Being a White Man in South Korea
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- čas přidán 11. 06. 2024
- Today I asked white men in Korea, "What is it like being a white men in Korea?"
I hope you guys enjoy it!
✅Follow on my Instagram!
/ its_jinkwon
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00:00 Intro
00:59 Q1.How's been your experience in Korea?
02:43 Q2. Being a white man in Korea?
05:40 Q3. Advantages as a white man?
07:31 Q4. Racism?
09:42 Q5. Stereotype about white guys?
11:12 Q6. Experience with girls?
13:06 Last message
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Music
"Night", "Butter", "branch" by Lukrembo
Hi, I'm the Polish guy. I was a bit nervous since I've never had been interviewed before
And if anybody's interested - paweu787
Hi Pawel, good to see you here :)
you were great! Ive lived in Korea for some time myself and could really resonate with the point that k-drama/western media romanticises the given culture
Jak na pierwszy wywiad to naprawdę dobrze ci poszło Paweł! Gratsy i powodzenia w Korei :)
No worries man, you did well!
I've never lived in Korea but I have visited there. The one thing that stood out to me was when locals would apologize to me for any of their limited English skills. Whilst this is a kind gesture for someone to say, I always found it odd because I kept thinking to myself that it should be ME apologizing for my poor Korean!
내 얘기네요. 그냥 세계 공용어니까 나도 모르게 사과했던거 같아요
잘 모르는 외국인에게(혹은 직장 동료라도 친하지 않은) 한국말을 자꾸 하는 것이 오히려 무례할 수 있다는 게 한국인들 생각임...
@@user-gw8fr3cr2e엥 전혀 그런의미가 아닌데요. 한국인들이 미안해할게 아니라 내가 미안해해야할 문제인데 하며 오히려 반성하는거에요
@@user-qy4xh2zf1p한국땅에서 한국어를 해야지 영어 못한다고 사과하냐 ㅁㅊ거아냐? 이러니 어리석은 20대들이 윤석열이나 뽑았지
@@baekdumountaintiger5701 한국땅에서 세계공용어 못써서 소통이 안되어 상대에게 사과할수도 있는거지. 그런 마인드로 찢 뽑으셨죠?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ조선인 마인드.답네요 그런데 어쩌나 그런 꽉막힌 마인드로 일본제국한테 먹혀 조선은 망해 사라졌는데
I moved to Busan as a 12 year old blonde white boy in 2008. Back in 2008, white people and foreigners in general were still very rare in Busan. I got asked daily for pictures and school girls would ask me out daily. Crazy times. By the time I left in 2014, no one even looked twice at me, because foreigners because so common in Busan.
I'm sure you changed in 6 years as well
"Maybe it's because you're ugly." - Patrick Star
@@InfinityReptar Cope, as a blonde guy he probably slayed hundreds of chicks in korea
@@Jesus-rp3krjoke
@@InfinityReptarratio sadly
Glad that their experiences were much better. Being a darker skinned SE asian, I was met with much more harsh judgmental people. Being that most asian countries love people with fairer skin, it’s disappointing that my experiences in an asian country are worse than being asian in America.
Wait is that real? Sorry about that.
Go visit Japan.
This is universal as sad it may be. In America, you're still more "fair" than other races so you might be treated better but since Korea is a homogenous country and nearly all Koreans are on the fairer side, you probably stand out more in Korea than the US.
I'm sorry to hear that! I can't understand Koreans being racist toward SE asians. It's so ridiculous af They're not even white💀
@@nomadenview pretty much all Asian countries are obsessed with having whiter skin. There are many skin whitening creams in SE Asia and they are quite popular. Colonialism, am I right??
I really love how these men answer! With a substance, truth and reality. Esp. the one working in a university.. so brilliant!
Yeah, he comes across as a really decent person.
I can tell he's a nice guy for sure, but i found him quite pretentious tbh
I thought he was bending over backwards to avoid expressing an individual or original opinion.
@@heeroyuy298 I thought the same, though to me it seemed more to sound enlightened, wise and profound. But didn't come across right to me
He was the quintessential nice guy haha. Nobody could be offended by him. And yet, he has probably never turned on a woman in his life.
The Canadian guy made an extremely important point, mentioning the enormous generation gap in Korea, which is bigger than most countries due to the rapid and radical economic development over just a few decades…this drives massive difference in how any foreigner is viewed and treated here in Korea. His comment about spicy food made me smile; Koreans almost exclusively assume I don’t like spicy food, yet I like food spicier than the average Korean (living in Thailand in the past helped me in that regard).
I've lived in Mexico for over 15 years, however the hottest food I've eaten has always been in the U.S. (I've always been someone that eats very hot food on a regular occasion.) It's amusing that sometimes in other countries, people assume Americans just eat bland food.
It would be so easy to just ASK!
Spent two years in Korea around Seongnam-si. Koreans in my experience were always the sweetest. And you could tell it wasn't fake by their vibe. Even at a few clubs Koreans went hard and it was just cool. I don't really see much of that in the US anymore. I will miss Korea.
Where you at K-16. I was at K-16 2 times 1983 and late 1988.
