 Dating
and the Social Scene
in Korea
What is the
social scene like?
There are a lot of English teachers in Korea. The number
of course depends
on the size of the city you are working in. The author lived in a
fairly small city, by
Korean standards anyway– population about 200,000. Yet
in that small
community there were 10 to 15 language institutes,
numerous public
schools and 2 universities that hired native speakers.
That particular
community has a very good network for teachers. Most
keep in touch
through a Yahoo community group website. It is a very
sociable group of
people who frequently have parties, get-to-getters,
planned touristy
excursions, and pub crawling on a regular basis.
Most Koreans are friendly and like to spend time hanging
out with their
English teachers, especially if you work in a private
language institute.
The
professional and social relationship that a institute
teacher has with
students is much more relaxed than if teaching at public
schools or
universities. After all, you are not grading or flunking
students in private
institutes. Because of this, it is quite common for
teachers and students to
go out after the last class and have dinner or a drink
or two or more. As a
single institute teacher the author frequently went out with
students after class. As a
professor at the university he almost never met students
after class,
although on occasion other professors would get together
for a meal.
Is it possible to date Koreans?
Many younger Koreans are amenable to dating foreigners,
though Korea is
a very homogenous population as a whole. There is a
historical cultural
belief that blood should not be mixed. This is
especially true among older
Koreans, but that view is slowly changing among younger
people.
Just be careful of who you date.
Private language
institutes have many high
school and college students in attendance, with the same
views on dating
people too young, as most cultures do. One
young man was fired
after a week or so on the job because he couldn’t resist
going out with his young
students.
Traditionally, pre-marital sex is taboo in Korea.
However, as in most
countries, this view has also changed slowly over the
last 10 years or so.
(although many Koreans may not publicly admit that). Sex
is a topic that is
not often openly talked about in Korea, at least not between
Koreans and
foreigners, and especially not between sexes.
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years from now you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do than by the
ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the
trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover." -- Mark Twain |
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