While there very well be some strange/******ed behavior by some of them, I wouldn't classify them all as wife-beating racists. You could get the same treatment in the US coming from a different country and it'd be the same thing as if someone classified all US citizens and racists.

Korea's history with Japan is also something that many outsiders would have trouble understanding.

Good to Know !

The reason I would skip Korea is that open and nasty racism towards non-Koreans is part of life and never punished or brought to social light. You are always wrong, as a foreigner, and Koreans are prefect.
Truth is they hate having foreigners here. Even my co-teacher said she doesn't like foreigners and I have to work with her.
Granted every country has some nut jobs who believe that being born here is better than there but in Korea it's almost like it's taught to everyone. National Pride is one thing. It's even so bad that where I live they don't trust people from the mainland. It's almost comical tbh.
Even the news media plays overly racist anti-Foreigner programs such as this: http://www.expathell.com/?p=4338

I will give you that Korea and Japan have had a long history with Korea getting the short end of the stick but does holding a grudge and treating all Japanese people like crap do any good?
At my local store one night: I walk in and see the owner working. Now my cat had just peed on my fav shirt so I was a little upset. He said he was angry too. I was like why? "Those people are Japanese!" I was like what?
He was angry at a young couple from Japan who are spending their hard earned money in his store only because they are Japanese. This couple was maybe 35ish. They didn't do the bad things to Koreans.

I want to say that I don't dislike Korean people or the culture but I do dislike the treatment of non-Koreans by the majority of Koreans. Ask American football star Hines Ward about how he was treated for being half korean? His mom was spit on by other Koreans for marrying a black person.
Go to Korea, experience it first and then get back to me.

wow, pro hate itt

I'd agree with some of your sentiment here. The deep feelings of mistrust, racism, and animosity towards outsiders have their reasons. Cultures that believe they have been mistreated tend to do these things - turn inwards and take pride in their own culture while shunning others. We've seen this happen over and over again all over the world.

It's not easy to understand as an outsider, but I'm saying once again that they aren't all like that. Many are very welcoming and want to be friends with people from other groups and cultures. Some do not. It doesn't mean the experience of going over there will be awful for everyone, albeit I will admit it very well might be for some.

I'm Korean, so outwardly I'd be accepted differently, but trust me, I see it myself due to my hyper-sensitivity towards being tolerant to other cultures by nature of being an American living in an urban environment. I've criticized them myself, plenty of times.

My ex-girlfriend's family wouldn't allow us to get married because I was a foreigner, and they didn't want a foreigner in the family and even worse a half blooded grandchild.

I have experienced the extreme kindness at times, but
..........

Then people like yourself should be the ones who step up and educate others in Korea that how you treat other people effects how they see your culture.
Koreans always ask say this "please, understand our culture." I do and I respect it.
-I speak a small amount of Korean.
-I follow Korean social rules
-I give up my seat for older people on the bus, something young kids don't.
-I don't go out drinking and yelling all night.

Koreans always ask for understanding and respect but yet they then turn around and do this on National TV and think it's funny. This year.

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I'm not saying all Korean people are bad or racist but many feel it's totally fine to treat foreigners beneath them. It's kind of funny too since that's what Japan did to them and China for 1,000 years. I guess Koreans are just passing the hate on.

What Wil3xxxxx is saying is that once again it's the foreigners fault koreans are the way they are towards foreigners. Of course it's foreigners fault they are racist because its always the foreigners fault for everything that's wrong with Korea.
And f... Me, I'm heading back there in a few hours, but I'm not staying this time.
Giving notice on my apt lease and moving on to either Vietnam or china and maybe Cambodia

That's exactly how they treat you most of the time. Of course you can get some really awesome people but more often you're a dirty, drug using, aids caring, and probably a pedophile.
And then Koreans "Can't understand" why people don't like them! Again, not all.
China won't be much better towards foreigners.

I've been here 2 years and been invited to these underground house games a few times over the couple years ive been here. Now, being a foreigner I've obviously never ever gone, but wanted to hear from ppl who have been to these games about them. Like I've said I've never ever been and will never ever go but just curious to hear from ppl what there like and if all the stories i hear of cheating and stealing are true.