My experience is that I get either treated at a king or a vagrant depending entirely on how I'm dressed or whether or not I'm cleanly shaven. In general, they have high expectations for upstanding westerners but fear the dregs of the west. It's important that you decide which one you represent.
I actually thought the one man had a very good point about how media might affect people's viewpoints on romanticizing another nationality/race. It's fairly easy to see how Western media has pervaded so many countries and how it could affect Koreans romanticizing westerners, but Kdramas are a lot more niche. I feel like I have definitely seen a lot of people who watch Kdramas who do romanticize Korean men because of it. Also for another video, I would be really interested to see what it's like being a white woman in Korea.
Yes white women normally go to Korea for some childish and submissive asian meat… so annoying…
@@ludwigwittgenstein1280 keep coping. white women lust for asians
@@ah-xc5ex Statistically Asian women date white men three times as much as the reverse, so idk what you're on about.
I don't think that's entirely true, as western media, atleast the past 20 years, has been heavily influenced by urban (african american) pop culture, which imo is very destructice to society, but thats neither here nor there...
The point is, had koreans beens influenced by western media, we would have no doubt seen this shift in Korea aswell...
Take the Blackpill. Theres definitly a Media Halo and a exotic boost but thats Not all of the explanation. Facial Features that just go Well on women, height and so on play a role.
Refreshing to hear responses from articulate individuals… made a great interview session. Also, these men gave such balanced perspectives. Great job, Jin, with questions and your role as a journalist.
I'm curious with your opening sentence. This implies a comparison. So my question is, "articulate individuals" as opposed to what or who?
@@ashantilematthew6277 …”of a person or a person's words) having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently.”
"an articulate account of their experiences"
Comparison: inarticulate …
“unable to speak distinctly or express oneself clearly.”
@@ashantilematthew6277 I don't really see the confusion. These men are affiliated with higher education levels, hence their well-spoken rhetoric
@@markusdead96 Mmmm...when you point that out, the implication is that other "individuals" have not been "articulate". Also, the "refreshing" is another sign that this is a comparison. So the question remains: articulate individuals compared to who?
@@maryjanewesterlund9958 I wasn't asking about the definition 😑. I was asking who you are comparing them to. Who are the inarticulate individuals you are referring to? Because your comment is very reminiscent of a euphemism. Even your flippant response to me shows that you are being facetious, condescending or you didn't understand the question. The latter of which I am not inclined to conclude.
I live in Din Daeng, Bangkok, Thailand in an area where there are very few Westerners and the locals absolutely love me. The condo where I stay has some gardens and I have always made it a habit to be outside and helping to maintain their beauty and even helped to build a very nice fountain and flowing river in front of the building. These are the same community activities I would do no matter where I lived, it puts you in a very position to be exposed to your neighbors and provide an opportunity for conversation in a positive environment and the results have been exceptional. Everyone stops and at least says hi, many try to engage in conversation, regardless of any language barriers as well as join in on whatever activity I'm doing at the time. How locals perceive you is very much dependant on what it is you are doing and the image you are projecting. If you are hanging out in tourist areas being drunk and loud, the perception of Westerners is going to be not so good. If you are acting responsably, respect those around you AND yourself, people are going to see that and be drawn to you, no matter where you are from.
Being in Amsterdam with my brother who is almost a foot taller than me was nice. I loved seeing him be small compared to everyone. So I can imagine a group of Dutch men is a little intimidating
One can tell the gentleman that started speaking at 1:13 is incredibly insightful and is very cognizant of how respect and personal space is approached in Korean Culture; and how it might affect one's experience if not observed properly. He also is very diplomat in his answers and chooses his words carefully. Especially when he spoke about other minorities having unpleasant experiences there. He obviously had vivid examples but refrained from going into the details.
It kinda seemed to me like he is scared to say what he really feels and maybe end up offending people. To tell you the truth I only watched half the video, but that's just how he sounded to me.
Edit: I am done with the video now and as I said earlier he just seemed like he didn't wanna tell his personal opinion and just talked about things in general terms. Anyways he didn't do anything wrong so let me stop blubbering
Being politically correct all the time is a bit spineless.
@@arjanatwal2237 Very true.
@@Kareem_Alcindor That being said, if he works for a Korean university like he mentioned, he might just be staying neutral for the sake of his job security. I guess we'll never know!
@@arjanatwal2237don't confuse compassion with being spineless. He's just a thoughtful person is all.
It was great to see different perspectives and experiences.
What a nice and polite interview. Thank you for your work!
Awesome video, well rounded, the flow of speaking is perfect and you let people the time to fully express their opinions, great job
Awesome video. I lived in Korea as a white man for almost 2 years and worked in education. At first, I did feel the stares, especially from the older generations. It can be awkward but you learn to accept and ignore it. They definitely lived in a totally different generation, so the generation gap is actually very large here. As for the younger generations, they're more interested in interacting and speaking to Americans, Canadians or Europeans as some of them have desires to travel or study abroad. However, with the older generations, if you speak Korean and can hold a general conversation, they are friendly, polite and will show you respect for learning the language and showing them that you're not only there to simply "party".
