Hi i was thinking what is it like for tourists in South Korea?

Question

i just want to get the basic idea because i'm black and i was thinking what reception i would get because my best friend who is half korean has invited me for next year but i don't know though it would be my visit time in asia i love the Korean culture and food and should i really be worried or just enjoy myself

Answer 1

I was in the army, and i was stationed at korea in 2001, and one day i went to this korean club with my friends, and they didnt let our black friend come in. is not that i want to speak bad of koreans, but i saw it with my own eyes.

Answer 2

the only problem I'd encountered when I was there was language barrier. Not too many Korean speaks English.

Answer 3

If you are new to Korea, there is lot of things you should know. Let me break them down to you piece by piece.

1. Weather: I would compare Korea's weather to Boston. When it is hot, it is steaming hot. It is hot to the point where you can see steams rising above streets. And it also rains frequently during summer and fall like Seattle. During the winter, it is very cold kind of like temperatures of Lambeau Field in Green Bay and it snows but nothing serious.

2. Foods: Great foods. I love Korean foods and still eat them to this date. Korean foods are Spicy, bit salty, and has a deep taste to it. Rice is the main dish kind of like bread in western dishes and there are lot of side dishes to help you enjoy rice with soup. Korean foods contain very low calories compared to Western foods and most of people who eats Western foods as daily meal won't feel full after consuming 1 meal of Korean foods (yes it is that light). It is a great food for diet and one of the healthiest foods in the world. Some of the foods Americans enjoy are Bulgogi, galbi, bibimbop, etc. It will take sometimes to get used to Korean foods. Also there are lot of American chain stores too like McDonald, Burger King, TGIF, Outback, etc.

3. Culture: Koreans are very strong bonded. We suffered lot from Japanese invasions and Korean War so our nation stick together alot and we carry alot of pride for our country. As the guy mentioned above, back then, racism was an issue in Korea. But now days, I hear things are more modified and westernized now and we are starting to open up to other cultures. So even if you are black, I do not think it will be that big of deal if you are deciding to stay around City area. People might be surprised but do not take it personally because most of Koreans do not meet a lot of outsiders when we grow up (I only met 2 foreigners in my 14 years living in Korea). Also, once you break the barrier, we are actually one of the most loving/caring people you will ever meet. We are very nice and tend to look out for others even if it does not benefit us.

4. Night Life: Koreans are very busy people. We work hard and play hard like Diddy. So once the sun goes down and people get off from work, the streets are quite noisy and you will see lot of people around 20-30s. In my opinion, experiencing night life is one of the things you must do if you decide to visit Korea. There is alot to see and do during night times. Try to visit Nam-Dae-Moon (South Gate) or Dong-Dae-Moon (East Gate) during the night time and I am sure you will have a great time. Trust me.

5. Goods: Korea everything is very cheap. If you are Jordan collector like myself, Korea is your heaven and promised land. Rare authentic jordans are 50% cheaper compared to America and you will see lot of shoes that are sold out in the U.S. Also prices of CDs are about 8 dollar U.S price and other electronics are about 30-40 percent cheaper compared to U.S. Not to mention Jersies; authentic jersies which cost 250 here costs only 10 dollar in Korea. But if you decide to buy any female/famous designer brand, keep your eyes open because there are alot of fakes in Korea too. I would say when you visit Nam-Dae-Moon or Dong-Dae-Moon, keep your eyes open for the fake goods.

5. Hobbies: Koreans do not play sports and it is not as popular as it is in U.S. Soccer and Mixed Martial Arts are the famous ones and people never or barely pays attention to Basketball, Baseball, or Football. Computer gaming is very popular in Korea. There is even Professional Computer Gamers in Korea who gets paid for playing games. My cousin's friend is one and he is rich and living very well.This is because Korea is such a small country and we do not have lot of spaces to play sports and people ultimately ends up hanging around at home and playing games. There are people who still plays basketball and baseball for fun but there are lot more people who enjoys playing game for fun.

I hope I helped! Have fun in Korea!