seoul. And people are loud and it doesn't matter to me because i am used to it. But i get that if you are from a quieter city that the cars and stuff can be off putting. Also about the customer service it really depends i for an instance found that the Koreans were annoyingly over attentive to me(like constantly trying to ask if i need help). Also if you are not a city person seoul can be awful so then i suggest you go to busan(which i love more than seoul because of its mundane vibes, but if you are an extrovert seoul has a lot more interesting things to do). You do have a point about the older people that think they can do anything. That is super annoying but that doesn't mean that the whole country is bad like the people in this comment section imply. Every country has bad points, even korea( even though some people don't want to acknowledge that because they are ignorant)So I get that Korea is not for everyone but don't generalize the whole country based on your experiences of only a small part of the culture/country guys😅
Chireny de groot you've given the best, most polite response to this in my opinion, and i agree completely :) because i live in a suburban area near the city i was already used to all the ruckus that i would soon experience living in Seoul - but to me it wasn't ruckus, it was just white noise because it was something i was used to
PREACH!! 👏🏼👏🏼
This video is called "My experience" he is just telling his personal experience not generalizing at all. Just because South Korea is not his cup of tea it doesn't mean is a bad place to live for everybody.
I went to Korean in 2016 and I noticed a lot of the things you discussed in this video, especially the unfriendly customer service (granted, some stores had nice workers but they were overly warm and friendly). I am visiting Japan in 2018 and am excited because Japanese people seem really bubbly and warm
I would say Japanese people are extremely polite and will give you great customer service. However, friendliness/warmth is something I didnt feel there unlike Cambodia or Vietnam. Let me know what you think though - hope you have a different experience!
they are quite friendly. It does not mean they like you, it means they are just embracing thier culture of respect as second nature. at least theyre nicer and not blunt unlike south korea
They were or were not overly warm and friendly?
I never been to any store or shop where the workers were overly warm and friendly.
and I don't expect the store worker to be overly warm and friendly.
I want them to be polite and knowledgeable and know what they are doing.
Korea has their own way of showing respect. Learn it before judging it
not even cars.. but even laptops! im half korean but i came to korea after high school. there was once when we had to bring our laptops to work. so i brought my striking mint laptop and everyone stared coz their's were either black, white or silver -.- no joke..
This kind of honest and detailed reviews is very good and helpful! Than you, Daniel! 👌👍❤️
Thanks for posting this vid. I'm half white half Korean and I live the states. I have never really felt like I fit in here but after watching this vid it looks like I'm stuck here..
CyberRonin hmm I think it would be a good experience to visit Korea at least once to see how you like it? there's a CZcams channel called red dragon diaries by a half white half Korean man who seems to really like living in Korea. Maybe you might find his vids interesting... He's currently learning Korean so he makes videos about that and also food and judo videos.
He just has 1 perspective. Visit and make your own judgement. Many expats (myself included) have a good experience there.
As a half-Caribbean person I've always been called "a foreigner" here in the Netherlands, after getting my diploma I was sent to the Netherlands West-Indies and I've always been called "not-Curaçaoleño" by other black people in the Netherlands but I've always experienced the feeling of "otherness" being "a non-white", the moment I visited "my homeland" I never felt more like a Makamba. If you're mixed nowhere is your home...
黑龍 - Hắc Long that's really sad :( im sorry you've had these experiences that have caused you to think this way
If you are a mixed race person, USA is the best place to be.
you may not feel you fit in USA, but it will be way worse anywhere else.
Honestly its only the UK and some other places in Europe where the traffic is somewhat peaceful. In Canada its very similar, at least in the city Toronto. We have a lot of traffic, horning, and in general, aggressive drivers to sum it up.
you can bust a vain from driving in toronto lol.
you can bust a vein from driving in Montreal lol, no way I will ever drive in that city, and I think that I have to agree with the assessment that most of the big cities will be cold and rude..the more people are packed together, the more we become rude and blinkered ; i lived in Montreal for 35 years and am now living in a town with a population of 2000 and the contrast is amazing
Try looking up videos of the traffic in Japan, it’s so respectful and the Japanese even have a way of bowing 🙇 to say thank you by blinking your tale lights, look it up, it’s so amazing
My friend worked there for 2 years and agreed with everything u said!!
Thanks for this video Daniel! It was really interesting. I’ve seen a lot of videos on peoples experiences living in Korea but never heard any of these things.
Lived in S.Korea for 7 years, after a while those things are just commonplace. The recycling trucks and vending trucks (Korean melons, Ginseng, Mushrooms, fish, and vegetables proved to be a useful service. I wished we had them here in Canada.) Yes, they are loud, but wow are they ever convenient!!