When I was on the subway in 2015, as a white woman, I had a few stares from the subway car ahead of mine. I just bowed slightly to show respect because I could see they were not only looking at me but talking about me. Which is fine. Maybe they liked my jacket or something. When I bowed they sort of scrambled a bit and smiled. As long as you show people respect they'll respect you.
This is a difference between normal people and woke poeple who jump on a train to call the entire country racist because they're not used to something, kudos to both of you
Partyyyy!!!
Ahh an "english teacher"
I'm white
It would be interesting to se a intervieuw with the canadian guy and his korean wife about their intercultural marriage☺️
You’re right. We actually talked about his marriage and It was very interesting. But it was a bit off topic so I didn’t put it in this video :(
But I’m working on a video about international couples, so you can check it soon!
1st time viewer here, this is great quality production man! Everything from background music to shot selection was really well done. I also liked the simple and concise interview format. I wish you the best! Here's a sub.
Great video! The professor from university especially has such a soothing voice and is so good with his words, I could listen to this man for hours
I love your interviews. They are very informative, interesting and natural.
And it was fun to see a compatriot! Hello from Poland 😄
3:37 This man speaks like a politician 🫣
The American and Canadian were overly cautious, in their answers. They obviously drink from the "P.C." punch bowl. They did not appear to be candid at all. I found it quite humorous of the amount of splicing/editing that was done with the American's answers especially.
Thank you, Jin!
I was stationed in Korea for a couple years when I was in the USAF. Most fun I’ve ever had. My roommate and I use to go down to the train station and just point at something on the board and just go explore. Nobody spoke English but everyone was super friendly. If you stayed away from the town near the military bases then people are quite friendly.
I was stationed in South Korea as an American Soldier for 27 months. I have the best memories from my time there. Wonderful country and wonderful people.
love you long time?
If you were black or brown it’d probably be some of your worst memories. Just being frank
@@masteryoda1258 same with really ugly or really short or really low iq. We can go all day with victimhood scenarios tho.
Ouch
@@Freshprankstv1 well its not really victimhood when its true. Koreans like white people. Asians in general think white people are superior. Koreans dont want to become the master race. they just want to become master of asia by the side of western countries. thats why they are racist towards chinese and SEA and highly competitive to the point of stealing japanese culture.
Handsome Jin with yet another great video. No country is perfect for sure. But it is such an amazing thing to be able to travel and experience a new culture. it opens up your mind AND your heart. I cannot wait to visit Korea soon.
Wow you got some really thoughtful and interesting people for comments here! Korea is definitely on my list of coutries to visit.
Korean-American here, spent my entire life in So Cal. Moved to S. Korea 15 years ago, and now I'm married with a beautiful wife and son. Hands down the best decision I have ever made. I cannot even imagine what my life would've been had I not immigrated here. I love Korea and this is my home. Went to California a few years ago due to my father passing away, but it felt foreign, despite the fact I lived in that area for 25 years.
im hoping to do the same, from socal as well
It was the best decision my friend, western has become a hell, or an asylum :D
@@giangra92 I agree 💯! Cali has become so liberal it's almost a new country.
@@hellogoodbye219 Wasn't Cali super liberal from like forever?. I'm also a Korean-American from NY who moved to Korea like 8 years ago. I can't say it was the best decision of my life but I sure did save a lot of money in Korea due to lower taxes compared to NY; and housing as well.
You’re very fortunate to not be considered a foreigner in America and go to Korea and of course be accepted. Whereas the white guy living in Korea for 16 years speaks the language, married a Korea woman and will never be accepted and always be a foreigner.
Nice how non westerners can have their cake and eat it too. Yet still fail to see the double standards and cry racism after reading all this.
You found very good and polite speakers! Well done!
I lived in Korea for a year for my MBA and loved it. Probably my favourite experience so far in my life. Such a great country and most people were Incredibly friendly and generous to me. One of my favourite daily interactions was when I’d leave my apartment and an elderly door man would interact with me.
I've been to Korea several times over the past 10 or so years for work, and as a white man with very long hair I will say that the way I feel perceived by locals varies drastically depending on how I dress and whether I've shaved my beard or not. I'm 6'5/1.98m which I'm sure helps with not actually having people be directly racist or rude towards me, but the looks I get and how I feel around people when I'm wearing a suit or polo as opposed to baggy t-shirts and shorts are real different, especially (but not exclusively) from the older generation.
Why is your profile pic a chick if you're a dude?
Beards negatively perceived there? I'm about to move
@@michaelbloomer451 Easy to tell by Kdramas, the good / handsome guys never ever have a beard. The few ones that do are villains/bums/poor people etc.
@@michaelbloomer451We love white people with beards too
Would love to hear something about what Koreans think about adopted Korean children. I have been to Korea once, since I was adopted at the age of two, but I didn't get an impression in general, since we where with the adoption agency travel agents, and where pretty much in a closed environment during the 2 weeks we visited.
