Charles is an American who lives with his wife in Yongin, South Korea. Here he gives us an in-depth look at his thoughts on expat life in South Korea, as well as useful information on things like the rental system and getting a visa.	Charles La Shure

-Where were you born?

New York, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?

South Korea, Yongin

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I live with my wife.

-How long have you been living in Korea?

I’ve been in Korea for about twelve years.

-What is your age?

34

-When did you come up with the idea of living in South Korea?

I didn’t really come up with the idea of living in Korea. As I was nearing the end of my university studies, a friend of mine told me about an opportunity to teach English in Korea. I was an English literature major, so my options after graduation were somewhat limited, and I had been thinking of leaving the country for foreign shores anyway. Actually, I had been thinking of moving to Japan, since I had studied basic Japanese, but when I heard about the opportunity in Korea I decided to take it and maybe use it as a stepping stone to get to Japan. That never happened, of course—twelve years later and I’m still here.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?

Most legitimate schools these days will take care of the paperwork as part of the process of bringing you over. It wasn’t like that when I first got here, though. I didn’t end up teaching for long anyway, and I had a student visa for a while before I got married and got a spouse’s visa. I now have permanent residency here, which means there are no restrictions on what I can do and I don’t ever have to step foot inside the immigration office again.

As for actually getting a visa, it’s not really that hard. However, it can be hard figuring out what sort of visa you should get, because the people at the immigration office don’t tend to be very forthcoming with information. For example, I wasn’t aware that a language study visa was not the same as a university/graduate student visa. When I went to renew my visa they told me that I had the wrong visa and I had to pay a fine. The moral of the story is: always check. Of course, that’s easier said than done—in order to check, you kind of have to know what to check for. I guess the best advice is just to ask questions about anything and everything you can think of, even if it seems mundane or unimportant.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

I didn’t have medical insurance when I first arrived. I was young and not too concerned with things like that. Now I have medical insurance through my wife, so I really wouldn’t know too much about that.

-How do you make your living in South Korea? Do you have any type of income generated?

I recently finished my doctoral coursework and have not started working full-time yet. I may begin lecturing at a university next semester, but nothing is set in stone, so I can’t say what or where I will be teaching.

Most people coming to Korea to work are probably going to be looking for jobs as English teachers. I’ve been out of that business for years, and things have changed so much that my knowledge of the field is no doubt obsolete. I’d probably better be able to answer questions about studying here, but these questions seem more work-related than study-related.

-Do you speak Korean and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

Yes, I speak fluent Korean, and I think it is important to at least make an effort to learn the local language. My particular path has required me to learn Korean to a higher degree than most, but at least basic Korean skills are a must for anyone living here. And along with the language comes the culture—these two things cannot be separated.

I’m not saying that you should “go native.” This is one reaction to culture shock, but not necessarily the right one. When people first encounter a new culture, they usually go through a “honeymoon phase” where everything is so new and wonderful, and they are enchanted by their host culture. As they become more accustomed to the culture, though, the cracks begin to show, and this leads to a swing toward the opposite end of the spectrum—an intense dislike of the host culture. Some people never get past this stage, and they become bitter. Others learn to adjust and find their place in the host culture. Some people feel that the best way to do this is to “go native”—to adopt as much of the host culture as possible, even to the extent of sacrificing their own identity. This is not a very healthy thing to do for the simple reason that you lose your sense of identity. The proper way to adjust is to come to terms with who you are and then figure out your place in the host culture.

One of the interesting aspects of life in Korea for a foreigner is the fact that you can never really “go native.” That is, it is impossible to “become” Korean. You are either born Korean (in which case other Koreans will consider you Korean, even if you have spent your entire life in another country) or you are not, and there is no crossing this line. It is possible for a foreigner to naturalize as a Korean citizen, but this does not make you Korean. Yes, your nationality will be Korean, but to most Koreans you will still be a foreigner. The concepts of ethnicity and nationality are so intertwined in the Korean mindset that the term “ethnicity” (minjokseong) is often used to cover both concepts.

What this means is that, as a foreigner, you will always be an outsider in Korea, even if you spend the rest of your life here. I’ve met (white) foreigners who were born and raised here, and they still get treated as outsiders—despite the fact that they speak fluent Korean and are acclimated to the culture. Coming to terms with this reality is the single most important step in adjusting to life in Korea. It’s not as easy as it sounds, of course. You can know it with your head, but really digesting it and coming to grips with what it means takes time.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes? Please describe your favorite recreational activities there or those that are available.

This is kind of a silly question, isn’t it? It’s sort of like asking if I sometimes eat or sleep. Everyone misses home and family at one time or another. It’s a lot better than it was when I first got here, though. Back then the internet was in its infancy, and most communication was by hand-written letters as I didn’t have ready access to a computer and an email account. Now I can voice chat with my family for free, so it makes it easier.

I’m not sure what the first question has to do with recreational activities, but possibly my favorite thing to do here is to hike. Korea is a very mountainous country, so much so that the Korean language doesn’t really have a word for “hiking”—the word generally translated as “hiking” literally means “mountain climbing.” The mountains are very beautiful, and they vary by region in terms of scenery and what they offer in the way of trails. Unfortunately, mountain climbing is something of a national pastime, and with nearly fifty million people crammed onto this tiny half of a peninsula, it is difficult to have these beautiful pieces of nature to yourself. Going mountain climbing on a red-letter day is almost an act of insanity, unless you really enjoy crowds.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

As I mentioned above, I hope to start teaching next semester (not English!). This will keep me in Korea for the near future, and I really can’t see past that at this point. My wife and I have traveled to Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Japan in the past, and I imagine that we will do some more traveling in the future. At the next opportunity, we’d like to visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We’d also like to spend some more time in Thailand, and we definitely want to get back to Taiwan—the food there is excellent and there’s a lot to see and do.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

The rental system is a bit different here in Korea than it is in the States. You can pay a monthly rent, but most people choose to leave a very large deposit in lieu of rent (you can also combine these two methods—the monthly rent goes down the greater the deposit is). My wife and I currently have a deposit of 30,000,000 KRW (a little over 30,000 USD) on a two-room place, but we also live outside of Seoul in a tiny neighborhood tucked away in the mountains. Places this size in Seoul could easily run to twice the price depending on the neighborhood. Housing in Seoul is definitely not cheap.

