Ethnographic Report 1

Korea: First World PowerThird World Problems?

Tyson Vieira
Azusa Pacific University
TESL 530: Intercultural Communication and Language Teaching











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The Observation
Friday, April 17
th
of this year marked a very special holiday in South Korea thats equally and
traditionally celebrated on different dates throughout Asia; the birthday of Prince Siddhartha
Gautma, or more commonly known as Buddha. On this national holiday, I spent much of the
day observing the Korean people at my most favorite spot in the entire country, an unnamed
small park on a hill between the districts of Seocho and Gangnam. Why this particular area
holds my deepest favor is the fact that one can observe broad spectrums of humanity, history and
influences in one place. To my left, I can observe the district of Gangnam. The name
Gangnam, which translates to English as south river, held world recognition last year
through the K-Pop song, Gangnam Style, which still currently holds the record as the most
watched music video in history. To my right, I can barely see amongst the various tall buildings,
Samsung town; the powerful corporations headquarters which buildings span about 5 blocks
of prime downtown property.
Behind me lies a small but popular Buddhist temple called Daeseongsa, in which today is the
temples busiest time of the year. Although the temple was greatly damaged during the Korean
War, it still holds remains that date over 800 years old. Directly in front of me, across the street,
towers a very modern looking computer programing company, greatly symbolizing the road
between ancient history to modern era within a city block. By noon, I observed men and women
walking out of the computer programing building during their lunch breaks to line at front gates
of the ancient temple to pay their respects to Buddha. I decided to join the line to observe the
target group I hoped to learn more about in my interview the day after.
A few short weeks earlier marked my one-year anniversary of living in Korea, and although
Ive learned more than the average American about this particular culture and country, I still
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become greatly confused and baffled in some of its mysteries. Every 3 months, I help train new
native teachers in preparation of their new life in Korea. One thing I am always sure to tell the
new recruits, Because you just landed here, you know nothing. Ive been here much longer
than you; therefore I know more of nothing. As I waited in line near the 800-year-old front
entrance to the main temple, I noticed a TV satellite dish on the edge of the roof, which I find
quite ironic.
Before I stepped into the temple, I took my Nikes off and placed them next to a similar pair,
in fact most of the shoes were American brand sneakers; although its a business district, dress
shoes arent as popular in a business world where its common to take shoes off before entering
work. Once inside, I observed many Koreans all paying tribute in their own way to Buddha.
Koreans of all ages, men and women gather together, bow and provide offerings to their Buddha
and temple. I noticed various Christian jewelry and even ministers bowing and giving offerings
to Buddha and his temple. This reminded me of what my girlfriend said earlier that morning,
On this day, everybodys a Buddhist, even many Christians and Atheists.
Although the main temple building was very small and compact, there were about 200+
people inside. I casually observed from the corner of the room, away from the crowd. I wasnt
the only foreigner in the temple. I saw three other visitors paying their respects and slipping
money in the offering box. Today is truly a great day to observe the culture and history of this
country, probably one of the best days of any year in Asia. The back of the room, next to me,
was filled with various bags, computer cases and baby carriages holding babies, so that the
parents can be free and undisturbed during their few short minutes of prayer; something you
would probably rarely witness in America. The monks were dressed in their usual grey robes.
The rest of the Koreans consisted of businessmen in fancy suits, local tourists enjoying their
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national holiday in the big city, and the people of Seoul, dressed the same as the country folk,
very Western style jeans and t-shirts, consisting of English print. The couple in front of me, both
in their early 20s, praying simultaneously, also matching in clothing from head to toe; this
signifies to their society that they are in a committed relationship. After a half hour within the
temple, I was told in Korean by a monk to Please, make room for coming guests which I
accepted with a smile; the line I was previously in was much bigger.
Walking out of the opposite side of the temple from where I entered, I noticed from a distance
that I can count six different crosses from separate church steeples; from where Im standing this
symbolized not only the two major religions within this country, but which one was the most
dominant. Between two of the steeples, not far from the temple, I could see the golden arches
of the local McDonalds. That particular view creates within me a personal sadness about the
negative side of Western influences in this recently developed 1
st
world country. Throughout my
time here, Ive observed and witnessed so many wonderful and dark things within this country.
My inspired questions came from not just the observation on Buddhas birthday, but throughout
my year here as an invited guest. There are so many similarities between my country and Korea,
yet even the similarities portray signs of different aspects between our cultures. Below is a list of
questions I plan to use during my interview with my friend who wants to go by alias name,
Sunny.
Sunny is a close friend of mine, whom Ive known since my first journey to Korea. I believe
she is the best qualified for this interview due to her excellent English speaking skills, honestly
of the negative facets within Korean society and her conservative viewpoints having come
coming from a traditional Buddhist family. Since I have known Sunny since I first came to
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Korea over 1 year ago, our friendship allows me to ask questions that are more personal and
unique. Her responses were open, honest and met with a friendly and comfortable atmosphere.
How do you feel about foreigners in this country, especially teachers? When it comes to
influences, do you believe they hold more positive than negative? Can you recall an example
of when you were deeply offended by their behavior? Any other things offend or bother you
about foreigners?
What are some stereotypes you have towards Americans? Im going to give you a list of
Korean and American stereotypes and you can agree, disagree, and explain. (Korean: All
Koreans eat dogs; all Korean women have plastic surgery, etc. American: All Americans are
war mongers,, All Americans are old and fat, etc.)
When and how did you become Buddhist? What are your favorite aspects of Buddhism?
Anything you dislike about the religion or from followers of that religion? Buddhism, today,
is looked at as an old peoples religion. Do you find this to be true? Why is Christianity,
especially American-influenced Christianity, so popular now?
Do you feel Korea as a country respects women less than the U.S.? Since President Park is
the first elected women leader in Korean history, do you now have high hopes that she would
change the Korean women rights issue?
Are you pro- or anti- Korean unification? What are your opinions of North Korea? Do you
think Americans exaggerate the danger?
The Interview
The next day, early evening, I had dinner with my Korean cultural correspondent: Sunny.
The reason why she chose that particular name is because Sun is one of the syllables in her
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Korean name. Every Korean name, first and last, holds only 3 syllables, and Sun is a very
common one; I alone know 12 Koreans who share the same syllable. She is a very beautiful
young cultural news reporter (22 years old), who also has a very popular blog about restaurants
and food throughout Korea. Sunny currently lives in Seoul, but recently moved from her
wealthy parents house located at one of the poorest provinces in the country. Although she
always dresses professionally during her work days, conservatively casual on weekends, always
well-respected and gracefully mannered; she is considered rebellious by her family due to the
fact that she is single, (meaning unmarried while living away from the family) she has
foreigner friends, and she socializes with others not within her age group.
I had her decide on the restaurant where we can conduct the interview. She wanted to hold the
interview at MillerTime Bar & Grill. I asked her why this place:
I thought this is a good idea for intercultural experienceAmerican influence meets
Asian social structure. We are eating potato chips (French fries) and fried chicken, but
look at the table next to usthey are all the same agelook at the table over therethe younger
boy cant eat until his elders doand thereonly girls who are all and only teachersonly
Koreans hereits not common to see mixtures. This is Eastern social practices in a Western bar.

