Observations on Korea and things Korean
wulijohyunjae | August 27, 2009 | 7:00 am
In the early 90s of the last century when I was living in the U.S.A., someone I knew bought a Korean car Hyundai and received a lot of ribbing from his friends. In defence he said that was all he could afford; in other words, it was cheap. How things have changed in less than 20 years! Today a Hyundai is as good as a Toyota or a Honda, and better than many American cars, and better value for money too.
Korea has made leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades, especially in the field of technology. Many people I know who used to swear by their Nokia and Motorola have now switched to Samsung and LG cell phones. I just bought a Samsung LCD flatscreen TV to replace my good old Sony.
It has taken Korea more than 50 years to emerge from the shadow of 40 years of Japanese rule (officially 35.) Now Korea is as advanced and developed as Japan in every field. Every visit to Korea confirms this. I first visited Korea in 2003, never having any inclination to visit the country before that. I have been to Japan “N” times but Korea has never been in my orbit. Somehow it “seems” a little backward, a little cheap (all those counterfeit goods), a little colourless.
In 2003 my best friend fell in love with Lee Byung-Hyun’s “All in” and strong-armed me into joining her on a 7-day tour to Seoul and Jeju. We had (barbecued) pork for practically every meal (cheap – beef is expensive!) which gave me a sore throat. I remember fondly our afternoon tea at the Lotte Hotel on Jeju (at our own expense – very expensive but very classy!) I remember not so fondly being pushed on the streets of Seoul by beefy Korean men and bellicose Korean women (even though they’re not much bigger than me.) I do not recall seeing any Korean man who remotely resembles Lee Byung-Hyun or any Korean woman who reminds me in the least of Song Hye-Kyo. We went to a couple of the locations of “All in” — that bluff with the chapel is real but the chapel is just a facade, and it is so windy there we could not stay for more than a few minutes. So much for my Korean experience! I had no desire to re-visit anytime soon.
To go back to the love-hate relationship between the Koreans and the Japanese. It is a fact that the Japanese have always felt superior to the Koreans (and to many other races too, for that matter!) The Japanese might have conquered Korea once, but now they have been “conquered” by Korea on another front. Korean dramas and Korean actors have swept Japan ever since Bae Yong-Jun’s “Winter Sonata” melted the heart of every Japanese ajuma. The Korean conquest is gentle and pervasive, and the Japanese surrender is total and unconditional. In this Korean “invasion” of Japanese, our Jo Hyun-Jae has also played a part.
In the last 12 months I have visited Korea four times, all because of some actor called Jo Hyun-Jae. And with every visit, I learn to appreciate the country and its people more. The one thing that leaves a lasting impression on me is this — the Koreans are a very polite and friendly race! Instead of being pushed on the streets, all I have to do now is look lost and some kind soul will come up to me and offer to help. They may not speak English (well), but they always manage to bring or point me to my destination. Once we almost took the metro in the wrong direction, but an alert gentleman who overheard us speaking the name of our destination steered us to the right track. Things like this happen every day, and every time I feel so grateful.
From watching Korean dramas I feel Koreans and Chinese have many things in common. We share a lot of values, like importance of family, filial duties to parents, respect for elders (especially teachers), etc. Many of these are universal values, which is one reason why Korean dramas are so popular in Asian countries (almost without exception) and people of Asian ancestry.
But in one respect I think Koreans are different from Chinese — Korean men still feel superior to women, though I won’t go so far as to say Korea is a male-dominated society (because I don’t know.) Let me give a few examples of my personal experience from my latest visit to Seoul a couple of weeks ago.
1) On the airport train leading from the arrival gate to immigration/baggage at the arrivals hall at Incheon Airport, there were 4 seats in the car I was in. I was in one seat and a family of four occupied the other three. There were the parents and two boys, aged 13/14 and 10. Guess who was standing with all the hand luggage?
2) Early one morning in Myeong Dong, I was walking on one of the main streets and I saw some workers paving the road in front of a shop. When I got nearer, I was surprised to see that the 6 or 7 workers squatting on the ground spreading/smearing the cement were all women. The lone man stood there with his arms akimbo, lording over them all, presumably the supervisor.
3) I wanted to post a card to JHJ, so I went to the hotel concierge. The young man took one look and said: “1,000 won.” (Korean money = approx. US$1) I said it was 400 won the last time I mailed the same thing. He insisted it was 1,000 won because “this is a special card”, meaning not a postcard. I said: “Yes, this is a special card for a special person, but the postage should be regular, not special.” We argued back and forth until a young lady (guest relations officer) happened to walk by, and this young man said something to her. She took my card (presumably to weigh it, which the young man should have done but did not do) and came back and said: “390 won.” No, I did not say: “I told you so.” because the young man already looked crestfallen.
Korean men could be too sure of themselves. Now all Korean taxis have GPS (global positioning system.) All the driver has to do is key in the address and the GPS will direct him to the destination. So you will never get lost, right? Wrong! The younger drivers perhaps are more proficient in the use of the GPS, but many of the older (read: more experienced) drivers prefer to rely on their own expertise, as a result of which several times we’re “led round the garden” (Chinese saying meaning: going in circles.) The ironic thing is: in the end they still have to resort to using the GPS, but we have to pay a higher fare because it takes longer time and covers more distance. I resist the wicked thought that that is their ploy for fleecing tourists.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
(Credit for photo: CarpediemKOREA. Thanks!)