I've never been either but I know people who have and said the games are super soft but yes it's Illegal. If you get caught i'm pretty sure you'll get fired if your teaching and deported.
I know 1 guy who got locked up for weed here and he spent 3 months in his cell alone.

So false.

I lived in both ROK and China. Actually, I'll be going back to China for another year in August. In ROK, I heard many of the things you've heard. I was even thrown out of a restaurant for being a foreigner. Xenophobia was a huge issue in my workplace (I worked at a public school and was the only foreign employee there).

In China, I have many friends who have been far more helpful to me than I would have been if the roles were reversed. Instead of getting kicked out of restaurants, one was giving me small discounts for my regular patronage (only about 2 or 3 RMB, but I still appreciate it). The amount of xenophobia I've experienced in China is probably less than what Muslims receive in America post 9/11.

I've heard of many non-Korean people travelling to Korea and having a wonderful time much more than people who haven't. If you want to believe all Koreans are wife-beating racists, then so be it. It isn't my job to educate other Koreans or to bridge any perceived gap. I'm me, and that's the only person I'm responsible for. I have nothing but respect and friendliness towards all cultures and races. I enjoy the fact I'm friends with so many different groups. Even the Republicans.

I'm assuming you're pretty ignorant about Black/Korean relations right? Like do you have any clue how complicated the relationship between the two are?

Here are some relevant links. I'm not excusing Korean behavior but countries are allowed to be xenophobic, especially towards people who burn down their businesses and shoot them and terrorize their elderly on the bus.

I am an American Korean and many European countries (and US states) treat me like ****, assume I can't speak English, etc. I remember we went on a high school field trip to Boston and the teacher told us to stay in our rooms at night because it was dangerous for Asians. In a huge city in our own country. Trying to generalize a completely safe foreign country based on some cold shouldering is silly when the USA has people hate criming and murdering gays, trans, Blacks, Asians, Latinos, left and right.

Pretty sick of crybaby foreigners coming out trying to make a quick buck + bone and whining about the home country. Most of them are looking for whorehouses and complaining when they can't get service. The entitlement is strong with you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreato...an_reinvention

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...has_verified=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3zGiMm7O64

I mean, those backwards wife-beating racist xenophobic Australians. WTF were they thinking? Seriously. I'll go to New Guinea.

Wait...

what exactly is black/korea relations? like all people with black skin? nigerians? black americans? black canadians? saying black/korea relations sounds ignorant.

Saying its ok to be intolerant towards ppl based on the actions of a few is also short sighted. just because every so often some random korean tells me to go home because im a Soldier doesnt mean im going to hold it against all koreans. Id be doing exactly what they are doing when they are mad at me for the dumbass actions of a few ******ed soldiers.

the point is there are dumbasses in every culture and basing your feelings towards a culture based on one or a couple ppl is idiotic, and the definition of ignorance.

In the 2 years ive been here ive never had a bad experience. i love korea personally, ive always been treated with respect from korean soldiers i work with, to locals, to the poker players here. If you treat people with respect more often than not your going to be shown that same respect back.

I love you Koreans. Walk up to a black person and call them a ****ing N!GG$R then wonder why relationships are "Complicated" lol WTF.

Let me tell about all the times Korean people have screwed over foreign teachers in my 5 years here:
-Friend Dawn's private school didn't pay her salary for 6 months.
-Friend Noami's Private school boss said he need to sleep with her for her Paycheck
-Friend Paul was fired for not looking White enough. He is from NZ but part chinese
-Friend Laura was forced to do illegal extra classes and was fired when she complained

I can already tell you're in Seoul and congrats to not having a bad time. I'm betting you're a white, decent looking guy and you don't have a Korean GF/or you didn't meet her parents.

This is pretty **** for them to let this go. We aren't talking about Australia but yeah it's not cool either.

As far as the wife beating thing: This is for the the Korean times:

The percentage of domestic violence was much higher than the 53.8 percent for average South Korean couples.
Linked here: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...117_78788.html

4/4 lol. i mean, i would say i am around more "liberal" koreans you might say. most my encounters with locals r with ROK soldiers who im buddies with or poker players out at walker who r canadian korean/ korean american. The worst ive encountered is ppl moving away from me on the subway once they see my tattoos on my arms, or staring at them. but that doesnt bother me whatsoever because i understand that our cultures are competely different, esp when it comes to tattoos.

