SEOUL - Living Abroad in South Korea - page 224

Q: Can you explain your background—how long you were in Korea, when you
went to the States, and why you elected to return to and stay in Seoul?
A: I was born in Seoul and moved to the United States when I was in first grade.
Aside from the fact that I had relatives here, I wasn't too interested in Korea until I
became interested in Korean film. I had studied filmmaking in college, and I decided
to come back to work in Korea's entertainment industry.
Q: How would you say the returnee's experience differs from that of the typical
expat? What advice would you give someone of Korean descent considering the same
move?
A: The returnee's experience is twofold: It can be easy to be a returnee; we often
have family or relatives living here, and anyone of a certain Korean heritage can eas-
ily obtain a visa that gives them similar working and health care rights as any Korean
citizen. On the flip side, if you have Korean blood but can't speak or act Korean, the
locals will give you a much harder time. A lot of older Korean adults can't wrap their
heads around the fact that someone may look Korean, but can't speak the language.
Advice for anyone coming to Korea, especially if they're planning to live and
work in Korea for over a year: Make the effort to learn the Korean language because
the ability to observe, communicate with, and understand those around you can either
make or break your experience here. Also, it's easy for most English speakers to fit
in with the gyopo (overseas Koreans)/expat community, but seek out opportunities
to be among Korean natives. It's from them that I have learned countless nuggets of
local wisdom, from current memes and expressions to the best makgeolli (rice wine)
bars. If I had stayed in my comfort zone, I don't think I would've had the insights or
information to start and sustain Seoulist.
Q: Can you talk a bit about Seoulist—when you started it up what were your
primary motivations?
A: Before I landed in Seoul, I was working in New York City where there's a
wealth of weekly city publications. When I came to Seoul, there were really no go-to
resource on the city culture and lifestyle, aside from a handful of expat magazines
and blogs which I found to be very Itaewon-centric and limiting. So with the help
of some very talented friends, friends of friends, and contributors, we soft-launched
Seoulist in February 2011.