Everyone who has taught in both Japan and Korea that I know prefer Japan. All the time. I wanted to teach English in Japan but the pay was higher in Korea. I only went there by default. It wasn't my first choice at all but I still had a good time.
le sigh can i ask what you preferred about Japan and the good things you found in Korea? I'm considering teaching English in East Asia and any information is useful to me :)
So sorry for such a late response! I never taught in Japan so I can't give specifics. I just wanted to go there for some reason. Good things in Korea: Food, respect for elders, great nightlife in Seoul, inexpensive clothes and transportation, higher teacher's salary, super fast wifi and McDonalds delivers. LOL
ovo Do you speak korean?
As a Korean, I beg you to go to JAPAN... In fact, Korea is the most hospitable country in east Asia.
In Hong Kong, Singapore, foreign workers will be treated like slaves from local HK,Sg people.
In Japan, foreign workers will be left out and isolated by Japanese people, society.
On the contrary, Korea is too nice and give highest salary to foreign worker than Jpn,HK,Sg.
There's MILLIONS of foreign workers and Koreans are getting sick of them.
They don't try to assimilate and they in general are under-educated than ordinary Korean.
I bet if you work in Japan longer than 2 yrs, you will become to feel that Korea was paradise to foreigner. lol
Pink Peppers, I speak enough to get by. lol
being in korea is like minecraft .. made my day
is japanese architecture better then s.korea ?
i like the japanese alleys
Love your observations; very funny and on point.
went there for a week when i had k gf. it did feel very industrial and smoggy, though the food was nice. the thing i liked the most was that the people weren't really dodgy. it's not like london where you see people who could mug you. felt like being a kid, everything was new.
i really like this video as all you see are good vids about korea or when people say stuff they dont like its always the same stuff.. but this was really nice and i can actually relate to something even tho i'm from germany and that's the beggars on trains thing and just asking people for money like of course i feel bad for them too, but i don't want to be harrassed like if i want to give you money to help you, then i will go up to you and give you money like it's really awkward when i'm on the train and this person goes around asking people for money and i'm sitting there on the other side of the wagon already thinking about whether i should just pretend that i'm busy or say that i don't have any money on me.. and the customer service thing is crazy like if they behaved like that in germany it'd drive me nuts.. the cashier talking on the phone while serving a customer?? man i'd leave that store so fast and never come back if that happened here.. that's just SO rude like idk it makes me angry just thinking about it LOL
The train stuff only has happened once to me and I'm really glad. Especially if it's in the night and the train is rather empty, it is way too terrifying when older men suddenly talk to you and want you to spend money. I think that may be really different depending on where exactly you live in Germany. I'm from Munich, so everything is rather nice but I feel like in Cologne or Berlin, there would be more beggars...
The difference between the beggars he mentioned and those in Germany is probably, that those in Korea are Koreans as well while I experienced them to often be foreigners or like (I think) illegal immigrants.
In the US we have a chain restaurant called Saigon Bay. They serve Pho and many Vietnamese women work there. The food is fantastic, but the customer service is so bad. The waitresses won't smile at you or make eye contact. I really enjoy hearing about the cultural differences you experienced between Japan and South Korea.
+Treasure Warren yes thats what i felt like the korean customer service was like. Very very different to japan where its like they bend over backwards to please you. Im glad you enjoyed my video :)
making eye contact in Confucionist culture means they are challenging you.
so it is rude to make direct eye contacts, especially to people who are above your station.
like boss, superior, and patron.
Vietnam and Vietnamese people are the worst.
I am Vietnamese . And i would say all the bad thing in South Korea is exist in my country with new level . I am so tired living here . One of the worst society in the world
I looked up divorce video and found you but had start from being of you channel to really learn about what made me subscribe instantly. YOU'RE SO RAW AND INTERESTING TO LISTEN TO
There used to be a lot of brick buildings in the early 90s but the population in Seoul is too large. Most of the air pollution, sand, etc is blown over from northeast China where it is much worse. Traffic has always been horrible, but I think customer service is much better than in the US. Also so many people these days feel depressed over lack of economic opportunity coupled with high living costs and low wages (hell choson). You would probably enjoy a smaller town outside of Seoul. Enjoyed your post.
I'm Korean. I agree with you strongly.
I studied hard in high school, but am studying so hard in Korean university too.
Korean suicide rate is no.1 in OECD countries(except Lithuania of New no.1).
Korea is very stiffen society.
I feel crazy when I read how so many people love it in South Korea... they are obviously very different people with different values than me. I suppose if you are some trendy, shallow, materialistic, love to shop until you drop, obsessed with makeup, love to drink, etc sort of person it must be great for you here. other than that, I really didn't find it had that much to offer. I even came thinking Kpop was catchy at first, until that's all I heard everywhere. the same unoriginal sort of pop groups that sound all the same, or the sort of romantic "singing on the top of a mountain" dramatic love songs you'd hear everywhere too lol. it started to drive me mad.
even "the nature" these city people from foreign countries loved to go hiking in I found to be incredibly subpar... there are no animals that live there other than rats that I saw in the piles of garbage in the country towns and stray cats and dogs. maybe the OCCASIONAL bird... but even those were rare. the air quality is absolute shit, and no it's not just from blowing over from China like Koreans all love to use as a scapegoat. it felt disgusting when it rained. not nice, clean, wonderful smelling rain like what I'm used to where my home is. the temples were interesting yet underwhelming compared to other countries'.
