What is it like to live in South Korea?
I worked in South Korea for one year, and these are my feelingsBe prepared to live in matchbox-sized apartments, unless you are living in the countryside or suburbs. Homes in S.Korea are very small and cramped.People are generally warm and friendly, the only issue is not many know English. But even then they try their best to interact.Somehow the feeling that Koreans are xenophobic and racist is a bit too harsh, they take their own time to open up. Their reluctance to interact with outsiders is due to their own inhibitions, of not knowing English. One of the safest places in the world, I would go home at 4 AM on the weekend, and nothing happened. It was quite common to see females walking back all alone to their homes at midnight, something unthinkable back home in India.Generally law-abiding populace. I once forgot my wallet with important cards in it at the ATM, I rushed back, and it was there untouched.You get to see all the 4 seasons -- summer, spring, fall and winter in their full glory.One of the most beautiful countrysides ever, with its lush green rice fields, hills, mountains, forests.Koreans are nature lovers, on any given Saturday you can see hordes of them trekking, walking up hills, they love the outdoors.Hard core gaming addicts too, almost every PC Bang (Cyber Cafe), has these video games. I've seen people playing them for hours together, big time betting too.9-5 work is something alien here, and for them working at 12 hours a stretch is normal. But I must add, while they work hard, they do know how to party hard too, so it's not that they are a case of "All work and no play".Sports-loving people, almost every Korean is into some kind of sports or other, though soccer, baseball, table tennis and badminton are the most popular I would say.Fabulous public transport system, during my entire stay in Seoul, at no stage did I miss having a car, thanks to its metro system, where I could travel from one end of the city to another, without having to spend much.One of the fastest internet connectivity, and the best too. Even in utterly remote areas, you get connected.The language factor is a bit of an inhibition, but still enjoyed my stay in South Korea. I would advise you to join some Toastmaster kind of chapter there, it helps you to meet more people and make good friends.
Working holiday visa to South Korea?
Korea does have an 18 month working holiday visa arrangement with the USA for US citizens aged between 18 and 30. You need to apply for an H-1 visa at the Korean consulate in your part of the USA. The following isn't an official ROK government site but the info on it seems to be reliable and comprehensive. http://www.exploringkorea.com/working-ho...
Is Seoul/ South Korea a good place for black people to live?
Short answer YESI have lived in Korea for almost six years now and only had one incident, I went to a dance club in Hongdae and they told me no foreigners allowed, two seconds ago two white ladies just got in, so I asked the dude are those two girls Korean? I stopped the queue until they let me in. They were many foreigners in there except I was the only black dude and I gotta say I left with so many girl’s phone numbers in there simply for being black.Koreans don’t mind foreigners anymore, some things that happens that makes black guys feel like its racism while its not is like when they are in a bus or subway, they sit and one sit is left and no one wants to sit there. Whenever a black dude sees this they immediately freak out. Its really not racism, if you haven’t noticed in Korea whenever there’s one sit left most people get scared to sit, they are too shy, doesnt matter if its next to a black dude or a korean. I have seen many times where they will see a Korean sitting and yet still be afraid to sit, everyone is waiting to see who will take that one remaining sit. I do take advantage of this situation and always take that remaining sit.Also be careful, the word 네가 sounds niga. You might think they are messing with you but its a korean word it means you. One older woman saw a black guy standing in a bus and there was a free sit so she tols the guy 네가 여기 앉아 it sounds niga yogi anja, meaning “You sit here”. The guy almost beat the shit out of that old woman thinking she called him nigger, she was only offering a seat. I saw that video and got really disappointed. The people in the bus couldn’t even calm the guy down and tell him that it wasn’t an insult, everyone was scared of him. Koreans shyness can be weird sometimes.The only problem you’ll have here is getting a taxi, some guys would just pass you by not because you are black but because of being a foreigner they are afraid they cant speak english so theyll have trouble getting directions of where to go from you.Korea is a very beautiful country, beautiful people, got so many Korean friends here, got a korean girlfriend too. No one really cares that you are black except yourself. Don’t focus on race, focus on building connections with people.
Which is better to live in, South Korea or Norway?
That depends wether you speak korean or norwegian, hehe.Both countries have a high level of technological development. The shipyards of both countries are able to build complicated structures like offshore rigs and large ships. Infrastructure and health services are solid and adequate. Level of education is high.I guess it comes down to what kind of culture you are most at ease in. The nordic social democracies and the welfare state model or South Eastern Asia and the proximity and influence of China, Japan and North Korea. At the moment, the situation is tense between the two korean republics, while Norway is calm, bordering on boring. At most we are having friendly spats with Russia on minor issues.
Why south korea is rich while north korea is poor?
South Korea has a free market economy and a democratic government. North Korea has a command economy and is a totalitarian state ruled by a mad man, Kim Jong Il. It is for all intents and purposes, a corrupt, fascist state where all of the state's revenues are pumped into the military while the people starve. Most right wingers will say that it is a communist country when in reality the society of North Korea bears no resemblence to a true communist society, where the means of production and distribution are collectively owned and operated. Unfortunately communism can easily be misinterpreted and or twisted by any corrupt politician. The communist ideology applied to a nation's government, can easily be mutated into a corrupt dictatorship with a cult of personality complex.... much more so than a democratic capitalist government anyway.
Do North and South Korea have the same currency...?
They both have currency called the "won". However, the South Korean won looks different than the North Korean won. Also 1 US Dollar = 135.000 North Korean Won while 1 US Dollar = 1,140.90 South-Korean Won. The South Korean won is in increments of 1000, while the North Korean won is in increments of 100.