Dear wuliJHJ,
Nice to meet you. I am one of fans in Taiwan. I heard of you from Greencup. Yesterday I was told by Anniex to visit here, and enjoyed reading your articles. It’s my pleasure to know so many wonderful experiences through your article and it will be a great help for my first trip to Korea next month. I wish I can write something more to express what I felt today, but my English is too lousy to do it. But I really love to come here from time to time. Thank you.
hi,
I like what you wrote. And it gives me some ideas how they think. Just wondering or maybe I want to know. Did you ever asked JHJ if he is willing or at least considering marrying a non Korean girl? In case he met someone and fell in love with a non Korean girl. Because I read before that Korean men doesn’t like marrying a foreign girl. Thanks.
Louise, welcome to our blog! Do come and visit us often and join in the fun. Are you going with Anniex to Korea next month? Please feel free to write us at: jhjfans@gmail.com if you need more information. Your English is absolutely fine but I can read Chinese. And please give my regards to Greencup.
Hi,
Probably my question is not appropriate here.sorry for the post and for the question. Just so curious about it.
My apologies.
kyle
Kyle, hello and welcome! You think I have a direct line to JHJ? I’m just an ordinary fan like you. It’s true I’ve seen him a few times, but I’ve not spoken a single word to him because I don’t speak Korean.
Now you’ve raised an interesting question. My answer is: Love has no national boundaries, but I doubt if JHJ would ever meet and fall in love with a non-Korean girl. Simple reason is: He doesn’t travel or get around that much. And he’s a traditonal sort of guy. All guesswork on my part. If there are any Korean readers out there, could you answer the second part of Kyle’s comments: Is it true that Korean men do not like marrying foreign girls? Perhaps if the girl speaks Korean, she’ll have an edge.
Wulijohyunjae, just curious…do you know by any chance whether he has a girlfriend? If he has, lucky girl!
Ana, I don’t know. It’s JHJ’s private life and fans should respect his privacy. I wish he had a girlfriend. He should, at his age. Whoever she is, whomever he has chosen, I’ll like her too. But I hope it will be someone outside of the Korean entertainment world.
Thanks so much for the reply, wuliJHJ. I will continue to visit your site. I enjoy reading your blog. By the way, I’m not familiar with JHJ.Just saw your blog and took it from there. Take care.
Kyle, thanks! Come visit often and you’ll fall in love with JHJ, I guarantee!
Hello wulijohyunjae, This article is very interesting and I like the way you conceptualized it. Very informative and it is beneficial for us (JHJ fans) who are planning to visit South Korea and East Asia. I have been smitten by this “Korean Wave” and it doesn’t seem to be a fad. Luckily, it was JHJ that I first came to know. Everything has an after effect from learning Hangul and the language, the Korean cuisine, music, culture and South Korea’s picturesque sceneries . The JHJ CD’s that you’ve sent me are priceless and I am so inspired to listen every minute of it. Though I may not understand Korean but the melodies are lovely. There is really something about South Korea wherein I read in an article that they are referred to as “Italians of Asia”. Everytime my friends and I would dine in a Japanese Korean restaurant – we are so proud to say that we are Kdrama fanatics for only one guy -JHJ. I tried watching other Kdrama, like recently “Queen of Housewives” wherein I barely recognized “Sung Min of 3D1M – Na Young husband” – Yoon Sang Hyun. He looks so different from 3D1M and he is also good looking but I find it doesn’t equate JHJ extraordinaire handsome features. He also sings but JHJ deep baritone voice is better. I think I am struck by Hyun Jae’s charm and that alone would be just fine.
Wow, wuliJHJ, you’re gaining quite a following already, and it’s all because of JHJ! Thank you for a very insightful article!
Like Kyle, I am a bit curious about JHJ’s love life because he’s really good at keeping his private life, well, private. But you are right, we should respect his privacy, but that doesn’t stop me from being curious, so if you find out anything please share it with us (naughty, naughty me!!!).
I wish he’ll end up with a girl who’ll genuinely love and take care of him. but he seems to be a guy with a good head on his shoulders so, like you, i will trust his judgment. The girl who will win his heart will be one lucky girl indeed!
I will wait for the next installment of this insightful article. Ciao!
WuliJHJ, I’m happy to read what you wrote. It is true that our love to JHJ brought us another angle to see Korea and Korean–We start to enjoy those ignored by us before. Hallyu is not only a culture but also a bridge to link other culture.
As I know, for communication reason, Koreans don’t learn much foreign languages, so Korean guys seldom marry non Korean girls.
I have a Filipina neighbor who is married to a Korean man. But it is true that interracial marriages in Korean society is still an exception rather than the rule.
My country is currently experiencing 2 kinds of Korean invasion. The 1st is the invasion of its dramas, and the 2nd is the influx of Koreans to my country to learn English. While other Asian nationalities are trying their darnedest to learn Korean so they’ll understand the Korean dramas they watch on TV or online, many Koreans are leaving their country to learn English. Most of these Koreans are here in my country that you can’t even turn a corner without stumbling upon a group of Koreans (from kids to ajumas and adjussis). They have even invaded our local entertainment industry – Sam Oh and Grace Lee (yes they’ve followed the Filipino and American way of arranging their names – given name first, family name last). These 2 ladies really look like your typical Korean celebrity except that their English are so impeccable with nary a trace of a Korean accent and their English grammar excellent (both grew up and studied here in my country). With more Koreans leaving their country to study and learn other languages (mostly English), 10-20 years from now interracial marriages in Korean society may not be as rare as it is now.
As for HJ marrying a foreigner, well, who knows, stranger things have been known to happen….