How long did it take you to dislike Korea

I came to Korea in 2017 and wanted to stay a minimum of 2 years then go somewhere else. In the beginning, I couldn't understand why people even wanted to leave or disliked Korea.

I have a nice apartment, easy job that pays me decently, co-teachers I get along with most days and students who just worship the ground I walk on. It was one beautiful fairytale. My first year in Korea was amazing to a point I was thinking of furthering my studies in Education and becoming a "real teacher".

Fast forward to 2018, It's like something inside of switched and I looked around, I was like "nope! this cannot be where and how I am going to spend the rest of my life". However, I hadn't saved any money and couldn't just go at the end of my contract cause I'd be broke.

Now I am in the middle of what I wish would be my final contract, I've saved as much as I could but life is so painful right now. I feel like the next 6 months will be torture.

While I don't hate Korea per se, I just suddenly hate the work ethic, the stares, how sucky dating is and how staying is also destroying my future. At this point, the only thing that makes life bearable is my students. They really do genuinely make me happy and I think if it wasn't for them I'd be in a deep state of depression right now.

How long did it take you to dislike Korea?

i like korea

Same here, I like Korea, too.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot here that frustrates the hell out of me, and there's a lot that this country gets wrong, but there's also a lot that it gets right, and it all kind of balances out for me.

There might come a time when I'll want to leave Korea because the cons have worn me down too much, but it won't ever be because I hate or dislike it here. I've found my niche, I have good friends, and I'm comfortable.

Same here, I like Korea, too.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot here that frustrates the hell out of me, and there's a lot that this country gets wrong, but there's also a lot that it gets right, and it all kind of balances out for me.

There might come a time when I'll want to leave Korea because the cons have worn me down too much, but it won't ever be because I hate or dislike it here. I've found my niche, and I'm comfortable for now.

same

Add me to the list of people that likes Korea.  Korea is simply awesome.

Have to laugh at the OP wanting a pity party and no-one participating. LMFAO

Why is the dating "sucky"?  Are you hot?  I'm looking for a date.   I'm pretty awesome.  I'm 27 years old. I believe in taking care of myself and a balanced diet and rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.

No country is without faults.

I don't hate Korea at all. I just don't want to live and work here for much longer.

Culture shock. Take a break after year two. You might want to come back, you might not.

Everyone has a different tolerance threshold for staying in Korea. Some people barely last a year, and some stay much longer. When people first come to Korea, they experience a honeymoon period, where all is right, and everything is awesome. The time after the honeymoon period is when you will be tested, and by tested I mean mentally tested. Some can pull it off better than others.

I've often said that living in Korea is like "death by a thousand cuts".  No one transgression will kill you, but the cumulative effect of a 1000 transgressions will certainly cause a person to feel like they are at the end of their rope. Examples of transgressions can be: Being pushed on the subway, watching a dog being mistreated, stepping on the spit of an ajeosshi, being used for free English practice, being isolated at work by co-workers, enduring noisy crowds, being woken up by the megaphones from fruit trucks on a Saturday morning, being refused service at a beef restaurant because "you will eat too much", and so on.

OP, if you are saving every last won, it can make the days unbearable. Do try to treat yourself at least once in a while. Generally speaking, the last 6 months of a contract go by faster than the first half, at least it feels that way.

Why is the dating "sucky"?  Are you hot?  I'm looking for a date.   I'm pretty awesome.  I'm 27 years old. I believe in taking care of myself and a balanced diet and rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.

Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?
Their early work was a little too new wave for my taste. But when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor.

Everyone has a different tolerance threshold for staying in Korea. Some people barely last a year, and some stay much longer. When people first come to Korea, they experience a honeymoon period, where all is right, and everything is awesome. The time after the honeymoon period is when you will be tested, and by tested I mean mentally tested. Some can pull it off better than others.

I've often said that living in Korea is like "death by a thousand cuts".  No one transgression will kill you, but the cumulative effect of a 1000 transgressions will certainly cause a person to feel like they are at the end of their rope. Examples of transgressions can be: Being pushed on the subway, watching a dog being mistreated, stepping on the spit of an ajeosshi, being used for free English practice, being isolated at work by co-workers, enduring noisy crowds, being woken up by the megaphones from fruit trucks on a Saturday morning, being refused service at a beef restaurant because "you will eat too much", and so on.


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OMG I feel like you worded this better than I did. It literally feels like a slow death... of my soul. As I mentioned, I love students but maybe teaching the same stuff for almost 3 years now is really killing me inside. and yes I feel mentally tested.

As I mentioned, I appreciate a lot about Korea. Little things like having my own apartment, airconditioning, fast internet, the ease of buying things online etc but overall I'm just like nah fam!

And yes saving every penny can also be quite miserable but I do treat myself from time but I guess my desire to get the hell of here surpasses everything else.


I am also not looking for a pitty party, I know most people who've been here for more than two years want to leave,  I just wanted to see if anyone is going through the same thing.

Why is the dating "sucky"?  Are you hot?  I'm looking for a date.   I'm pretty awesome.  I'm 27 years old. I believe in taking care of myself and a balanced diet and rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.

hahaha love your humor, I'm pretty hot and appealing to anybody who doesn't have yellow fever,  one of which is my boyfriend. Keep moisturizing though you fit right in, in the world of 10 step beauty routines :) 😃

I love it and I hate it.

The older Koreans (age 40 and over) remind me of the Klingons... and I love the Klingons :-)

I go through waves. I would never use the word hate to describe how i feel about Korea, but I've certainly had periods where it just depressed the hell out of me. The pollution, the drab sameness. The grind.

I've only got 6 months left here and knowing that helps me appreciate the positives. And there really are so many positives about this country.

Okay. You have a boyfriend but one reason you listed up here is that the dating sucks.

You not getting enough side action?

For some reason, I was perfectly fine throughout the entirety of my first year here, but I got hit HARD with the culture shock once my 3rd semester started.  All my friends moved away, the students at my school spiraled out of control (And the Korean teachers were all frustrated), I didn't have a consistent co-teacher as they kept going on maternity leave (or were useless), and my ex had broken up with me shortly after.

Now, to be fair, the only thing there related to Korea was the student/teacher problem, but having other problems makes it easy to blame where you're living. It's easy to paint everything in a negative light when you're going through culture shock.

I wouldn't say I "dislike" Korea, but I can't see myself staying here. I absolutely would if I could get a good job that doesn't involve teaching.

Okay. You have a boyfriend but one reason you listed up here is that the dating sucks.

You not getting enough side action?

Maybe she's looking to level up.

hahaha love your humor, I'm pretty hot and appealing to anybody who doesn't have yellow fever,  one of which is my boyfriend. Keep moisturizing though you fit right in, in the world of 10 step beauty routines :) 😃

so what? i'm pretty hot and appealing to anybody who doesn't have eyes or ears, or a sense of smell

hahaha love your humor, I'm pretty hot and appealing to anybody who doesn't have yellow fever,  one of which is my boyfriend. Keep moisturizing though you fit right in, in the world of 10 step beauty routines :) 😃

so what? i'm pretty hot and appealing to anybody who doesn't have eyes or ears, or a sense of smell

Pfft, I have the head circumference of an eight-year old.

I'll let you know when it happens.

(I've been here since '02, so don't hold your breath.)