The restaurant was a little loud because of the noisy crowd and K-Pop music blasting throughout
the bar, but we were able to get our own private room, overlooking the entire bar. This was just
one amongst the many gatherings Ive had with my friend Sunny, and with how she acted and
dressed along with her usual friendly nonverbal communication, I knew she was comfortable as
if this interview was just another night out as friends, creating a perfectly comfortable and
friendly atmosphere within our booth.
Throughout the entire night, our conversations and interview was met with laughter, plenty of
smiles and respect; a blessing that might be difficult to find within such a closed society to
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foreigners. Having a private booth was also a huge advantage as well, since some of the topics
being discussed could be awkward and controversial to publically speak out loud. Koreans are
generally very shy and worry constantly about what others think of them, in both outer
appearances and mannerisms. Although Sunny is very open, honest and not a typical Korean
in the sense of Western thinking, foreigner friendly, and individualistic; Sunny is Korean after all
who doesnt push the cultural spheres.
I do believe I am Western minded and an individual, but in a collectivist society, where
the nail that stands will be hammered down, I do feel its best to be a part of this
countrys slow direction and not to fight it. I do love this country dearly, and Im
comfortable with my life...
We talked about a few very important cultural subjects that I wanted to know more about
such as Buddhism, recent political tensions between North and South Korea, foreigner influences
in Korea and explanation and opinions of various stereotypes on both Koreans and Americans. I
very much respect Sunnys worldview and opinion because of her great honesty. Shell indicate
if Korea is in the wrong and provide her opinion as to why. Her worldview is pretty Western
compared to the typical Korean, but she still holds firm to many Eastern and traditional beliefs
such as Buddhism, some forms of collectivism, and conservativism (by Korean standards). She
is also very well read, so her worldview seems very logical and open minded to embrace new
views and beliefs. I believe that this provides a perfect balance that is rare to find in this country.
Her behavior is always positive even when discussing very depressing and dark subject matter
and issues such as sex slavery, racism and womens inequality in Korea. I knew Sunny very
well, but through this interview, I discovered more about her and became even closer to my good
friend.
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Through my observations in Korea, I learned that honor and generosity are held in the highest
regard. Before the interview, we discussed about a mutual friends wedding that was coming
soon. In Korean culture, money is the essential and universally mutual gift of choice. Sunny
informed me that if I give a certain amount, I should give the same to every other mutual friends
wedding, because it will be discussed and judged. If I get married and invite the same friends, I
will have the same amount returned. The more money one gives, the higher honor one holds for
their family name. The same concept goes for graduations, birthdays and other life events. This
is just one key example of Korean cultures honored and generous nature.
Respect and honor seemed to be the reoccurring theme within the interview. Although Sunny
voiced many controversial statements that arent generally accepted in Korean society, one can
easily notice how much she respects and honors her country, family, friends and society. It is
clear that Sunny was comfortable in my presence, but she still holds a respectful presence in her
behavior, posture, dress appearance and mannerism, almost to the point of a professional look in
Western perspective. One, almost universal, sign of respect in Korean culture is the notion of
saving face. McVeigh and Wintergerst (2011) refer to it as acquired face used in social
interactions of both verbal and nonverbal communication. This is a very common and disciplined
sign of respect towards family, friends, co-workers and even strangers, and is typically a culture
shock for both Westerners and Koreans who step into opposite worlds.
Discussion
There were many topics discussed in the interview, some containing deeper questions that I
developed over time since arriving here in Korea, such as: Christianity turning into the dominant
religion while Buddhism is now considered to be old and traditional, President Parks
possibility of influencing a change in Koreas gender equality ranking as 108
th
in the world, and
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the possible collision of individualistic influences of Buddhism with a collectivist society.
During my first trip to Korea, I gained the knowledge of classic and grand themes of the big C
culture which are cultural artifacts that can be observed from the outside, such as music,
literature, architecture, geography and historical figures. It wasnt until recently that I wanted to
grasp the minor or common themes of the Korean little c culture, like everyday thinking and
behavior, common traditions, practices and customs of the Korean people (Wintergerst &
McVeigh, 2011). Little c culture leans more towards cultural involvement and interactive
experience within the country and its people, and this is what I desired to discover more about
through this interview.
Sunny is a very interesting case because she holds two separate identities: primary (reserved,
Korean) and her secondary (Sunny, openly Western) (Wintergerst & McVeigh, 2011). Many
successfully fluent English-speaking Koreans hold two separate identities since their cultures are
very closed and reserved from foreigners and their mannerisms. For example, Sunny is really
quiet and reserved by her family, using her Korean name and only speaking in Korean; but when
she is out with Western friends (sometimes with Korean friends), she goes by the name Sunny
and she is far more outspoken and practices Western mannerisms. As fascinating as her case is,
its not an uncommon feature amongst Koreans. In analyzing Korean culture, I believe that this
is an interesting result of a country that went from one of the poorest countries in the world, that
held only Eastern traditional values, to the 12th biggest economy with dramatic Western
influence within a few short decades. Before the interview, the last time I met up with her was
with her family; so during the interview, it was interesting to compare her two identities.
Comparing Sunny and her grandparents, observing their mannerisms, dress apparel, Korean
language, and even physical features demonstrated to me that they didnt look like they belonged
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in the same world, let alone the same country. A large majority of the Korean elderly have very
dark skin and curved backs from working outside in the fields; signs from an agriculturally
dominant country, while the younger generations are extremely white due to cosmetics and
indoor atmospheres. The Korean language has evolved as well, embracing more foreigner words
(Konglish) due to Western influences and the rise of technology. It was interesting to note that
Sunnys grandma uses a traditional word for bus (which younger generations dont understand)
and there are no words in her vocabulary for computer, Internet, and cell phone.
Sunny often has views and practices that are opposite of that of her family and many of
those around her. But as Smith warns, we cannot focus on the visible because Sunny looks,
and most of the time, acts much more conservative and traditional than those around her (2009).
If I judged her by my first experience together, then possibly I would never have had the
opportunity of not only a wonderful friendship, but also not being blessed with the deeper
understanding of my own cultural identity (Smith, 2009). Through this interview, Ive become
more aware of how to behave well as an outsider, to be a blessing as a stranger, not to know
everything the native knows. This interview was an interesting outlook to Korean thinking,
beliefs and worldviews, but it raised more questions, in which I need to do further research on
how to ask them. With the vastness of culture, especially from two separate worlds, one can be
overwhelmed, even if they are labeled a world traveler.