입양된 한국인들에게 특별한 감정을 가지고 있습니다. 한국이 입양에 폐쇄적인데 그 이유가 아직까지 혈통주의가 강하기 때문입니다. 같은 이유로 한국혈통을 외국에 내보냈다는데 대해 안타까움과 고통을 동시에 느끼고 있죠. 서구의 관점에서는 상당히 이상하게 들릴 수 있지만 한국핏줄이다 라고 한다면 당신이 어디에 있건 한국인이라는 생각을 먼저합니다. 그들이 행복하게 사는 인터뷰를 보면 다행이다 하고 기뻐하죠.
I love how well-spoken they all are
No, lol. The proofreader dude has worse English than the Polish dude
@@vicecityblue ?
@@vicecitybluehe spoke so eloquently with perfect english wtf are you talking about??💀
@@vicecityblue You're projecting. The man spoke very well.
@@Chocolatemaster10110 i guess we have different standards
Hi Jin,
I like your interviews. So kamsamida🙏It’s nice to hear that all participants are generally positive. And I agree that in every country there’re good and bad experiences. It’s how people see and behave towards others. Media also influences people. If a person is open to adjust to the culture and learn the language it’s less difficult to adapt. The more people do this the less prejudice will develop. This goes both ways. One of my goal is to visit South Korea and Jeju Island. I subscribed.
Great interview, asking them very straightforward questions and letting them speak it all out. I liked the simple back and forth here, easy to follow
interviewees are amazingly calm and rationale. Super nice people and super nice interview
I love your videos so much! ❤❤Keep going Jin❣️love from Greece 🇬🇷❤❤😍
Just wanted to greet speaker from Poland, Paweł 😁 I started watching video from the middle and and thought "wait, this guy has definitely polish accent". And I was right 😂 Thank you for your opinions, they were well-balanced. Trzymaj się tam w tej Korei 😁
I had the same thing but then with the Dutch guy XD Dutch people really have a noticeable accent
Scott seems like such a genuine and positive person. All the guys in the video are very well spoken and thoughtful. Great video!
I went to South Korea this year for 4 weeks as a person with Indian features. Before I went, I watched videos about the experience of people of color, like me, in Korea. They mostly talked about the stares they would get when in public. However, during my time in Korea, I did not experience this at all. Sure, sometimes it felt as if people were staring at me, but that is not different from where I am from. In general, the Korean people were very helpful. The fact that I can speak Korean may have helped though.
"may" XD
'people of colour' what a silly phrase.
@@skillbopster why?
Very informative topic. My Brother also lived in Korea for about 8-9 years and he never commented(or maybe doesnt want to talk/say negative commnets against Korean people in General), anything about Korean people.
Kudos to all of these gentlemen for thinking out their answers. Everyone was thoughtful! I will say, I was offered interviews on radio, went on tv shows and did commercials and promos all because I was a foreigner. That happens to me way less now that I'm back in Canada.
As a white foreigner myself, I think they were clearly being polite and didn’t want to come across as ungrateful for having the opportunity to live in South Korea. Though, I think they’re concealing a lot of the inconvenient and harsh truths about living as a foreigner in South Korea. Although they’re treated better than their darker skin friends back home, they’re still not fully accepted by South Koreans beyond novelty and exoticism.
I am going next week. It’s been since 1989 since the last time I was there. Can’t wait I am 65 years old now. My first trip in 1983 at 24 years old. 3 years in the military total time spent there. UPDATE: Follow up. 14 hour flt from DFW . It’s a whole different experience being back in Korea. I am celebrating New Years “Korean” with EXs family. It was nice . I made extra efforts not to bring negative thought from EXs family. It all turned out nice
Awesome!
The interviewees have really thoughtful and unusual answers.
This is really interesting, thank you.
Such well spoken and beautiful men. I am sure they are all very content with their decision to have moved to Korea.
I hope to one day visit this amazing country its culture :)
As a Korean social psychologist explained in one of his talks, the generational gap in Korea is massive due to the fact that Korean developed so fast the older generation literally came from dirt while the new generation was born into a wealthy and technologically advanced country. That's why a lot of the older generation people sometimes act very 'primitive' for lack of a better word at the moment in my head. Even as a Korean-American this caught me off guard really hard when I first came to Korea. I'm not saying I've gotten used to it but as soon as you strike some kind of conversation they treat you differently. Sometimes I forget that even though Korea today is wealthy and relatively advanced, a lot of people still consider foreigners very exotic and sometimes intimidating. Coming from New York nothing really surprises me so the way I view the world is almost the polar opposite of how native Koreans view the world.
its not primitive. just normal human behaviour. You see this in all the countries over the world. The internet makes us delirious and deceived about reality and the human condition.
Wow you found some very well spoken and educated people to interview, I appreciate the content!
Great video with a perspective you don’t get very often. I appreciate that these men so eloquently shared their experiences. I’ve read through a ton of comments and noticed that some seemed surprisingly unbothered by the different treatment other foreigners received so long as they were treated well.
I'm British and I was recently in Korea for 6 weeks. Korean skin colour looks the same as mine, so that was never an issue. They would sometimes stare at me on the metro, but it was only because of curiosity and never in a judgemental way. I was treated really well by the Korean people and shown respect even by strangers - so refreshing from living in a Western society where hate has become the norm.