and their god damn "bali bali" culture... and how so many Koreans I've encountered insist on working so many hours yet don't get jack shit done or are organized at all it seemed.
yet Koreans and other foreigners all get so OVERLY DEFENSIVE and idiotic if I say any one of these things... guess what? that's another strike against Korea for me haha. I hate that attitude... stubbornly patriotic or travel snobs that act ~so much better~ than you and insist you have no right to ~omgz complain about different cultures u jus dun understanndddd!!!~. like damn, people can criticize my home country but I'd never act like how some have to me just making a small complaint about "wonderful Korea" lol.
is this jay park undercover?
Its all because of kpop & some stupid kdramas that they see from Koreans show,but its really hard to live in Korea especially as a foreigner.its really hard for me too to see a lot of people around myself talk about how Korea is cool & amazing.they don't know the reality & it seems they don't want to know even when you talk with them & share your experience
soroor_1999 yazdi Ohhh I won't lie. I love some kdramas and kpop. Sure it's pretty good stuff for me. But I would have to agree that kpop is definitely the cause of making Korea look 'so great.' Cause I've watched some Kdramas and read a few Korean webtoons... and the place does not seem all roses, butterflies and rainbows like people wanna think. I can't see how a kdrama would tell people it's so great.. when there is so much bad shit going on in the stories that people sadly over look. Not sure HOW true these 'messed up' things are. But even I can tell that their is darkness in the cracks. Shoot.. the idols are literally barely paid props for money. An Idol does something wrong? He or she can easily be replaced. :(
vatefairefoutre0 yeah every country has it’s good and really bad. I agree with most of what u said loll
lol you just described Seoul and ignored the rest of Korea, like most foreigners do.
As someone who works in the service industry as a sales assistant, please think twice before getting annoyed that they offer you help without you asking.
The company I work for sets it as a requirement that we greet every customer and offer them help.
I know it’s frustrating, it can be for us too when we’re ignored or shrugged off, but it’s generally not the sales assistants fault.
Please always be polite, at least.
hey.. it's called getting a different job lol if you know you are or you may be potentially frustrating people (99% of the time you are indeed) then you should really consider is this a job for me or is it for somebody who doesn't know better or don't actually give a shit.
andrew H who are you to tell me whether my job is for me or not? I love my job and more often that not people are really lovely and accepting of my greeting and offer of help.
It’s called being a decent person.
Someone else’s frustration has nothing to do with me and I won’t let it ruin my career.
You need to sort yourself out, bud.
It is a pretty audacious thing to say for somebody working in an entry level salesperson position to say the "customer's frustration has nothing to do with my own well being". Did you ever stop to think about why there is a surplus in the job market for the work that you are doing? It's because most people do not want to be doing the kind of work you're doing versus what exists in the market as a demand.
Perhaps if you continue to be complacent and do continue in that "career(lol)", you may receive some specialized training such as "elevated service", where you will learn about different approaches to different group of target consumers. i.e. getting out of the way of the streamliners.
I want you to take one thing to remember, and it is a fact and not an opinion. You are getting paid to work there, and the customer is the one paying their disposable income to your company to pay your hourly wage. You saying "someone else's frustration has nothing to do with me" is a pretty damn stupid thing to say.
You want to shift the blame to the same company that you work for- that they "set it as a requirement to do x"
which brings me back to my initial point; if you don't agree with your company, get a different job. If you are in agreement with your company's guideline, then don't shift the blame and admit that you're in support of the same bullshit.
andrew H lol I don’t have time for this, I have a job to go to.
Laters. ✌🏻
bye! enjoy the minimum wage job! we (people with normal job that are not required by the company to solicit and annoy other people) are already back home from work :) gl getting 8 hours here on!
The reason why road are big in korea is to use them emergency run ways for plains and things just in case war breaks out ~
+tochjo772 oh wow thats pretty cool
well he is from a small city in england,if he went to london his complaints would be pretty much the same.rude people,horning,pollution,depressing atmosphere.i'm sure there are trees,open fields in koorean countryside too.
"Old korean ladies are rude"
You should try old italian ladies on public transports
I’m black my husband is white and in the Military. We lived in South Korea. I didn’t hate it and didn’t love it. Loved the food and history. . We are use to people staring at us because we’re a interracial couple. I miss the food..
Korea customer service is great once you speak some Korean and know how to use it (outside of convenience stores). It's just different than it is in West. In Korea you have to call wait staff over in restaurants and stores or they won't help you. It's a cultural difference. Once you call them over you get timely, polite, and efficient, but no thrills service. It's service on demand basically. I much prefer it to the ass kissing that goes on in America.
You've been to Korea four times, wow! It is surprising all the things you have seen in Japan, then South Korea, then Taiwan... you are a traveller! Do you know London very well?