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Appendix A Field Notes of Observation
Decided to do my observation on Buddhas birthday, so that I would have more people to
observe, especially on a culturally unique time of the year.
The park where I started my observation has no name that I can find, but a temple called
Daeseongsa is part of the area.
I can see Seochos Samsung Town, at least four of the buildings
I can also see Gangnam from a distance of the park as well. Great symbolism of the
Korean culture from this view.
Hopefully my informant will speak a little bit about Korean history within the last
century on how Korea rose from a 3
rd
world country to now.
Maybe ask her a question about the world famous song Gangnam Style if I have the
opportunity or time to do so
I am surrounded in a sea of Korean. I cant hear any English whatsoever. I dont see any
foreigners yet.
Compared to the area in Korea where I live, Im not being stared at as much. Mainly
because foreigners are much more common in the city of Seoul.
I luckily found a bench with a free spot. Its very busy in the park because of the national
holiday.
Koreans are dressed in their normal attire: casual Western style clothing, almost all
entirely in English. Its actually rare (in comparison) to find clothing with Korean.
1 out of a 20 people is monks, mostly due to the temple nearby.
There are many families enjoying themselves at the park, school and work day off.
Children and adults are riding bikes, a few scooters, walking their dogs
I might have to ask Sunnys opinion of Western stereotypes of Koreans eating dogs. (Q)
Families enjoying the weather, it was a long, cold winter, especially up North here close
to the border.
Although the families are enjoying the sun. Many women are wearing long billed sun
hats, so that no sun touches their face or necks, long sleeve shirts or sun umbrellas.
I have to ask Bonnie about the obsession of white skin in Korea. (Q)
In front of me is a computer programming buildingvery tall and uniquely modern
design.
I can see many workers from that computer programming building leave during their
lunch breaks.
Seem to head towards the temple for paying their respects and making prayers.
The line is getting long very fast, I should continue my observation in line and inside the
temple
Ive seen maybe 20 foreigners since I started my observation, a few Ive noticed speaking
German. Im the only foreigner in line for now.
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The majority of those in line are businessmen and women, and possibly Korean tourists
from the country.
This isnt my first time at the park, but my first time entering this temple.
Loud music playing, almost sounds Middle Eastern, but its obviously traditional Korean
music. I can barely make out the lyrics being sung through the speakers.
Theres a satellite dish on the side of the temple. Possibly holding more channels than I
have ever owned.
Observing the shoes in front of the temple, almost all are American made.
No fancy shoes whatsoever, mostly sneakers.
Men and women of all ages are within the temple.
The decorating of the temple is magnificent, beyond what I can write about within 5
pages
3 golden Buddhas, maybe about 30 feet in height, each holding a different pose, but
traditional Buddhist cross-legged stance.
The walls are decorated with many beautiful colors of blue, green, red, orange, and more.
Walls also have many painted pictures, possibly stories of Buddhas life.
There are probably over a hundred people here, about 75% of them are bowing or are
about ready to pray.
Monks are dressed in their traditional, daily grey robes, who are helping direct the traffic
of all the guests
I notice that some of those praying are wearing crosses. I have to ask Sunny about
Christians and Buddhism (Q)
Im observing in the back of the room, with the bags, baby carriages with babies, laptop
cases; I see one of the bags even has a Bible.
I finally see a foreigner couple, ironically dressed exactly the same way as the Koreans
that surround themalso have Korean branded travel bags. The only way to tell a
foreigner in this country, often enough, is the ethnicity of the individual.
Ive been shooed out of the temple because I was just observing and not praying. The
monk was kind about it.
I have been inside the temple for over a half hour, the line where I was is now double the
size.
I walked out the opposite end from where I entered the temple. I notice 3 churches from a
distance. I have to ask Sunny about what she feels towards Christianity, Buddhism and
their relationship sharing this country. (Q)
Also I notice the golden arches from the local McDonalds between two of the crosses.
This reminds me to ask Sunny about Western influences, politics and foreigners. Is this
what they think of us, fast-food, negative influences? (Q)