-What is the cost of living in South Korea?

It depends on where you are. Seoul is a very expensive place to live—one of the most expensive cities in the world. Outside of Seoul, though, it can be a lot cheaper. Still, it’s a trade-off—a quarter of the population doesn’t live in Seoul for nothing. It’s easy to get around, full of places to eat, cultural attractions, and other conveniences, and it’s the financial and political center of the country.

-What do you think about the Koreans?

This is the sort of question that either you write a book about it or you end up giving an incomplete answer. Pretty much any short, pithy answer is going to end up being a stereotype. I’ve been trying to think of a good way to answer this question, but I’m coming up blank. I will say this, though: Koreans have their ups and downs, just like any other people. And like any other people, they appreciate it when foreigners make an effort to understand their culture. How you are treated depends in part on how you treat them. Unfortunately, as is the case elsewhere, it also depends in part on outward appearance. There are certainly many differences between Korean society and Western society, but attempting to distill them into a few bullet points would do more harm than good. The only thing I can say is try to learn as much as you can, and always remember where you are.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in South Korea?

This is also a hard question to answer in brief, but I will try. There are a lot of positives about living here. I read some of the other interviews with expats in Korea, and one listed “awful food” as one of the negatives. I can’t understand why, because I love Korean food, and for me that’s one of the positives. Koreans do tend to like their food spicy, and it can take some getting used to, but there is plenty of much milder Korean food for those with more sensitive palates. Another positive is the general ease of travel. Because Korea is such a small country, it doesn’t take too long to get from one place to another (although it probably takes longer to travel the same distance here than, say, in the States, simply because of the amount of people traveling). With some determination and a sense of adventure, you can experience everything the country has to offer: historical and cultural sites, mountains that look as if they have leaped out of a landscape painting, peaceful temples, and the regional cuisines, for example. There is obviously a lot more in the positive category, otherwise I wouldn’t still be here.

Negatives are many as well, but I think the thing foreigners have the most difficulty with is simply the reality of being a minority in a largely homogeneous society. I say “largely” because Korea is not entirely homogeneous, even though many Koreans still believe that it is. And as with all things, perception can be more important than reality. Because of this perception of Korea as a homogeneous nation, the society as a whole is not ready to accept foreigners living among them. For the most part there is no problem—you may get stares and looks, but that’s usually as far as it will go. On occasion, though, you will get someone who goes beyond that, and in situations where there is a conflict between a Korean and a foreigner, the foreigner is almost always at a disadvantage. It is thus best to avoid conflict and brush things under the rug when necessary, but this attitude may conflict with a more open Western attitude, and that’s when problems can start. The double standard for Koreans and foreigners itself is not the real problem—after all, double standards exist everywhere. The real problem is that many people don’t see anything wrong with such a double standard.

It may seem as if the negative I discussed above is far more serious than the superficial positives I listed. It may be, but this is not the whole picture. The problem is that it is very difficult to summarize all of the positives of living in Korea, whereas it is very easy to focus on this single negative aspect. For me, the positives outweigh the negatives, though. This is not to say that it does not get frustrating at times, but there are frustrations wherever you go. While there are certainly problems with Korean society, I have learned that many of my difficulties stem, at least in part, from my own personal problems and challenges. Recognizing what I can do to alleviate my problems is more important to me than complaining about things I can’t change.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in South Korea?

This answer is probably not going to win me too many friends in the expat community here, but I have very little patience for foreigners who come to Korea and spend all their time complaining without bothering to learn about the culture. I’m not saying that all foreigners who complain do this, but a lot do. I’m also not saying that we don’t have a right to complain when we are treated unfairly. But understanding comes first. Without understanding, you won’t even know exactly what it is you are complaining about. Without understanding, you will get little understanding in return from those whose opinions you seek to sway. So my tip would be this: I don’t care how long you plan on staying in Korea—you could be here on a one-year teaching contract or you could be here for a few decades—you owe it to yourself to at least try to understand the culture. If you’re going to insulate yourself from the culture, don’t complain when things don’t go your way.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about South Korea?

I don’t really read the big “Koreablogs,” partly for lack of time and partly because I just don’t feel like dealing with the drama that goes on at some of them. I do have some friends who live here in Korea, though, and I read their blogs on a regular basis. These are not necessarily “Koreablogs,” but they do offer insight on life here.

http://bighominid.blogspot.com (Kevin teaches English at a university, although his time there is drawing to a close, at least for now. Warning: not for the squeamish or politically correct)

http://www.gordsellar.com (Gord teaches English at a university, and he also writes a lot of fiction)

http://gypsyscholarship.blogspot.com (The Gypsy Scholar is a university professor and a medievalist with a quirky sense of humor)

http://aboutjoel.com/blog (Joel is studying for his M.A. at the school I attended here)

My own site can be found at www.liminality.org. It is not a Koreablog, nor does it really focus on life in Korea. It is one of the subjects I cover, though, along with translation, philosophy, religion, writing, food, and a host of other things.