The British and Koreans both have light skin but they still see brits as different based on features.
What western society are you living in where hate is the 'norm'?
Western countries are the most multietnics in the world.
Stop hating on the west, the freedom we have here is something that many other people can only dream about.
You're not cool talking bad about us.
Stupid
@@metalfingerz4203 exactly
Korea isn't a multiracial shithole, unlike most of the West.
Older Koreans will flat-out tell white men that they should not date Korean women because Korean women belong with Korean men. An old ajusshi yelled at me and an ex-girlfriend on line 2 in broad daylight with a train full of passengers that our dating was unacceptable. Definitely happens.
It happens everywhere in all societies though. In my country it's not very acceptable for a black man/ woman to date a white or coloured woman or man, it's not acceptable for a white man/ woman to date a black guy. It's cultural.
I feel it's none of my business who wants to date or marry who, it's not my life and not my future.
@@beany1944 Sounds like you're describing - and implicitly condoning - fundamentally racist cultures.
Good, stop changing homogeneous society with your globalist agenda.
Shoutout to that 아저씨 lmao
@@andrew11bravo11 Your mother was too loose. She should've kept her legs closed and not let your bum father nut in her. Unfortunately, she didn't. Now the world has you: one more ignorant piece of trash desperately seeking attention on the internet.
Great interview! They are all so well spoken!
You selected some really interesting people to talk to . Very thoughtful , insightful answers.
Visited their in 2018 and agree about the language barrier and social norms. Most Koreans do not speak any English but those that do are super happy to speak with you. Now many young people are now learning it in school including grade school. We where interviewed twice by groups of young kids. They where so cute! Best bet if you really need someone to translate is to look for a younger person. I am most impressed how there are so many young business owners in Korea.
대한민국에 틀딱들말고 영어못하는 사람이 어딨음 ? 부끄러워서 안하는거임
Why should they speak English? Foreigners should always strive to speak the Native language when visiting their country!
Ask yourself, should American speak Korean when Korean visit America? Hell NO! We would be angry if they speak Korean to us!
Keep in mind that non English speakers trying to speak English when you visit their country is not because they enjoy speaking to you in english, it's because they just feel bad that MOST westerners are too stupid to learn a foreign language. So they are just being respectful and try to make your life as a tourist a little easier for you.
Living in Korea was some of my most favorite memories, with some of my most dear friends. Korea is just a wonderful place as a whole. I did face a little discrimination once in a while, but that will happen anywhere in the world. I miss living there dearly.
Koreans treat you well because you're white. White worshipping is very common among Asians. I mean why do you think there's a lot of Asian women with white guys? It's because they have white fever but they'll just write some blog post on the internet and shrug it off as "fetishized" or "yellow fever". Don't ask me, even I don't why they do this if they enjoy being fetishized
Bet it's also cos you screwed a new girl each day.
Discrimination against foreigners is unique though in South Korea, due to the extreme homogeny. It’s even worse for darker skin foreigners. I’m saying as a white foreigner myself, you’ll get discriminated against for sure but it’s not as harsh or as cold as what my darker skin foreigner friends experience.
@@binaryvoid0101 eh, I wouldn’t say it is unique to Korea. It’s a problem that exists in many of the Eastern Asia countries. Calling it a ‘unique to Korea’ is a little unfair. I faced discrimination living there, but that will occur anywhere that a population isn’t as diverse. I personally faced more discriminatory actions in a couple of other countries in the area, but I won’t let a couple bad apples ruin the bunch for me.
@@stephenstrickland6950 Yes, you're right to say this is generally an East Asian homogeny thing but I would say that racism in South Korea is little different than racism in Japan or China due to their history with the US during the post-Korean War period. As I white foreigner, I've faced more discrimination in South Korea than Japan when I lived there. Both times I've lived in hostels and made friends with other foreigners. My darker skin friends had mostly way more negative experiences than me. I think its easy for us to say that discrimination happens everywhere without taking into account how its much worse for others.
Wow you actually find really educated people. Most of the sentences they made were pretty clear and clever. Thank you for the video sir.
This was a great interview! Good job to you and the participants:)
Thank you!!
I spent a year in Korea in 06-07 and my job took me out in the country and smaller towns & cities. Went to many restaurants/hotels/rest stops/convenience stores/etc and the Koreans didn't seem to give a single crap about me being white, or give a crap about me in any way...just another random person. They were always friendly enough, but reserved and wouldn't try to talk to me, which I appreciated. The food was always great.
Hi Jin
I started watching your channel since you have 700 + subscribers
, I loved your videos you doing great work.i love your interaction with peoples, Thank you for your true videos and keep going.. wishing you great future in CZcams once again thank you
Great interview! Ask really good questions and you'll get some really good answers! Both interviewer and interviewees spoke very well.
Great interview Jin, thank you for this video!
I spent 5 years living in Korea. Great experience. Not every experience was good, but for the most part good.
Great interviews!👍
My wife is from Chuncheon, so I’ve been there a lot, and the experience is a bit different than Seoul. I’m from Spain, so in Seoul is pretty much the same they talked about. In Chuncheon it’s weird to even see any foreigners so, for example, in a restaurant they ask if I like korean food, or if I can eat spicy food; or kids stare at me. Not a bad thing at all, just curiosity because they’re not used to see any foreigners.