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Appendix B Interview Transcription
Tyson (T): So for the record, why did you choose this place?
Sunny (S): I thought this is a good idea for intercultural experienceAmerican influence meets
Asian social structures. We are eating potato chips (French fries) and fried chicken, but look at
the table next to usthey are all the same age look at the table over therethe younger boy
cant eat until his elders do only girls who are all and only teachersonly Koreans hereits
not common to see mixtures. This is Asian social practices in a Western bar.
T: So, SunnyI see that you brought your fancy camera for your blog, how many
followers do you have, and how is that going?
(S): I have 300,000 daily viewers, according to my websiteI guess its successful if
restaurants pay for me to come and eatand then beg me to write a good review. All my
followers thought I was really fat cause all my pictures were of food, then I posted a picture of
myself and it shocked my viewers.
T: Any thoughts about starting a career in that direction with food?
S: Im thinking about it. I have plans and ideas on opening my own restaurant. I have several
menu ideas and Im very good at artistic and decorative designs.
T: That sounds like a wonderful and exciting dream. In a collective society, would that
pose a greater challenge?
S: Well, challenges are everywhere it seems. Like America for example, isnt it the land of
opportunity but yet Wal-mart is king? Its not just starting a business thats challenging here,
but creating your own business is often times seen as taboo. I have several friends here that
tried to start their own businesses but its greatly frowned upon, because they are not seen as
benefiting society but themselvesalmost like selfishness. Besides Im also a woman, thats a
whole new challenge there.
T: InterestingI betand I will get back to womens rights a little later, but speaking of
collectivism, one reason why we are such close friends is because you are extremely open-
minded, often Western thinkingor at least understanding, and I also believe that you are
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individualistic. Would you view yourself as such? Do you ever have a problem living in
Korean society as such?
S: I do believe I am Western minded and an individualistic, but in a collectivist society, where
the nail that stands will be hammered down, I do feel its best to be a part of this countrys
slow direction and to not fight it. I do love this country dearly, and Im comfortable with my life,
so I dont find too much of a reason to complain or fight. Harmony is my comfort. But today, its
much more forgiving to be individualistic, and its promotedespecially in the bigger cities,
through music, movies and literature.
T: I do see that more clearly in the bigger cities as well. Yesterday, I went to Daeseongsa
temple. Buddhism is a religion that really fascinates me. Im curious, when and how you
became Buddhist?
S: Originally, it came from my mothers side. My mothers side is entirely Buddhist, and she
took me to the local temple for as long as I can remember. Ever since Western influence in our
country, Korean parents have to make a choice between choosing Buddhism and Christianity
and to take their child to either Christian pre-school or Buddhist pre-schoolkind of like
shopping for Pepsi or Coke. Some parents even choose Christianity for their children so that
maybe their children can learn English faster because of Western influences. When I became
older, I went to Catholic Church because many of my friends are Catholic. I didnt feel right
about it. They seem too forceful on following a particular path, and often they change their ways.
I dont understand much of the Christian philosophy and viewpoints either like: Marijuana is
evil yet grows from nature that God created and saw that it was good, unequally yoked means
different religion now but just decades ago it meant different ethnicity, or homosexuality is
evil yet Abrahams sex slaves and many wives were okayits too confusing, but yet the aspects
of Christianity I enjoy are also found in Buddhism. I feel at peace with Buddhism, and
satisfaction I havent found anywhere else.
T: Very interesting perspectives and debates, youve done your homework. When I was
in the temple, Ive observed many Koreans who had cross necklaces and other Christian
jewelry. I even saw a Bible in one of the bags within the temple. My girlfriend once said
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that On this day, everybodys a Buddhist, even many Christians and Atheists. Do you
find this to be true and can you explain that?
S: Your girlfriend is right with many people. Although I see Buddhism as a religion. Many
view it as a philosophy, even Buddhists do. Buddha stresses to keep your religion but yet follow
his philosophy. My boyfriend is Christian, and yet follows practically all the Buddhist
philosophies and practices. Buddhas birthday is a special national holiday where basically
everyone celebratesalthough there are some Christian protesters that vandalize and protest
specifically on that day. But other than that, its widely accepted and celebrated, more as a
cultural holiday than religious; this is why its a national holiday. I believe most Christians
celebrate Buddhas birthday more of a cultural celebration than a religious one. Buddhism has
shaped and stayed in Asia far longer than Christianity has.
T: This leads to my next question: Since Christianity is the largest majority amongst
religions in Korea, Buddhism is almost looked upon as a old peoples religion. A large
part of the Christian percentage is the youth. Why is this and do you feel this way? It seems
this is mostly Western Christianity, is it more American/Canadian based?
S: I view organized religions as businesses, even Buddhism, because they constantly ask my
parents for money since they are wealthy. Christian churches focused on the youth and young.
They introduced things that are cool, especially American, such as rock music, art, movies, and
so on. What Buddhist temples and leaders did was focus on their loyal followers and families,
which lead to the groups you see today. Im not mad about Christianity, theyre just smarter
businessmen than monks are. Jesus and 12 disciples started a global commercialized empire
together. Christianity is a growing religion here, and is powerful. They even send missionaries
to America now because they feel that the U.S. has turned immoral. But, I do believe that most
of the Christian families attend their churches for local political reasoning, not necessarily for
God; I see this in Buddhism as well, even amongst my own familyIm sorry if Im speaking too
harshly on your faith, but I do believe you arent a part of religion like me. Buddhist and
Christianity are religions, but I believe we both know the difference between spirituality and
religion. Spirituality comes from above, right?
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T: Thank you for saying so, really well said. Touching back on collectivism, the religion
or spirituality of Buddhism seems very individualistic within a collective society. Buddha
himself left his family in order to be enlightened, that doesnt seem like for the good of the
group. Also, Confucianism seems to disfavor afterlife and focus on how to live in this
current life. With these worlds constantly living together, has there been much conflict?
How can you explain being Buddhist, Confucian and Collectivist at the same time?
S: Wow! I see youve done your homework. The history between those three along with their
conflicts would span much longer than a full night to talk about. Actually Confucianism and
Buddhism had much more conflict compared to collectivism and Buddhism. Ill recommend a
few books for you to read about the historical conflict. Think of it this way, Confucianism is a
philosophy of rules, but it can be a religion, depends on how you take it, but it would lean more
towards a one god religion, not necessarily leaning in a Christian sense because of Jesus and
the Holy Spirit, but aDeist sense. Deism can flow more in harmony with Buddhism than
Christianity, I believe...but maybe others would disagree. But like Catholic and Protestant
history, despite their many similarities, their histories show otherwise. Once you have two
worldviews close together, a fight will happen, especially with religion. Now with Buddhism and
collectivismBuddha said to question everything no matter who says it, but he also said that the
world is suffering, that things are what they are, so just dont try to change them. Buddha also
said that there is no I and Me that that blocks our way to heaven. This is exactly how many
Buddhists treat collectivism, and its worked pretty well so far. As you mentioned, most of the
Buddhist population in Korea are older, well, thats the most collective people in our society.
Very good question, Ive never been asked that before.
T: I thought about that in the temple. Very good answers! I had no idea what to think
of it yesterday. Now leaning towards foreigners, you mentioned that many Koreans find
America as immoral, is this mainly due to what they witness amongst the foreigner
community in Korea? How do you feel about foreigners in this country, especially teachers?
Positive or Negative influences?
S: I think that is a correct answer. Koreans are very judgmental amongst themselves as well
as foreigners. They generalize too much as wellstereotype all foreigners often, so if one
foreigner does something awful, Koreans feel that all our guilty. Most of the Western foreigners
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in this country are teachers or military. Its easy to distinguish the two. So that doesnt really
help the outlook on native teachers that much. I dont think American movies help either. Most
Koreans believe that children have sex, take drugs and do crazy things in America like in the
movies. Hollywood has a huge influence in how Korea views America. Every police officer is
fat and every woman is a slut, while everyone else has guns. Koreans are scared of foreigners
often, especially where Im from, where people rarely have any interactions with foreigners. But
I know enough about foreigners that not all of them are bad, actually most of the crimes done by
foreigners in Korea arent Western but Chinese and Japanese. I personally believe that
foreigners are a necessity for a 1
st
world countrys economy, so therefore I view them as positive.
I also think foreigners educated us of the world beyond our borders here, which every country
needs. I think that American children have that problem just like Korean, although our history
was a closed society from the West for a long time.
T: So you think foreigners positives outweigh the negatives in Korea? Can you recall
an example of when you were offended by foreigners? Any other things that foreigners
often do that bug, irritate and/or offend you?
S: Mostly when they treat their time here like a giant party, instead of showing the respect of
someones home. There are many foreigners, even teachers that get drunk publically and are
mean and rude to the locals. They leave trash everywhere, say mean things and act rude, as if
they are better. I see this often and it makes me really mad. They are visitors here, would you
really do that to a neighbors or strangers house? Respect the locals and theyll respect you.
Simple. One thing that also irritates me is when foreigner live here for awhile, but yet dont
learn any of the language or customs. For example, I know a native university teacher from
America that has lived here for 10 years and doesnt know more than 7 words. He even has a
Korean wife! Thats disrespectful. You can learn how to read Korean in 2 days. Koreans are
forced by the education system to learn English because Western powers are influencing us. So
if a foreigner comes and lives in our land, he should show us the respect of learning about our
land. Foreigners dont create many problems, just small local ones sometimes. Their help and
education outweigh bad influences.
T: I agree fully. Now moving on to a different subject; North Korea took the spotlight
for a couple of months up until the Boston Marathon bombing. Many Americans and
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Canadians back home were really scared, but yet the Korean population, from what I
observed, didnt even flinch. Even the teachers that have been living here for years, treated
the news as if nothing was going to happen. I was a little worried since that was my first
experience of such, but should I have been? Whats your opinion with your lovely
neighbors up north? Do you ever feel threatened? Does the American media exaggerate
the danger?
S: (After a minute of laughter) No, no danger at all. North Koreans just talk and thats it. We
have nothing to worry about over here. America will protect us, because there are over a
million foreigners here, and we have Samsung; I dont think America will let either of those
sources go to waste. The American media exaggerates the dangers a lot, and sometimes
Koreans feel like they want a war because of it. I thought the American media was so stupid,
because they viewed South Korea as a dangerous place to live, while every week there was mass
shootings throughout the US. I read an American newspaper that its the year of the gun.
People are such at peace here. We dont really look at North Koreans as our enemy, we look at
them as our cranky older uncle. They just dont know what is happening outside of their
borders. I dont think the Kim family would want to have their soldiers reach Seouls borders
because of the economic power we hold, that would probably cause a mutiny amongst the
soldiers. Besides, Kim Jung Un loves his life, his car and his little wife. He was even educated in
Europe. No, he doesnt want to face suicide just yet, that was the same for his father. All that
money and power they spend on military, they will eventually try and attack. His father died
suddenlyimagine if he was diagnosed with cancerthats a different problem. Then I would
be scared a littlebut not much.
T: So how do you feel towards Korean unification?
S: This is where I stand alone with my family; but Im against reunificationactually most
Koreans are in Seoul and other major cities as well. Do you think Samsung, KIA, and LG want
it? They are probably the biggest powers, next to China and America, that doesnt want
reunification. When East and West Germany reunited, the West took a hit economically. I dont
want that for my country, but I do feel horrible for those trapped and tortured in the North. I
have mixed views, but I believe as long as there is China and America, theyll always be a North
and South Korea.
Ethnographic Report 19