+Adauto Medeiros no i never go to London haha. I went to london yesterday for the first time in 2 years.
oh wow!!! I think you would love to spend some time in simple Brazil area, where I live. You have a personality that would intrigue the brazilians, and even so, they would end up loving you man.
lol?
Ed Denoy lol
Ed Denoy LMFAOOOOOOO IM FUCKING GONE
Mate, the bus driver driving off violently just depends on the driver really, like I’m from the uk aswell and there have been loads of time when I’ve been swung across the bus when I get in
cant help but laugh by the fifteenth time you said mushrooms lol
I've been to Seoul 8 times. Seoul, just like all other big cities, are not for everyone. To me, Seoul is an extremely energetic city with constantly changing streetscape. The architecture is dynamic and I really enjoy their revitalized neighborhoods. Every time I visit, there are new areas to explore and the Koreans I encountered were always helpful and authentic in my own experience. I hope you realize sometimes you contradict yourself such as you want people to notice you and greet you when you walk into a store but then when they do, you think they are too loud. I guess you're a bit hard to please which is so you
The bare minimum polite thing to do is greet someone/look at them when they're interacting with you. Loud and constant advertising/sales people bothering you all the time are nothing close to that. The two things you're comparing are not even similar. There's no contradiction here.
disagree.. I just came back from Seoul not long ago. Their bad attitude suck big time. People (cashiers, waiters, sales people etc) all seem like they have no soul and are serving you looking like you owe them something.
Not all stores have people greeting you. Theres tons of stores in America that doesnt greet people either. He's just extremely sensitive
Been to both, and I like it more in Japan like I like Japan 20times more
South Korea reminds me of New York :D
I had a similar expierance with an older women on the subway platform. She jamed her walking stick into my back to move aside to make room for her, but there was enough space for two people to walk past before she shoved me anyways. I have never wanted to push an older women so much in my life. Of course I didn't, I just moved up anyways called her a bitter old women in my head and avoided being near older people in the train for the rest of my trip.
I love you. Thanks for this... I got a lot of knowledge from this video.
You should have gone to North Korea. I've seen plenty of videos from there and the traffic situation is so much better. It seems so much more peaceful and relaxing and I love the music Where Are You Dear General that plays over the town of Pyongyang from the town station. You have to have a guided tour and not just go where you want on your own, but I don't see that as a bad thing.
@@QwertyS3 So what? People can still go on holiday there. At least before the co vid thing.
Your voice is so soothing...
What you are describing here is basically inter cultural communication difficulties. It only means people in other countries have their own way of living and cultural practices. It's not worth complaining.
what a hypocrite smh
there is probably no culture in this world that keeps you from being ''polite or considering'', but i'm only saying that because koreans complain waaaay more when they go to other places about things they are waaaaaay worst at, including things he mentioned here.
FunnyBricks not if you’re a Japanese woman.
Oof
I enjoy your videos because how analytical and observant you are. XD
People seem to take this as " Why this country stinks" instead of " I wasnt a fan of this". It gives more perspective on him and his preferences rather than anything. He wants polite people around him, he likes it quiet and calm. I live near one of the biggest cities in the US and seems pretty close to what he's talking about. It would be best for him to live in a suburban area with mild mannered people. Just the way I took it, I could be wrong
if you hated staying in Korea , why did you live there so long time, nobody asked you to stay.
I live in new york , I felt same way when I was in london 6 month.
any way 'hate' is a very strong word.
I love this channel lol it’s kinda negative but like good relatable things to talk about
I loved your comment about waiting round for a mushroom truck rather than just going to the shop, lol. I say the same thing about telemarketers who call trying to sell me new windows or a roof over the phone. If my window was broken, I would find a reputable window company to replace it. I wouldn't just sit around the house everyday hoping a window seller called me. ^.^ Anyway, Hello! Just subscribed. I really enjoy your commentary with a healthy dose of sarcasm on the side xD
I can hear your complaints for hours 😆 Thank you for your information... Come to Indonesia when you have holiday, Indonesia people are loud too but also polite on the same time.. anyways again, Thank you & good Vlog!
Aya HP Indonesia? I live in Indonesia and it has similar problems, especially Jakarta.
I'm glad I was born in Colombia. By the way I want to visit England. Thanks for the video, so much latinos talk about their experiences in South Korea and they say the same as you.
we're living in a variety cultures and different stories from each part of the world, iam Indonesian but i respect any cultures, whether its korean culture, japanese, western, latins or etc. i just wanna say to u guys let's be more understanding to each other culture and less complaining in the future ! then this world will be a better place to live in
You should travel to all the countries and make a video about your experience. I would love to watch your videos.
I've been to Korea about every year since 2008, and I can see how many things have improved ALOT already, which are now still kind of annoying, but way less annoying.