So chill, informative and fun video. Love it and love Korea. Hopefully I will visit it one day..
I'm a white guy from Norway, in Northern Europe. I had no issues with Koreans, and Koreans have been mostly nice with me in return. If we put things into perspective and look at it historically. I'm close 40 years old, my generation and older were not that's heavily exposed to immigration here in Norway when we grew up. As time went by, we were adjusting to the new reality. South Korea has been developing extremely fast, so I think a lot of Koreans are still in the "adjustment phase". I met a few bad Koreans, and I always like to say it like this: I didn't treat them like a Korean, I treated them like the individual asshole they were.
Coming from a swede, me and 3 friends were in Seoul during summer 2018 and we had a blast. By far the most enjoyable city I've ever been to. Something we experienced quite a few times was locals grinning or discretely laughing when passing by on the street or whatever, and we were so confused lmao. In retrospect we think it might have had something to do with us wearing sunglasses alot, because we noticed that not alot of locals wore sunglasses. It could've also just been a coincidence or random, but it felt kind of odd.
I know this 1 Korean guy who had Swedish girlfriends.
My ex Korean GF said Koreans think sunglasses are for old ladies. I think celebrities can get away with them too. Koreans are largely followers. Follow the trend~
@@ToadyWoods haha maybe there's the answer. Interesting
Maybe because koreans wear sunglasses only in beaches or resorts? Idk they might be just a racist.
@@matti7725 was it young women that were smiling and laughing at you?
I did a Summer School in Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and I loved every minute of it. Everyone I met was incredibly nice, the guy from our local 7/11 even gave my partner and I a free Axolotl figure which we think is a sports team or something. An example, I was on the metro from Sangbong going to HUFS station, now never before in my entire life, have I bumped into someone and not apologised (it's the Brit in me), but as I did, the kid I bumped into (couldn't have been older than 14-15), apologised to me!... We liked Korea so much we wanted to go back as teachers, but Covid ruined that. I still dream of going back (literally, in my dreams I'm there again), and I know my partner does too, but we'd have to work out how.
JIN kept it coming, great video!
This is quite a good interview bec sometimes we automatically jump to conclusions of racism based on beauty standards (skin color), but I never really thought about businesses turning away foreign customers because they can't speak English. Some cultures, esp in Asia, can be shame based where they really don't like awkward, humiliating scenarios. It's also a good point about familiarity through media. Soft culture is so powerful. I for one would never have considered living or even making a trip to Korea where it not for kdramas. It's also through media that I got interested in foreign foods. Yes, there is a romanticized view also of a people due to media portrayal. I remember thinking the same way of the US before I moved here and then got surprised that the houses are not like the beautiful houses in movies 😂 and how there are also some economic struggles and other difficulties here like individualism, etc. In the past, esp, Caucasians were always the heroes in movies. I can see why older people in Korea have a more comfortable and positive impression of Caucasians as a result, even though when we think about it, there are criminals and crazy people from any race.
Assisti sua entrevista no canal Via Infinda. Ótimo canal ganhou mais um seguidor.🇧🇷
8:20
True words. Ignorance is everywhere. Hate is everywhere. It is not limited to an individual nation or culture. Wonderfully insightful.
And there are corruption in all the countries but there are a great difference from one country to another and from one geographic region to another, even in the types of corruption and corrupt systems. What you have said is an overgeneralization, so reductionist and simplistic that it only aims to please those who are most closed-minded and full of hate and that they believe aren't worst than others and that they haven't a problem or behaviors that should change
Bro, this is a top quality channel, you got a new subscriber! greetings from Spain
Thank you for bringing more light into South Korea. No country is perfect but the media being spread at the moment brings fear to visit, so I'm grateful to see something more positive and welcoming.
I was last week in Korea for Travel. I can say they are really nice people i was in dongam for 1 day and there was a old women and we didnt find our hotel she was so Kind to us like my own grandma she helped us and brought us to our hotel so thankfull Korean are interested to forgeiners but they are shy. If we asked for direction they All helped us i love Korea so much it's really good to life you can go out everytime as a women. Really save country i will Look forward to life there. The beautiful country in the world for me really. 🇰🇷 miss it already so much. :(
I just moved to Korea from Oregon literally this week and I have only caught maybe 2 people staring at me but holy cow are people so kind to me. Korea is full of kind and considerate people who dont seem to mind that Im here at all. I love it here! ❤
great interview, well cut, interesting topic, good job!
I found that the person you interviewed who was annoyed with almost every other issue would never be pleased. When a person is trying to speak English to you, perhaps they are trying to learn as well and feel this is a great opportunity. If he is annoyed with everything then live in a box. Let people be people. While I have never lived in Korea I have had many Korean friends who spoke broken English and would say they were sorry because they didn't speak English well. I would always that they were very smart because I didn't speak any Korean but they were able to communicate in both languages. My experiences with all of my Korean acquantances was aalways positive. I am certain as the professor there are good and bad everywhere. I do not believe in judging people based on their languages, race etc. People are people.