T: Very interesting, another political topic, President Park is now the 1
st
woman
president of Korea. This is very interesting and exciting coming from a country that has
been ranked 108
th
out of 135 countries that were surveyed in gender equality, which is right
along with Kuwait, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. I wish I could cite where Ive
heard this. Do you have hope that President Park will change this? Do you feel that this
survey is untrue and unfair? Do you really struggle with this issue in your country? Can
you give me any examples?
S: I know which article youre talking about, The Korean Times wrote the article months ago.
No, I dont feel that the article is exaggerated or unfair, but very, sadly true. We are a 1
st
world
country with 3
rd
world problems. Remember I said, that decades ago we were a 3
rd
world
country. Simple said, we grew up too fast in many areas, while some old ideals and moral
weaknesses stuck along [10 second pause] I do struggle with this the most in my country, and
I pray daily that this changes. Obviously, having boys is much more favored than girls, but
Korean dont carry out the violence that the Chinese place upon baby girls. In Korea, if men do
certain crimes like abuse, molestation and cheating, the law wont do anything about it, but with
women, they would be arrested and tried. Prostitution and sex slavery is widely used in Korea.
Also if women are abused by their husbands and call the police, the police wont respond. There
is also a lot of rape and molestation in Korea as well, but what makes me so angry is not just the
crimes of the wicked, but the ignorance of the innocent. Koreans brush these issues under and
dont do anything about it. President Park is a woman, but will do the same like a man. Shes
our president but also a puppet as well. Its the little things of inequality that I suffer through,
such as not much respect from others like in restaurants or at work. But so far, Ive been very
blessed with the life I have within Korea. My family has been wonderful on maintaining equality
between my brother and me.
T: I have noticed that your family is very well respectful of you during my visit last
month. Now on a slightly lighter subject, I know you were looking forward to this part. Ill
name some American stereotypes, and you tell me whether you agree, disagree, why, and
also why other Koreans would feel otherwise.
Ethnographic Report 20