So back then it was not yet illegal to sell your stuff on the train or beg for money, they ebmven brought some carts/driving tables(?) like the food-cart thingys on airplanes, filled with their goods. Now its illegal, so they just bring small bags or buggys, to be able to runaway fast but also its gotten WAY LESS selling stuff on the trains. The(legless) beggers were always playing loud sad music, while robbing through the train, I think this has stopped by now..? At least I rarely see them begging on the train anymore, so I cant tell if they still use the loud music.
Then also, while shopping somewhere, people would drag you inside of their shops, shouting "window shopping! window shopping!" so that I would maybe find something I want to buy when already being in their store, but I never bought anything at all when they would dare to drag me inside , how rude is that? Also when walking through the drinking-streets at night (which are often just beside or among the shopping streets), some men would drag the girls inside if their club ,so that many guys will come to pay to go inside if they would find out there are foreign girls inside, they would shout "come to our bar, we have foreign female guests tonight" or something like this, I really had to pull my friend out of one guys hands and had to run away from them, as we just wanted to go shopping ...(it was in insadong), now its totally forbidden to drag anyone inside if shops or bars, which is a good thing, but they are now shouting louder than ever, to get my attention... and handing all of these free face masks or shit, so that people will feel bad about taking it wthout going inside to buy something..
Then the old guys finally stopped talking to me in russian, asking "how much?" , as most foreigners in korea back in 2008 and before, were russian prostitutes... nowadays theres millions of foreigners so the old guys are afraid to ask when the chance is zero that these girls are russian prostitutes anymore.. some old men were spitting in front of our feet, because I guess they thought we are dirty prostitutes and wanted to show that we are not welcome, usually they spit alot but to the sides of the street or in front if themselves, but they were spitting our way on purpose.. also one old guy was running after us at night when we were at a PC bang to contact our families, then when we wanted to leave, one old guy that was watching us all the time, also got up and wanted to leave.. so when I told my friend to run, we started running and he came after us ,guess he also thought we were just there for sex.. yeah sure in a pc bang..
These days I dont feel like some sexual object anymore because of course no russian prostitutes anymore or hard to find..
Oh and also, elder people in korea are kind ogmf treated like the holy cow in india, because the men were fighting in war, and the women were mostly nurses or some other help at that time, or if worse, were sexually abused by the japanese back then, so all of them get priority here and there, cheaper prices for lots of things or even cmpletely for free, so after all this time, they acted like they are the center of attention. 'Let me go through, I've fought in the war!' and same for the women, actually in 2008 it was rare to see younger people sitting down on the train, as there were too many old people in every train, so as soon as the door opened, any young and heakthy person would make space for the elder people which surely would enter now, but these days people in korea care a little less, dont smile as much anymore, no nice customer service anymore, using their phone at work, which you would NEVER see in 2008 or 2009, even the dishes were always prepared for you at your table, nowadays they often tell me to do it myself as f a foreigner would know the right way to prepare the korean dish.. then I went to lotte world in 2009 for the first time and everyone was smiley and friendly and there was just happiness that I could feel, last time I went there was in 2015 I think, it was horrible.. they were looking like they want to finush their shift asap but still had to wave their hands to tell us 'goodbye and enjoy your ride' ..and just after I came back from japan, being in disneyland.. it felt even worse then..
I kind of like Korea but compared to Japan its reallly realllly just okay. You may want to go there for teavelling shortly or to see your kpop idols, but after you finished that, please run away! , telling this to ALL of my friends, that are going to study in korea, they decide if 6 or 12 months , I ALWAYS tell them just take 6 months or even less, trust me!, my best friend didnt listen to me and chose 12 months, after 3-4 months she wad crying, and wanted to stop her studies, so she came back for vacation shortly but returned to finush what she had started.. but she would never go back again for longer than 2 weeks.
The most Ive stayed in Korea at once was 3 months, and after 1-2 months I already wanted to go back but had to go through that ... never again. Boring, depressing.
I'm a korean and even though not everyone is like how you described, I mostly agree with you. Honestly it's so heartbreaking to hear about yours and other's bad experience in korea and wonder if things in my country will even get better. Hope your doing okay now. :))
I can relate with the customer service story. Japanese people are so welcoming and smiling, however when I went to a Korean store they don’t even look in your face haha
The mushroom thing made me laugh! That’s a good point, if you want to buy mushroom you would just go to the market and buy it and not sit there waiting for someone to announce if you wanna buy mushrooms! Lol 😂
I honestly do not like korean people in general and I am not saying all koreans are the same. But most of them act so annoyingly stuck up and I do not get along with them even if I am also an asian and I am Vietnamese. They do not seem to like Vietnameses as they think they are better than us which is ridiculous. NO HATING TOWARDS ME, IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE BLOCKED OUT OF MY COMMENT. I just express my opinion, and if you do not like it just leave no drama please.
lol I’m Korean American but this is so relatable because when I visited South Korea to see my grandparents people drove so badly on the streets I swear we almost got into two accidents during the two weeks I was staying there 😂
The sand comes from China it gets to Japan occasionally. It is weird it makes everything look yellow and Misty even in Japan
so he does not hate Japan after all!