Thank you for sharing.
He looks like a philosopher or something. A bit serious.
Nice to read someone with a common sense! They really don't need to speak to him in English...but they find it, as you said, an opportunity to practice exchanges of language. He should be happy that he can interact with them both in Korean and in English.
I find his answer "annoying"!
Most interesting. I'm looking forward to my first trip there next month (not the plane portion though since I'm not that fond of flying). 😄🇨🇦
Thank you for this video it was very informative ❤
Enjoyed this perspective, great job with these interviews. Young man from the Netherlands was my favorite ha.
Loved the university guy, so matured and gentle when answering every questions.
My experience as a white man in Korea is a bit different as I was in the army infantry stationed on the DMZ. Unfortunately I didn't get hardly anytime to see much of the country except the small base I was stationed on. People in the small town nearby were very pleasant though and taught me some basic Korean.
yes you will have a much better experience by not being an american military teenager
Cool video brother! Love from Sweden
When I went to Korea I did notice that in the metro or buses some people would evade sitting next to me. It was most noticeable when a lady was going to sit and as she was sitting down she saw me and got up and left to another seat. I found it weird but didn't make much of it tbh. Also in Busan I was walking with a friend into the metro station and these girls said Hi to me as we were going down the stairs lol. My friend was weirded out and she asked me if that happened to me a lot - which it didn't it had been the first time it happened to me. Overall I really liked Korea and I want to go back again soon, it's a beautiful country with such kind and welcoming people. I only had one 'bad' experience, which was an old man stepping on my foot and shoving me with his body in the metro... I was out of the way too so I knew he did it on purpose but I just brushed it off
you should have called the police. that is assult. because there are lots of surveillance cameras in the subway, the guy wouldnt be able to deny his crime and would be arrested by cops at the scene.
@@anonymous-wh8sf to be honest. It's not worth the time and nothing happened to me. I didn't let it sour my vacation :)
I was saddened by the one man's comments about being irritated when Koreans would persist in speaking English to him, when their English was not as good as his Korean. I think it's admirable of Koreans to try their English skills. Unfortunate this white gentleman couldn't be appreciative and encouraging of that.
Thanks Jin. I prefer your channel to Asian Boss. I like how you ask clear questions about white people for a change. Too often it’s other foreigners who have to explain themselves.
I used to be an English teacher in Andong in the year 2000. It was a lot of fun, but after about two months, I missed home and wanted to come back home to the U.S.
jsut one thing i really noticed. the older man, (teacher at university) spoke excatly the same way as I do. (I live in Thailand and i changed my speed, and expression a lot because i found out the thais learn a lot faster and understand me A LOT better if i speak clear, slow sentences instead of slang and fast english.
great video, i hope i can one day visit Korea, has always been my dream.
I went to Korea on holiday with my Malaysian wife and people were generally fine. Most were so friendly and seemed to find it a bit of a novelty to speak to foreigners and show me how to eat etc.😀I did find Koreans will jump queues to get photos at tourist attractions. I noticed it most at Gyeongbokgung Palace. We also visited Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia and it was full of Koreans on holiday. One Malay guy even shouted Dae Han Min Guk at me. Very confusing.
I think their experiences can be applied to a lot of countries/cities/cultures. Racism is sometimes just perceived and not meant as such. And for those that think white people do not experience racism, I think you need to think again. All cultures have some. Just be the voice that shows tolerance and try to educate others politely. It is slow, but we will get there.
Ohhh noo people think I cant speak korean fluently or eat spicy food 🙄If thats the extent of the racism you experience then jesus christ, wait till you see how minorities are treated in majority white countries.
Gaslighting racism in South Korea is just another form of racism. There’s no need to downplay it. White foreigners do experience racism in South Korea but clearly not as much as darker skin foreigners.
@@binaryvoid0101 I am not downplaying it. I am fully aware of how darker skin is looked down upon even by people with darker skin than most (meanwhile, tanned skin is in high regard in the Nordic countries).
It is insane how much emphasis some put on colour or the lack of. Thankfully, we have come to a point where learning about other cultures can help alleviate this, though for some there is no hope.
I agree that its good that we can talk openly about it.
I want to visit Asia some time. Glad to see these people's experiences. Bonus to some even adressing the fact that the countries are heavily romanticized and acknowledge it.
Can’t wait to go to Jinju, Korea this May for the Asian Weightlifting Championships!
대학에서 학생 가르치신다는 분 발음이 진짜 명쾌하게 들리네요
단어 선택이 매우 고급스러워서 배운 사람 티가 많이 남.
The idea that starts at 12:25 is definitely the highlight of the video. Straight facts. Some asian countries (like Korea) romanticize white foreigners because of the media they’re exposed to; likewise, k-drama fans tend to romanticize korean people because that’s what they’re feeding their pupils with. Japan is also a mutual victim of this. Quite amusing.
Sounds like Japan too.
What media are whites romanticised by? Hollywood does not do that anymore.
I can tell this CZcams channel is really really good
*_as someone who lives in the netherlands:_* we are very direct, and most of us blunt af. they will tell you how it is.. regardless if it's positive or negative.