S: Ive been waiting for this! (laughter) Im also worried because my answers are probably
different than most Koreans, so Ill try to give their answers and explanations as well, the best I
can.
T: Perfect! Thats all I ask. Now: Americans are always fat and old looking.
S: Yes, this is a popular stereotype and most of the time I see that its true, but I have traveled
to the U.S. and I saw many skinny people, but as an average, especially with the ones that come
to Korea, they are generally fatter than the average Korean. Koreans cant tell how old many
foreigners are because they often look very old, but I know that many foreigners cant tell how
old many Koreans are from ages 17-30. (laughter)
T: Americans are war-mongers meaning their always at war and love it.
S: Koreans dont really think all Americans are, but that all or most politicians are. Since
President Bush, Koreans have been in a constant fear that America will start a war over here.
Its quite common to be more afraid of American military and politicians than North Koreans.
Koreans do generalize, but we see enough Americans to know that they are peaceful peopleon
average. America has been at war its entire existence, while Koreans have always been invaded.
Thats why we are so nationalistic. Weve been invaded by the Mongols, the North, and the
Japanese and Chinese multiple times, and some Koreans even say that America is currently
invading now. I dont believe this, but South Korea doesnt have a say in political international
policies without American approval. We consider ourselves peaceful, and Americanot really.
T: All Americans smell like cheese?
S: (Laughter) Well, many of them do, but dont they think we all smell like Kimchi? Thats
mostly just a mean joke than a belief. There is a certain food that many Koreans hate and cant
understand why foreigners love it: Bleu Cheese. (Laughter)
T: All Americans love guns.
S: I believe thats true. Korea has gun-control and our streets are extremely safe. I read
recently that last year was the year of the gun in America. With Hollywood and all the
shooting that happen in America, many Koreans believe that America is one of the most
Ethnographic Report 21