Can you read or speak Korean? How about reading a text from a person explaining how they are sitting next to a Foreigner on the train. Be prepared to call the police if they don't text you in 5 minutes.
Learn Korean then you'll understand things better.

Also, Gyopo's or Koreans born outside of Korea are very liberal. Almost like like bananas, as they have said, since they look asian but have western values.

When Jeju finishes building the naval base come down here and you'll find out how they really think of us.

there's too much tl;dr xenophobism hate going on

yes Korea does have issues with being xenophobic

are you also saying Americans aren't racist?

You can obviously have a ****ty time in Seoul, however you can also have an amazing time.

I was just talking about it today at the poker table, despite my life being much farther ahead than it was 3-4 years ago, that was one of my happiest and most fun times in my life (not to say I'm not happy now).

I think now there's too much judgement going on. See it for yourself. End of discussion imo.

Of course there is racism and no country is perfect. If your Middle eastern in the USA it's very crappy but at least the law helps stop some of it. You have rights that can't be taken away.
I know teachers who have been fired for being too ugly or too fat. Totally legal in Korea.

I've had an amazing experience living and working here for 5 years but I've also seen numerous protest damning all foreigners about things.
If Korea wants to be a better nation then they need to deal with the feelings towards non Koreans.
So many times somebody points out the reason why some people don't like korean culture and some Korean men turn into 5 year old girls and cry about it. Change it or stop being a baby.

I've played exclusively the past two years in underground clubs and what you guys assume is wrong. They've never cheated or stolen from me. But... The structure is f'ed up to make it a high variance game. There are cash games and tournaments. The cash games are 1000/2000 with a maximum buy in of 20.000 or 30,000 won depending on the club.
This means every hand is all in, and I mean every hand followed by shouting and laughing and then rebuy and repeat.

The tournaments are f'ed too. The buy in is 30,000 won for a Multi table SNG. Everyone starts with 100,000 chips. There are 5-8 rebuys, which are first come first serve so the first 3 hands are all in with the losers eating up the rebuys with a few lucky players now deep stacked with the stupid all in hands. This happens every time.
Once I make it to the final table its every Korean against me. It becomes a thing of national pride at this point. They want to beat the foreigner so bad. You can see in their eyes how they communicate to try to take me out and they all say to me, "no deal."
They won't make a deal if we are the final two. Its beat the foreigner or die trying.

They Korean players constantly complain about my slow play. They hate I don't raise all in when I want to play. They hate when I raise 3 times the blinds. They hate I don't play Korean style poker and remind me that this is Korea and I should play their way. If you have any high range cards you're expected to shove all in every time without hesitation. That's Korean style.

They constantly share hole cards with other players not in the hand, they move the button around instead of letting the dealer do it, they grab the muck and dig through their to see if their cards were the burn, they pass chips around, they always shout at the dealer and tell her who won, or how to chop the pot and the dealers don't shuffle properly, they mix the cards and give it one shuffle.

Of Course all of this is in Korea, so you must know the language and numbers and poker slang. They love to play gahm-gahm mi : which is all in pre-flop without looking. They think their ego is what wins poker. Many players tell me how good they are because they make big hands all the time, yet they lose millions every night.

There is no way to beat the cash game with that structure, and the tournaments are just as bad with the whole rebuy structure. There are no regulars because people come and go and eventually everyone looses and new faces show up.

The only way I've been able to maintain is winning tournaments. But lately they've started to cancel tournaments when I arrive electing to only cash games when I'm there.

Only once have I been told directly they don't want me there, but every night there are complaints about me and they do want a korean only game. They use other micro aggression tactics to get rid of me and actually after two years, it worked. I was actually one of the original players at two of the clubs here but now I've quit playing there for good.

I don't play in the teacher's game either because they just aren't that much fun. Everyone is too serious over a $50 buy in and if I'm not having fun at small stakes then there's no reason to play.