I've been to both countries but I live in Japan. Yes, what you said is true, but there are also good Koreans. I find Korea more lively than Japan. It's always gloomy here. LOL! People don't smile. I was actually kinda shocked when I visited the US and Hong Kong because people there are more cheerful.
Hah! I was in Seoul in 2006 and i had the same thought whilst travelling from the airport to the hotel, " why are the cars all silver, black and white?" They have the most colourful food though... so it kinda says that they're 'cold' on the outside but personally, they're actually quite warm people when u get to know them
KL Mom this is a sweet way to look at it hahhah
Coming from Japan to Korea experience, I whole heartily agree and everything you said like rudeness of them! haha! ;-) By the way, London is one of my favorite cities and the country side in England is beyond amazing! ;-)
I'm sorry you didn't like South Korea, all the issues you've mentioned is.. improving? :/ It's not a perfect country and we're not as people pleasing as Japan but we can be just as friendly and respectful. Most people here are speaking from anecdotal evidence, first impressions go a long way right?
And to the fake username Japanese nationalists lurking here. Y'all must be jizzing your pants at this video.
im not, but more people need to know the reality, regardless
what do you mean by that?
I think a lot of it has to do with the slight overpopulation issue. too much competition, too much stress, too much critcism, too much too much too much. if i grew up in that hell yeah i'd have a depressed and rude attitude. people in train cars bus drivers in new york are like that too, but they have some like..decent attitudes most of the time. im guessing back in england, you didn't live in a big city. almost all big cities have people like in seoul and tokyo.
I am South Korean, and I mostly agree with your opinion except homeless in subway and soldiers&polices stuff.. You should not feel hateful about homeless, and I don't know where you lived.. but I live in Seoul, I can't see soldiers usually.. if you lived in Kangwondo, then you could see many soldiers, however, they don't touch civilians.. If they fight civilians, they will be in big trouble, like going to detention cell, or recorded, or going to military jail. They always educate never fight,don't argue with civilians.. So they don't even argue with civilians. you don't have to worry at least soldier stuff, if you come to Korea again. and police is also kind at least you don't make any trouble. they also never threat people.. anyway thanks for opinion.
I guess all Koreans have Samsung smartphones just like they all have the same cars lmao
This is actually true !!! X'D X'D X'D
2900405 lmao true... one of my friend also bought a Samsung mobile from korea and i was lauhging like madness.. i don't why but i was continuously laughing 😂
Skylar Lee you mad
@@coffeefiesta_ Why were you laughing?
Customer service in South Korea is the same as Singapore
i think Hong Kong would definitely suit your personality.
Lay Ho LA as well. Lots of narcissists live there.
We are on the same page....most koreans are rude and lack discipline and manners...even in the public places they're so loud and egoistic people....but i think it is their culture...so impatient and keep on complaining the small things...but i'm trying hard to be flexible and understand them since i am living here in their country...however, some koreans i know are good to me...those people are well educated and they could travel so many countries. so that's why they were open minded...some people say..out of ten koreans only one is kind and generous....sorry to hear that guys...actually, i felt the same way...
I agree on the traffic. And their driving style is the worst! Whenever i ride either a bus or a taxi i'll have palpitation because of their terrible driving and they won't stop honking each other lol
The trains are the same in New York. 80% sure you'll find disabled, homeless, and people selling all sorts of stuff
Very informative. I was interested in teaching there for awhile, but now I don't think so. But I heard that Korea is a lot cheaper to live in than Japan on the whole.
if you are a white person, you will be fine in Korea.
he is Asian who is not Korean, so that's completely different story.
Funny how you mention that, I think I've noticed cars in a parkway once as I was about to leave from work and most were monochrome too here in America, White, Black, and Silver...
There were a few colored ones like red, but yeah. :p Maybe the percentage of monochrome cars to colored is lower, but there's still a lot of them...
I'd want a blue one personally because that's my favorite color. :p
It's well known in psychology that loud pushy noisy people are actually living in fear of (not being liked as someone popular) this is basically a stage that many in younger years 13 - 29 pass through. Unfortunately, that behavior is paid forward and backwards in the whole of society. South Korea also, has the highest suicide rate per capita. Which is a direct reflection of the system in place in that society.
You are so honest and real. Thank you for your frankness. Also, I liked your accent.
I am from America and was stationed in korea for 2 years.every thing you said is spot on.i could not wait to get the hell out of there.I had a chance to go back for two weeks for free an turned it down.never going back.
Listening to you is really relaxing!💗
You went to Japan and Korea with permanent British mindset and not enjoying whatever you see or do on a daily basis. The best thing for you is staying at home ( Brexit ) and get all your fish and chips, eggs and bacons!!
Thai Kumnun how would that be the best thing for him? That makes no sense. He has good points.
so you dont think one should be allowed to voice ones observation while being fully aware of the subjective nature of it all ?