dangerous places in the world. When I visited America, I was extremely scared all the time of
gangsters or crazy people with guns.
T: I have to agree on Korean streets. Ive never felt in danger here once, and yet in my
hometown, I do have a fear once in awhile, but most places, its not as bad as Koreans
generally think. Okay, now Ill tell you some Korean stereotypes, and you tell me why you
think Americans feel this way and whether its somewhat true or completely false.
S: Give me the best you got, Id love to answer anything.
T: Awesome: All Koreans eat dogs.
S: (Laughter) How many dogs have you eaten here?
T: One time I had the dog souplast Fall.
S: Well, thats the same as me, only once, so I guess that answers your question. You
probably had Boshintang or Gaejanggook. Eating dog is a popular food but its not commonly
eaten, especially in urban areas. Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world in the 60s
and Koreans had to eat with whatever they had. They were starving. Koreas dishes originally
have poor origins, because weve been war torn throughout our existence by foreign invasions.
You notice how our meat dishes have slivers of meat instead of Western style steaks? Korean
families couldnt afford to raise or buy a decent amount of meat. This is why Koreans used dogs
as a dish, like chickens, cows and pigs. Koreans only eat one kind of dog and its raised just like
a chicken is. Its sole purpose is to be eaten by man. Besides its an ugly dog anyways, its not
like what Westerners originally imagine. If its raised the same and has that specific purpose,
then whats honestly the difference between a pig and a dog? Its how I was raised, just like you
were raised to love dogs and have them as family. Eating dog is an uncommon dish for many
Koreans to have, but popular for foreigners to focus on.
T: Very good point, next: All Koreans want plastic surgery.
S: Yes, I believe that is very true, maybe not all of them, but a large majority do. Korea is one
of the leaders of plastic surgery in the world, and the most common surgery is the eyes, to have
them more open like an almond shape. The 2
nd
, I believe is nose lifting. In America, I think
Ethnographic Report 22

