What is your Korea?
By JIYEON KIM, SOYOUNG IM and JAEMINARA LEE APRIL 17. 2014
Steadily, many countries show their interests about Korea. Actually tourists from every corner of the globe are increasing every year. And many foreigners who traveled or lived in Korea, they want to go back to Korea again. Because they are infatuated with Korean culture, life and entertainment. But sometimes their image of Korea and Korea that they experienced is different in many ways. So, today we are going to interviewing foreigners who are studying Korean in USW to see what part of the Korea makes foreigners think differently from their image of Korea.
We asked them "what did you think about the Korea before you came to Korea?" and one of the Chinese students 'Song Hak (23)' said " I think China and Korea's standard time is different. In china we never going out in late time. We usually sleep in a right time because we work early in the morning so, we have to wake up regularly. When I came to Korea I was confused about Korean's time because I think they don't have correct time to go sleep." and we asked " Is it makes you uncomfortable?" and he said " If I have to live like Korean, I can't live like Korean"
And another Chinese student 'Mong Taek (22)' said similarly as about Korean's nightlife. " In China, people usually work tightly so we have to sleep in early. But Korean people are sleep very late. In SUBA, every week they hold a party and they drink a lot and sleep very late. I think all the guys are being crazy." We asked more about what is the image of Korea before they came and he said " I thought Korea is very well developed country. Big cities and tall buildings in everywhere as I saw in Korean dramas. But there was not all the same, here also have many countryside."
We asked more to Indian student 'Verma (23)' about image of Korea and she said "I thought that Korea is technically well-developed and I expected their culture. I tried Kimchi fried rice, omelet rice and rich cake. It was good. People in here are kind and what I like the most is that I can easily find and take a bus. "
In addition, we interviewed more foreigners about their first impression of Korea and one American guy said " I think Korean usually pretend they are busy or efficient but actually they are opposed to that. For example, one of my Korean friend said to me 'I studied all day long.' But my other foreigner friend said thoughtlessly, ' I played a game with him in the PC bang all day.' So, he played game all day with his firend and saying he was studied all day." And one French girl said " Sometimes I disappointed by some Korean people. Because I felt Korean people are not really honest and direct. When I came to Korea I expected to make really nice friend but it was more harder than France."
Until now, we investigated what kind of things that foreigner expected before they come to Korea and what kind of experiences make them think different from their thoughts about Korea. It seems that we have to pay more attention about image of Korea and improve our awareness of foreigner to make better society.