A Sea Away- Seeing Korea from the Island

For me I know I need to distance myself from something in order to get perspective. I get really caught up in the happenings of whatever it may be and in order to see reality I need to step away and do some comparisons to other things I know.

Japan was that for me in the perspective of the country I have been living. I do love Korea and it will always hold a special place in my heart but as Tom put it “It isn’t really a place someone (a foreigner), really believes they will settle forever.” For me Tom’s sentiments completely resonate with me but I know are not true for everyone. Why is this?

I believe it is the attitude I feel from the Korean people. Korea has been conquered so many times that it has fought a long time to make an identity and a history for itself. Tom reminded me that Koreans originally stem from Mongolian people that moved into the peninsula and then as China invaded they were subsequently pushed back, thus becoming the Korean people we now know. Interestingly though, Korea seems to try to ignore this fact. They really promote the idea that they are the “purest blood” in the world. In the southern peninsula those from the Silla tribe claim to be the “purest blood’ because they were so isolated and didn’t mix with other bloods. Being of Canadian decent, a country full of ‘mutts’ it seems a little humorous that this is a point that derives pride. Similarly, this is the way it seems with most things in Korea. The Korean people really try to hold on to their ‘own’ for matters of pride and are fearful of letting anything else in. Foreigners are truly aliens that are stared at or not given the time of day, in cross-cultural relationships the non-Korean partner really gets a rough deal and the Korean partner receives shame from the people. To be fair, this is of course making a blanket statement and there are many exceptions but it is my general feeling. I think that taking pride in your own culture is beautiful and that opting to not adopt every western trend is admirable but I do wish there was more of an acceptance to difference.


I do also believe that in time this too will change. Korea has become a rich nation (11th I believe in the world) only within the last 50 years. I liked the way Tom put it, he said something along the lines “Inflation has caused Korea to be what it is. They used to all be poor farmers and now they have become rich. Look around the city and you can see this, (speaking of Seoul) you have shiny buildings and then back alley ways of small falling apart homes. What happens when you give a ‘redneck’ money?---he goes out and buys a flashy house (Seoul’s buildings), a nice car, and a shiny suit (he he). This is what has happened with Korea.” This may sound arrogant and that is not the message I or he is trying to get across but there is some truth to it. These things will take a while to change within Korea and I believe an open accepting idea to foreigners will come with them.