As a british citizen who has just returned this week from Changwon and compareing it with my visits to other asian countries, i found them very reserved. They never looked at me in wonderment like in other asian countries.Yes they asked through my korean friends where i was from and got excited when they said LONDON. i found them polite and respectful. the only ones who spoke to me direct was fun kids getting out off school spoke saying "hello how are you"" where are you from". a source of great amusement as they where learning english at primary school.i visited a piano lesson school and was asked straight away for photos to be taken with the pupils. so there is a difference between adult and childrens approach.
Why? Do you desire to be looked at in wonderment EVERYWHERE for the sheer reason that your white and privileged?
Which Asian countries did you visit?
@@migukin7492 LAOS, PHILLIPINES, CHINA, BORENO. MAYLASIA. THAILAND and INDONESIA. all several times. i have a holiday home in MANILA.
@@richmondene0413 what about Japan??
@@migukin7492 JAPAN is on my bucket list. i have learned especially in CHINA they speak softly saying they want to be like JAPANESE culturally but financially like the USA. ( chinese have never forgiven the japanese since the last world war) In KOREA they dont want to be seen connected to china but pleased to be like JAPANESE.all in all they want to aspire to be like JAPAN.They might sound like arrogant or aloof but im sure that is not the case.
This is quality content. Subbed.
Nice video I’m enjoying it a lot 👍
so i went on a trip for foreigners in jeolla namdo and i was one of the only asians (korean american) in the group of foreigners who were mostly white. it was weird because the foreigners didnt see me as one of them at all. i would try to join groups and everyone ignored me. granted, i was the only american, everyone else was european, but it was so bizarre. i actually felt so uncomfortable around other americans though too because unlike when im in america, in korea they perceived me as korean only. and i grew up in a predominately white community my whole life so its was as if my entire life didnt exist. whenever i told koreans or foreigners that i grew up around white people, they didnt believe me. they would say "oh what country are you from?" i would say "the u.s". they would say "but youre asian" and i would say "yeah but my parents are white" and then they would just laugh. like bruh, i dont even take off my shoes in the house sometimes and i grew up eating 5 minute rice made in the microwave. i didnt even know what a rice cooker was until middle school. one of the white men in this video might know more about my own culture than me.
what do you mean your parent are white, are you adopted?
in that case it is only natural.
imagine if I, a german would be adopted by nigerians. now my travels lead me to france. the healthy, completely natural reaction of peoples subconscious will obviously be that i belong there. i personally would see this as a sign to find back to my actual roots. you even say this: "one of the white men in this video might know more about my own culture than me."
MY own culture. you felt uncomfortable around americans, because this clash of civilizations we see in modernity is completely unnatural to this extend. it leads to low trust societies, that fight a never ending battle with identity issues.
our blood ties are the most important thing. my german people are on a way of self destruction for idiotic causes, but i still love them. they are my extended family, as koreans are your extended family... never forget that
Hey. Thanks for sharing your story. I think you definitely have a very unique upbringing that the most people find hard to relate. Your experience with those people you encountered in Korea is rather an interesting case, and their ignorance doesn’t help at all. I felt something similar as a Korean-Canadian, though my struggle was much mild in comparison to yours. I identify myself with Korean culture, as well as with Torontonian culture. So It must’ve been easier for people who I met to categorize me as such. However, ignorant ones are helpless at times in categorizing me, and boldly categorizing me with a wrong group and treat me only as such.
Hmmm, I think your case with that trip is also a bit different than just race. That's actually something of a cultural difference between Americans and Europeans. Most Europeans are quite direct, to the point of being unintentionally rude (looking at you my german friends :D ), but also really really reserved.
Might seem illogical but what it means is that unlike people in America, in Europe we don't "small-talk" and don't try to actively engage with others. There are exceptions of course, like Irish or southern Europeans (or Polish after a few drinks) but in general you might spend a week with some people on a trip and still not have any sort of relationship established. For Americans it is often surprising since you guys easily make new acquaintances and we might seem cold, bizzare, unfriendly...maybe even hostile (again, Polish people tend to make that ultra-serious face when they are in neutral mood, especially girls). We just don't want to be a bother to someone, minding our own business.
Yes, people actually think they are nice to you by not engaging a conversation with you if they don't know you. If you spend more time with such people you'll learn how to break the ice and not be an outsider but it will still be a challenge if you don't have something in common (like a hobby or something).
That's why I myself like the more superficial but active relationships like in America. It's easier to open up to others and get to know them :D
Stop trolling I am tired of seeing you whine. Why you always leave comments like “oh I am korean american but I am not both of korean and american. Koreans don’t see me as korean and they are racist.”
Stop doing this please. You are sick. Go to the near hospital.
@@Welcomemyfriend69 the problem is this unhealthy clash of cultures. it produces identity issues and other mental illness. different peoples are not supposed to intermix like this
I have also had this experience of people insistently trying to speak English, after a while I try ignoring them but then they get massively offended. At one point when I was in Bolivia I started pretending to only speak Spanish so that people would stop.
I have been in Bolivia, and people would ALWAYS talk to me in Spanish.