![[Q&A] Is my dream of going to South Korea going to turn into a nightmare?](https://lovingkorean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/incheon-airport-2.jpg?w=1024)
Adda asked:
Hey ! In the first place I am from Europe and recently I found out that I have an affinity towards Korea. It`s small wonder that i like this country because when I was around 12 years old I watched anime and read manga . Briefly I want to work there or at least to visit this country. I tried to talk with my parents about this and they told me that I am dreaming too much and if i go there i would be a “castaway” and even if I find love his parents won’t accept me . I felt discouraged and right now I do not know what to believe.
Answer: I wish we could tell you that you will get a chance to experience Korea, have the time of your life, meet the guy of your dreams and his Korean parents will love you. Unfortunately, we have no idea how it will work out, or even if it will work out. But that doesn’t mean you should be discouraged or give up on your dream!
Right now, it depends on how old you are. If you are 14 you need to listen to your parents , wait and see if you feel the same way when you are a bit older. If you are in your 40s, forget what they are saying and go for it! (I took into account approximate time when anime became popular outside of Japan so you should be somewhere in that age range .) ^^
South Korea has low crime rates and is relatively safe country. Apparently South Koreans even leave their bag unattended in public without fear of it being stolen. Kimchi Man says he would never do that himself but he confirms it truly is a common occurrence. However, a lone woman in a foreign country might face certain dangers no matter how safe the country is.
That being said, internet seems to be full of experiences of women traveling or living solo in Korea and having a good time. Here are some we found.
- The 10 best places to teach English abroad (South Korea is #1 :) )
- Expat interview with a young woman living alone in South Korea
If you just want to go there for a visit, we can’t think of a reason not to go. Tourist are not rare in South Korea. And it should be easier to talk a friend or a family member into accompanying you on a trip than into moving there with you so you don’t have to go alone.
If you want to work in Korea for a short while we think that’s a great idea and will enrich your life but is slightly more complicated. Most people that go to Korea to work teach English but it is possible to get different kind of jobs as well. We know of quite a few people who went to Korea to work as engineers at shipyards.
It would be good to at least learn Hangul. Also the more Korean language you know the easier it is going to be. Obviously you will need to get a job and a place to stay if your employer doesn’t provide it. You need to acquire a working visa. To ensure your safety use common sense: don’t accept rides from strangers, try not to go out alone late at night etc.
As you can see, there’s a lot of things you need to do before you reach a point where you have to worry about your future in-laws. :) However, if it does come to that someday I am glad to be able to say that Kimchi Man’s parents accepted me really nicely, so it does happen and positive experiences do exist.
There is an abundance of people sharing their experience online, and I urge you to look into that, but you should be aware that there are quite a few prejudices about South Korea and Koreans in general, and don’t let that discourage you. Kimchi Man doesn’t fit any of those prejudices and neither does his family. So it just depends on the person itself.
Also keep in mind that when people are having a particularly difficult time they like to share that with others and get compassion and understanding. Unfortunately, it does leave the rest of us feeling like there are more negative than positive experiences out there which doesn’t necessarily need to be true.
We wish you for your dream to come true and your time in Korea to be fun and enjoyable. If you or anyone else has any more questions feel free to ask. Have a nice day everyone.
Loving Korean 
Leave a reply to Marjorie Cancel reply