10 Things I Won’t Miss About Living in South Korea

As with any post considered to be “negative”, I must add a disclaimer. There are so many things I enjoyed about living in South Korea – in fact you can read about them here. Moving to Korea earlier last year was one of the best decisions of my life. That being said, I would be lying if I said it was all burritos {or in this case kimchi} and rainbows. 

There are certain aspects about living in this country that I neither understand, nor agree with. And there are some things that I simply find silly. I didn’t want to create a list of ‘things I hate’ because I don’t necessarily hate anything about living here. But there are differences in culture and environment that I wanted to share in the least controversial way possible — though we all know the trolls will appear out of the woodwork {or ‘woodward’ as Nick Miller says} for this one.

Please take this list with a light heart and know it isn’t to offend anyone. Trust me, as an American, I’m the first to admit that my country has it’s faults, quirks, and problems. These are just a few things I have pondered and decided I will not miss once I leave Korea.

1. The food

I don’t hate it, but I certainly don’t favor it to any other Asian cuisine. When I first arrived in Korea, {bright eyed and bushy tailed} I had an open mind about everything, including food. My tastebuds were eager to try everything. And while there are certain things I do enjoy {Korean BBQ, Mandu, Chimaek}, overall I am not a fan. Let’s just say I prefer to avoid anything with tentacles – whereas here in Korea they enjoy eating live octopus whilst cutting off the tentacles at the table.

2. Drivers on the road 

Driving in Korea is a bloody nightmare.  To put it bluntly, Koreans are terrible drivers. I honestly fear for my life when I am a passenger in any vehicle here, including buses. These bus drivers you guys… lawddd. I have also taken to the roads myself and sat behind the wheel where the view isn’t much better. Am I a perfect driver? Absolutely not. Does America have insane individuals on the road? Duh.

But I hate getting in vehicles here in Korea, and that hasn’t been the case for me anywhere else in the world {so far}. A recent example of this was when I took some of my students on a field trip to the movies. Our cab driver was driving over 95 MPH, when the speed limit was 60, with children in the car. I attempted to scream for him to slow down in broken Korean, but he still continued to drive well over the speed limit.

Related: A 2 Day Busan Travel Itinerary 

3. Ajumma’s 

Let me explain. The technical definition of an Ajumma is ‘a married woman’ in Korean. That being said, they have created an entirely different definition for themselves. To the younger generation, Ajumma’s are elderly, feisty women who don’t give a fuck. This means if you find yourself in the crossfire of an Ajumma, you will most likely receive a jab of the elbow, a dirty stare, or maybe a few inappropriate words in Korean. For better reference, check out the image below. Full disclosure, I was not the creator of this image, but it sums up the Ajumma pretty perfectly.

I realize this is a complete generalization. Are there lovely Ajumma’s in Korea? Of course. I have come across some of the most compassionate old ladies in visors while living in Korea. For example, I’ve given my seat up many times to Ajumma’s and they more often than not grab me when another seat opens up so that I may take it, showing their appreciation. One of them even offered me to sit on her lap for the duration of the subway ride. For more insight on Ajumma’s check out From Korea With Love’s blog post here, and some encounters Sofie to Korea has had here.

Related: 15 Things That Surprised Me About Life in South Korea 

4. Koreans outlook on appearance 

This one actually breaks my heart, as much as it infuriates me. There are mirrors everywhere, and if no mirror is available, someone will inevitably have one in their purse. Unlike Hollywood where plastic surgery is a faux pas, Korea embraces it. You wouldn’t find a single bat of an eyelash if the topic is mentioned. In fact, according to this article in the New Yorker, up to 1/3 of people in Seoul, have gone under the knife. And here I am thinking they look the way they do because of their 1,938 step skincare routine…

Regardless of plastic surgery {do you boo} or not, it is simply sad to hear Korean women {and men} constantly shaming themselves over their appearance. One of my friends recently mentioned to me, ‘I look so ugly today because my hair is straight’. First of all, she looked beautiful {as always}. Secondly, I show up to work every day with a rats nest on the top of my head. Ain’t nobody to impress at an elementary school. But overall, this is such a common thing I hear from my friends here in Korea.

I’ve had multiple co-workers comment on my appearance saying I look sick without make-up on, or prettier in a dress. Listen I get it, and they aren’t being malicious. It’s just a cultural norm here to be obsessed with body image. Luckily I could care less {casssh me in sweatpants at the grocery store} and I don’t take those comments personally. Plus, I understand there is a lot pressure to look a certain way – Hello, I’m from California, home of Hollywood. But it makes me sad that it’s led to a country full of men and women, so obsessed with their appearance, come off vain.

5. The pollution

If you followed me on any of my social platforms this past year, you’ll know that I was sick for a majority of 2018 in Korea. Pollution sickness is real, folks. And it lead to me spending many weekends in bed over the course of this year. Many times, what would start out as a cold, would eventually turn into something worse.

