Koreandating 5

Here is another unedited response about the dating scene for Westerners in Korea.

Anastasia Beaverhausin*, Female Aged 20-25, Canadian

the korean dating scene…

well first off i think my experience is going to be a lil different than that of the average foreigner in korea…not that i consider myself above average but my circumstances are a tad unusual. I look korean but i’m all maple syrup and poutine where it counts.

Korean men…largely ignore me until i open my mouth and then it’s either intrigued looks of surprise or total disgust. I’m talking in the subway, on the street, oot and aboot kinda situations. Not that I don’t love the anonymity, I try to keep my mouth shut as much as possible these days. What I don’t enjoy is the stares when I am with any male friends. I can literally see the conclusions being drawn on people’s faces as they walk by. Just another waegook lover.

As for in the clubs/bars, I’d say I’d get approached as much as your average girl. But my interactions with Korean men have been little else than amusing story fodder rather than anything I’d ever take seriously. I think it’s the broken English factor. While their thoughts might be incredibly deep and fascinating in their own language, Korean guys have to dumb things down based on how much Englishie they know…and it’s boring to listen to. I spend my entire week listening to broken English and paring down my words to the most basic context, there’s absolutely no way I’d sacrifice my social life to same fate. Plus the whole man-bag/tight jeans pointy shoe thing is more a look I prefer on myself than my dates.

Foreigners..
So far, meeting decent foreigner guys in Korea isn’t the total write off I was led to beleive it would be. I think as long as you understand where you are and the realities of your situation, dating foreigner guys in Korea is totally feasible. This is not to say that you should wipe out all of your standards completely, but more so…take a step back and reallllly look at what you’re working with. Girls coming into the dating scene here expecting the same pool of guys from home are going to be sorely disappointed. It’s not better or worse but it is vastly vastly different. For one, it’s smaller. It’s more international yet somehow less diverse??, definately less serious (how can you be serious when you’re here on a one year contract paying off student loans), and more geared towards simplicity and fun rather than developing something that would be sustainable in “the real world”. I may sound like a pessimist but it would take something truly special to knowingly enter into a relationship that already has an expiry/end of contract date on it. It’s this reason that makes dating in Korea feel so different than anything I’ve experienced back home. As a recently single young lady, the situation here is actually pretty ideal for me. Bottom line, girls don’t come to Korea looking for true love. The dating scene here is what it is and if you can keep that in mind then you’ll have yourself a ball otherwise, I forsee a long, bitter, frustrating year.

Re-cap
Koreans- no speakie=no connection
Foreigners- seize the day and enjoy your time while you have it together

*Pseudonyms have been used. Ridiculous ones at that.