Of course, what do you think? The UK get out of EU membership and down the hill with their economy in the very near future.
@Meat Ball - Have you ever been to Korea? I guess not since you seem to think Korean architecture isn't boring. 90% of Koreans live in big oblong concrete apartment buildings, they are either grey or a shade of beige. If you don't think that's boring then I feel sorry for you.
Meat Ball, while UK architecture is not exactly as beautiful as, let's say, italian or german architecture, but at least it has much more preserved buildings and structures that look traditional and are much more interesting than the bleakness of korean buildings with their copy-paste building pattern.
In Los Angeles the freeways are 12 lanes. 6 each way. And it still doesn’t move 😩
I'm going to advise you, never go to Africa and stay far away from Beijing, if loud noises, pollution, people trying to sell you things and seeing people in military uniforms bother you that much. I probably wouldn't recommend spending much time in the UK (outside of your room) either if seeing grim faces bother you that much. I get there can be annoying things but focusing on just the negative aspects of a country or culture reflects poorly on you more so than the place you're griping about. Since you didn't indicate you spent much time outside of Seoul, it's a bit like making a judgement about the whole of the UK having just spent time in London (if it sat within artillery range of an enemy that it has a tenuous truce with).
Andy B africa is a continent😌where?
He shouldn't go to Zimbabwe there are children on the street begging for money
zat rat 😂😂😂they don't do it anymore...more like people pressuring you to buy products....then in South Africa😥it's the adults doing the begging
You just said a whole continent as if Africa is all the same.
I had a great time in Djibouti, Africa. The people there were very welcoming. My only problem was that the heat and humidity there felt like hell.
Ok, this rather old video somehow was recommended to me and was actually interested... Sadly I don't fully agree with you. I'm not here to shit on you but some things you said really annoyed me... It seems to me that you went to another country and got offended about the fact that they don't act like british people. They won't and they shouldn't!
You mentioned the traffic and I was just like "More lanes? Awesome! There's a lot of honking? Well, that's what happens when people drive like idiots, you should let them know, nothing rude about that!" But then again, I'm not british, I'm german. Honking isn't rude to me. And our bigger cities are also full of cars even though we have amazing public transportation (probably because cars are considered a status symbol here... maybe also in korea?) I don't like that you act like british traffic is so great and the koreans are doing it wrong.
Same goes for the people. The things they say, talking loud in public, the bluntness, the smaller personal space, the not saying "Excuse me" while being in a hurry... it is not rude to them. So I don't get how people are offended about that. That's just how they know it, it's normal to them. And I really don't get why you think it's rude that people in stores or supermarkets want to help you! That sounds so nice to me :D
In the big cities in Germany there are also beggars on the trains, on the streets they are also common and a lot of them are disabled and missing limbs. Unfortunatly a lot of these people don't seek the help of the government or the amount of money that they receive isn't enough. The beggars would be normal to me. If you don't want to donate, then just don't. I don't understand how someone feels harrassed by that, sorry!
The people-blending-in-part and "heartless" designs of buildings is very interesting and makes me kind of sad. Weird that their idols stick out so much but the ordinary koreans don't want to... the fact that they don't smile so much, the military (But then... in Europe the military is also quite present in recent times. I was in Paris recently and saw soldiers and policemen everywhere), the air pollution is also a valid reason not to like a place...
TL;DR: It is ok if you don't want to live there. But it seems like you look down on their culture and behavior and keep comparing the countries you visited to your home country. Cultures are different and it's great that people are different! Some of your points were interesting, I definitely learned something... and I like your accent :D I will surely check out more of your videos! (& sorry for the bad english)
I would be so annoyed by honking here in Germany. If people can't drive, they shouldn't and if everyone is just honking all the time, it helps no one and no one will know, who is honked at (?) anymore. Since I've also never been in Korea, I don't know to which extent they do this, but if I take a look at a lot of southern countries, where people are honking all the time, it's just annoying and loud. Nobody needs this, really. I also don't think, that the city centre of our bigger cities is really that full of cars. At least I haven't noticed yet. I think the traffic is relatively light here (compared to e.g. Rome).
