weegukin

I've forgotten how many times I've talked to foreigners, like myself, in Korea.

Inevitably, our conversation always turns to how Korea is such an inhospitable place for foreigners.

In this age of globalization, it's still a wonder how a city so modern as Seoul can still feel so provincial when it comes to dealing with 'foreign' visitors.

It's probably different for tourists, since the locals would be nice and friendly to give a good impression.

But for foreigners who have to live and work here, it's a different story.

When asked to do a story about cultural diversity in Korea, a NZ co-worker once remarked how 'cultural diversity' and Korea are incompatible.

Foreigners are mostly tolerated. I can't even say we're actually welcomed. I guess the unemployment rate does lend fuel to the raging concerns that foreigners are out to 'steal' the jobs from Koreans.

Korea is probably one of those last bastions of homogenity in race, culture and language. They pride themselves in having a 'pure' race and utterly reject attempts by foreigners to pollute it. This is why Koreans who marry foreigners are probably better off living anywhere else but here, where their union will be challenged by meddling in-laws,  discrimination and other societal concerns.

There are so many little things that bug me here.

No one ever tells the foreigners anything. They insist on talking in their own language. Even matters that concern you... you only find out later what the problem is or something. 

Or how some would try to pull a fast one on you, simply because they think you're foreign, therefore you're clueless.

Michael Breen, the journalist who wrote the book The Koreans, when he said there are two types of foreigners who stay in Korea. Those who absolutely love Korea, and those who absolutely hate it.

Their version of nationalism is so extreme, it just invites anti-Koreaness from fp