There were days where the entire city looked like it was coated in fog, something I’m used to in San Francisco. Fog was never the case though, and instead thick, pollution and yellow dust coated Daegu. In Seoul, it’s even worse. I look forward to breathing fresh air once again, and relieving my lungs of the toxins it endured this year.

Related: Is South Korea Safe? An American Expat Weighs In

6. The attitude towards foreigners

While I don’t want to generalize about the entire country of South Korea, there are many people in this country that do no welcome foreigners. In fact, it makes them angry that we are here to begin with. 

Earlier this year, one of my friends was verbally attacked by a man on the bus. She could understand enough Korean to gather that he was disgusted by her presence and wished she would return to her home country. I’ve also been yelled at on the subway, but since I only understand a very small amount of Korean, it was easier for me to ignore the man. We both live in Daegu where this is more likely to occur than in a metropolitan city like Seoul. 

That being said, all around the country, taxi service has become a major probably in regards to foreigners. The government actually had to step in a put a law in place which fines taxi driver who refuse to take foreigners. 

 

Under the revised law which takes effect on January 29, taxi drivers will be slapped with a fine of 200,000 won ($185) for the first offense of rejecting a passenger and if caught twice, 400,000 won with a suspension of license for 30 days.

If a driver is caught for the third time within two years, the offenders taxi license will be cancelled and they will receive a 600,000 won fine. – Korea Observer

I have been the victim of this multiple times. There are certain times where it becomes a problem though, for example when I have to catch an early morning flight. An example of this was when I flew to Japan. The subways and buses were not running when I needed to get to the airport before 5:00 AM. Therefore, taking a taxi was my only option. That morning, I had three taxi drivers refuse to pick me up. 

There are also clubs that do not allow foreigners inside, and certain restaurants that hang signs discouraging foreigners from entering. It can be uncomfortable at times, but unfortunately things like this happen in many countries around the world. 

Related: 10 Things You Should Know Before Teaching English in South Korea 

7. Finding caterpillars in my groceries 

While I’m all about shopping organic, I am not as much interested in finding insects in my groceries. That’s a bit too organic for me. The amount of times that I’ve had to throw out full heads or broccoli or lettuce after finding living caterpillars in them, is more than I’d like to admit. The produce is completely wrapped in plastic as well. Again, I love knowing my food is fresh, I just would rather have my lettuce sans the bugs {and their poop}. 

8. Feeling like a zoo animal 

Coming back to the treatment of foreigners in South Korea, sometimes it simply comes from a place of curiosity. Most specifically: the staring. Koreans aren’t as accustomed to seeing foreigners in their country. Therefore, if you live anywhere other than Seoul, you’ll constantly be stared at. And I mean, constantly. 

While I understand that it’s normally just locals being curious about the strange person in their home, it can get a bit annoying. To have an entire subway car turn their gaze towards you and start whispering isn’t always fun. It’s frustrating to always feel eyes on you, especially if you are having a bad day, or aren’t feeling well. At times, I would rather be invisible.

I feel like a zoo animal with zero privacy. And staring directly back at them gives you the same result as you would expect in a zoo. They don’t care, and are almost more intrigued that you are staring back at them. So then you find yourself in a staring contest with a stranger, and I can guarantee you’ll lose. 

Related: 10 Things EPIK Doesn’t Tell You About Teaching English in South Korea 

9. A ‘last minute’ work environment

One of the most frustrating aspects of working in Korea is dealing with the lack of communication. A lack of communication tends to result in things happening at the very last minute. Whether it be a change in lesson plans, schedules, school events, work dinners… the list goes on. And you’ll usually be the last to know. 

Therefore, it’s hard to plan for anything. You basically must be prepared for any circumstance, even the one’s you can’t prepare for. On the bright side, it teaches you how to be more flexible in life. Eventually you learn how to go with the flow, but it’s still annoying. 

Related: 9 Cultural Mistakes You Should Avoid in South Korea… But Don’t 

10. Squatter toilets 

And finally, I cannot wait to leave squatter toilets behind. While they claim to be more hygienic, they are still a pain in the ass {no pun intended}. I’ve only used a squatter toilet when I had no other options. I’ve even avoided using the restroom altogether when the only option available was the squatter toilet. 

Essentially, they are holes in the ground that you are supposed to squat over to do your business. Like, wtf Korea. Not only are they uncomfortable, but I’ve definitely peed on my foot while using one. HOW IS THAT HYGIENIC? Sure, I was probably squatting incorrectly, but using a toilet shouldn’t be that difficult.

Now, I understand it can be a lot easier to complain about a situation, than it is to give it praise. Therefore, I hope you will also enjoy my previous post: 10 Things I Will Miss About Living in South Korea. Overall, I feel forever indebted to South Korea for the things I learned while living here. I will always cherish this past year and hold it near and dear to my heart.