Puh warte, irgendwie ist es mir gerade zu schwer, auf Englisch zu schreiben. Das Ding mit den Menmschen dort ist eben, dass sie sich so verhalten. Das Problem ist für ihn, dass es anscheinend zu ihrer Kultur gehört (wenn sie es nicht anders kennen und so aufgewachsen sind) und er es dagegen anders kennt und anders besser findet. Ich meine, nur weil man in ein anderes Land fährt, kann man ja nicht plötzlich seine Moral- oder Verhaltensvorstellungen ändern. Als Beispiel: In einem anderen Video habe ich gesehen, dass Menschen in Korea einfach so niesen und husten, ohne sich die Hand vorn Mund zu halten. Wenn ich jetzt dort wäre und das erleben würde, wie mich jemand anniest, dann finde ich das natürlich immer noch eklig, auch wenn es für die Koreaner da normal ist, das zu tun und dann würde ich genau das auch in so einem Video sagen. Er kommt einfach mit einem bestimmten Teil ihrer Kultur nicht klar und empfindet das als unhöflich. Tatsächlich wissen wir aber auch nicht, ob diese Eigenschaft (vor allem der alten Leute), jetzt wirklich so normal ist. Hier in Deutschland gibts immerhin auch genug alte Leute, die sich unglaublich unhöflich verhalten für unsere Standards. Wir haben keine Ahnung, ob so eine alte, jeden anstoßende Frau als vollkommen akzeptabel oder unhöflich angesehen wird. Außer jemand von uns hat Kontakt zu Koreanern aus Korea, ich habe das nicht. :D
Ich finde Bettler tatsächlich auch manchmal... störend. Wenn sie nur irgendwo sitzen und ihr Ding machen, ok, ich muss ihnen nichts spenden, ich kann weitergehen. Was ich aber richtig unangenehm finde, ist wenn einer einen anspricht und wirklich direkt um Geld bittet. Am besten noch, wenn man alleine draußen ist. Ne, das ist einfach unangenehm.
Warum ist das Militär eigentlich so aktiv plötzlich? Bei Frankreich dachte ich, dass es nach Charlie Hebdo eine logische Folge war und ich glaube anfangs war es auch deswegen (bin kurz danach mal in Paris gewesen und war echt ein wenig erschrocken über das viele Militär). Dann war ich aber vor kurzem in Rom und da ist es genau so. Hier in DE habe ich das noch nie gesehen.
Ich finde es nicht schlimm, dass er eine andere Kultur kritisiert oder nicht mag. Ich zb finde es ganz schrecklich, dass in asiatischen Ländern oftmals ein riesiger Druck auf die Kinder ausgeübt wird, gute Leistungen zu erzielen usw. Oder dass in Japan die Sprache relativ sexistisch ist oder dass es in den USA immer noch die Todessttrafe gibt (in manchen Staaten) und dass in Saudi Arabien Menschenrechte mit Füßen getreten werden usw. Ich mag auch nicht, dass wir Deutschen so unglaublich oft rummeckern (aber das tu ich leider selbst zu gerne) oder dass wir wirklich unglaublich unhöflich sind, habe ich im Gefühl. Vor allem was das Verhalten im Internet angeht. Irgendwie lese ich bei jeglichen englischsprachigen CZcamsrn (bspw.) wesentlich weniger Beleidigungen und sowas als bei Deutschen... Es ist nicht verwerflich, andere Kulturen zu kritisieren (so wie man natürlich auch fähig sein muss, die eigen zu kritisieren).
Es tut mir so leid, wenn du das alles hier wirklich liest, ich weiß nicht, wieso ich hier so einen Roman geschrieben habe, ich sollte echt schlafen gehen :D
Ich finds übrigens interessant, dass wir so eine komplett unterschiedliche Sichtweise auf Dinge wie Bettler und Autolärm haben, obwohl wir wahrscheinlich ähnliche Erfahrungen haben.
I'd like to hear of your experience if you ever went to India. My predication is you'll absolutely hate it because it's a lot like Korea based on your description lol
Tbh I really like the music coming out of Korea and the culture but I would still prefer to live in Japan and I could never properly articulate why, until I watched your video. It reminded me of some problems that I'd noticed.
I feel like South Korea still has a lot of social evolution to go through;
High suicide rates due to unyielding pressure on young people and neglect of older people, weird taboos about living with your parter/having a child before marriage, plummeting birth rates in part due to the lack of free/affordable childcare, crazy drinking culture, lax driving laws that result in many deaths from car accidents, attitudes towards mental health, attitudes towards homosexuality, attitudes towards plastic surgery and beauty ideals, growing cyber bullying problems...every country has its own issues but I could just go on and on....
Very much true. Old womans don't respect younger people or even when they know you are a foreigner, so they end up pushing you off the way in a sarcastic way. I really hate that. Age is also big deal in korea and how they respect. It's horrible. Like, regardless of age, race, etc., everyone deserve respect.I stayed for 7 months now and I tried to understand and like the korean things but i think it's too much rudeness to take in. I think it's not healthy for living a life in korea. Give you huge pressure and stress because they want you to be the same as them which you'll never be because you are not. I came from the Philippines which is known to be "the happiest people in the world", it's not a good country as well but the people in the Philippines are way much more better.
pretty sure military is ages 18-26 around there
I am from the philippines and im afraid that if you visit our country, the only thing that you would like is the people who always smile and are very accomodating. We have a very low suicidal rates though a lot are in poverty line. Weather is humid and we our loud.
I know this is late but he might like that the products are cheap and there are plenty of nice people and beautiful places.
Lol you got me cracking up over here! I love your dark humor
Got a kick out of you complaining about customer service people both ignoring you AND being too helpful. :D