breast surgery is the most common, which it isnt as common here, because Koreans worry more
about the face and facial skin.
T: Sorry to interrupt, but speaking of skin: Why are Koreans so obsessed with looking
white and having white skin?
S: It originally started with the social structure in Korean history. If you were dark skinned,
that meant that you were poor, uneducated and basically a field worker, but if you had light skin,
you were wealthy, beautiful and possibly royalty. It was just more desired. Today, that social
structure still stands but almost more on telling the difference between urban and rural, as well
as whats beautiful, wealthy and even healthy. White skin is an obsession here. Almost all the
cosmetics, lotions and sunscreens contain skin bleach in them. Almost all passport photos and
professional pictures are all photo-shopped. The most popular cell-phone app filters and
applications are designed to make your skin whiter. Its something that still beautifully favored
in our eyes, even though I saw in the U.S. that people tan there or pay money for tanning
booths. Is this really true?
T: Yep, people pay money for hours of tanning booths and tanning lotions. Getting
tanned is a big thing in California, has been since way before I was born.
S: Thats crazynew world
T: This relates to my last and final stereotype: All Koreans are racists against brown
and black people.
S: Im deeply sad to say that this is common, but foreigners have to realize a couple of things.
Koreans were always invaded by foreigners, so many automatically dislike or un-favor, doesnt
matter what color one is. Korea has never had a civil rights movement, and we dont really see
why we would need one because Korea is for Koreans and anything not Korean is foreign.
America is a melting pot. But America has done horrible crimes against their own Americans
based on their skin color; Korea doesnt have such a history. How many years difference was it
between the American slaves being freed and the American Civil Rights Movement? Quite
sometimeKorean racism seems to be changing faster than American. Koreans do commonly
favor white, one reason because only white teachers were hired through the American Peace
Ethnographic Report 23

Corp. and the only darker Americans they saw were in the military. Hollywood doesnt help
either, because with those movies, many Koreans thought every black man was a gangster. Also,
if you think about it; a country that favors white skin will tend to favor white foreigners. Korea
is doing better at this, but slowly. Still when it comes to foreigner relationship with Koreans,
Koreans get really confused and angry if a Korean dates a brown or black person, but with a
white person, they would understand a little morebut still angry. We are a 1
st
world country
with 3
rd
world problems. The election of President Obama has really open the eyes of many
Koreans, that a black man is now the face of America. Koreans absolutely love Obama.
T: Now, you mentioned a couple of times, that We are a 1
st
world country with 3
rd

world problems. Can you please explain this further?
S: Well, most people dont realize that we are a 1
st
world country. Were the number 1 ship
builders in the world. We have the fastest internet in the world, along with the highest ranking of
free available internet. We have the number one airport and airlines in the worldI think still
number one. Samsung is becoming the largest smart phone company worldwide But we have
one of the highest suicide rates in the world, a large percentage of that is children. We are 108
th

in womens rights and equality. We are considered one of the least welcoming to foreigners, and
sex slavery is in abundance, but its all pushed to the side because we want to consider ourselves
high class society. Just decades ago, we were a 3
rd
world country, equally poor as many
African nations at the time. Decades earlier, the Korean language almost became dead because
of the harsh Japanese dictatorship and massacres. Look how far weve become, and yet were
still the only divided nation in the worldalong with dividing issues. We still have the same
problems as African nations do todaywe just know how to hide them better sometimes. I
recommend foreigners learn Korean now, because as long as China and America have firm
grasp on these two sides; Korea will impact the world. We need to work together to solve these
3
rd
world problems so that we can be stronger than West Germany.
T: I think you should write a political blog as well. (Laughter) Okay, thats about a full
hour of interview. I see that I have 30 seconds, one quick question to finish strong and to
show off more of your unique personality: Do you every get sick of rice?
S: (3 second hesitation) Welldo you ever get sick of bread and cheese, you American?
Ethnographic Report 24

T: (Laughter) Best way to end this, I learned a lot about your worldview and Korean
perspectives, which I thought that I would have already known everything. Thanks for
doing this.
S: No problem! Glad to do it!


















Ethnographic Report 25

References
Smith, D. (2009) Learning from the Stranger: Christian Faith and Cultural Diversity.
Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Wintergerst, A. and McVeigh J. (2011). Tips for Teaching Culture: Practical Approaches to
Intercultural Communication. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.