*Waves cane at you* Back in my day, Korea didn't have cheese! Now it does. Here are some more things that have changed in the time that we've been here.
Your TL:DR videos are my favourite, I love hearing about your opinions and experiences. I think it's would be great if instead of writing up all your other opinions on your website, you just made longer TL:DR videos. You guys are such enthusiastic and entering speakers I would much rather hear your opinions than read them. I understand you are both very busy so if it because of time constraints I totally understand. I just wanted to let you know that I think it would be awesome if you made the TL:DRs longer. :)
We have a Korean community in Memphis, but it is spread out. There is at least one store that is just a Korean market that sells Korean and other Asian specialties, there is a Korean Church, and a few restaurants.
Eat Your Kimchi have you guys watched winner by yg entertainment the one that chooses the new yg boy group. You live in Korea so you must've heard about it
We have a lot of Korean friends here in the Philippines, especially where I live, Baguio City. Baguio is just like the residential areas in Korea (I see in the dramas) where the houses are on hills... and the weather here is not so hot.. I guess they like these qualities. There are many Korean shops, restaurants, nor rae bangs, churches and supermarkets here now and the local community enjoy these as much as they do. :D
A lot of the food changes has to do with the Korea-United States Free-Trade Agreement going into effect April 2012. Shortly around that time, I started to see cranberry juice in the stores. I was so happy. They were really missing out on the cranberry-soju concoction. But yeah, a lot of more Western foods were introduced. And yes, more limes! I want them to perfect margaritas, because they're totally missing out on a good one. With that, there are definitely a lot more foreigners now, too. I'm waiting for the day when Koreans will begin to accept that white people can know Korean too. So I don't get a shocked reaction every single time I say something in Korean to a stranger. Especially if it's just one word like 괜찮아요. And they'd say, "한글 말 잘해요!"
Future TL:DR idea- is it hard to eat in Korea if you can't handle spicy food? Are there certain things we should avoid and is there a way to order food less spicy?
So this is something I'm extremely curious about. In South Korea, I've heard they have "virtual stores" when you just walk up to a wall in a store or in a gas station that hosts shelves of virtual items and you use your phone to scan the barcode and they'll send it to your home. By any chance, have you guys ever been to one or if not, what is your personal intake on it? Would you prefer actual stores where you can physically buy the item or do you think virtual shopping sounds much easier?
This has nothing to do with the video but how much longer do you guys plan on living in Korea? Would you ever move back to Canada some where else or will you stay in Korea?
what i noticed on my campus is that people stick to groups of people who are of their own race. so the korean group doesn't talk to anyone who is not korean, the girls are pretty descent to talking to non-koreans but the boys won't even acknowledge you. but im just generally speaking same for all the other groups as well.
Do the high schools and/or middle schools have extra curricular activities after school like clubs or sport teams? I ask because I know I've heard about how students have a crap ton of school work, yet in so many music videos I see things like cheerleaders and such. Do they actually have that?
Vanice Icarus if you are still wondering, the answer is no. There are a few exceptions but for the majority the "study culture" is huge and parents keep their kids at cram school once normal school finishes, and they can be studying until late as 11 at night. There have even been problems with cram schools having students until past midnight, which has recently been made illegal.
Vanice Icarus yup, they LOVE what they see in American/Western pop culture and reflect it in their own media - there are no football teams or cheerleaders in schools, their high school experience is just completely different than ours. And no problem :) my boyfriend actually moved from Korea to study in the US because his parents didn't want him to grow up in such a confined culture.
Hey Simon and Martina can you do a TL;DR about the popular kpop groups in Korea?? I mean us International fans all have specific groups that are popular in our own countries but we dont really know which groups are the most popular in Korea as opposed to the ones that are more popular among international fans
That's a great idea, but very terrifying. A lot of people's favourite groups are totally unknown in Korea. I'm really scared to talk about that...*runs away*
Eat Your Kimchi omg, I'm actually really interested in knowing what groups are actually relevant in korea and their popularity compared to internationally because I've heard extremely popular groups like exo, suju, etc are not so much in korea
i second that motion! Eat Your Kimchi pretty please with extra cheese. :D just tell us the really popular ones. no need to tell us that our favorite is unpopular though. :))
I love my Korean community here in San Antonio, Texas! Every Korean I have ever encountered at a restaurant or market have been so kind and helpful when I was ordering food or looking for a certain item. They are all so excited that I have an interest in learning about Korean culture. It's great and I'm thankful too because my friends have told me about how some the ahjumma's and ahjussi's are rude to them or only speak Korean around them. I wonder if it's because I look like I have Asian blood in me?
hmm I don't know... I don't think you should.. most cheese seem like it has to be refrigerated... I mean it is technically spoiled but it's not a good idea...
I have a question. Cince Orange "Caramel's 'Catallena' MV deemed unsuitable for broadcast by KBS" I want to ask about the unsuitable things in MV and how much of them do you think are right to bann and how much are not?
I live in Flushing New York. And we are filled with Asians so I fit in, but I hate the ignorant people who always ask me if I'm Chinese or Japanese because I can speak Japanese... BUT IM KOREAN!!! GET IT THROUGH YOUR SMALL MINDS!!! Yeah... Welcome to New York...
It's so ironic though.. When I lived in US and Canada I was always called out like a foreigner... ; _ ; PLEASE STOP TELLING ME WHERE I'M FROM..! I KNOW I'M ASIAN BUT I LIVED HERE MOST OF MY LIFE...! I DON'T KNOW KUNG FU..!
I live in Fairbanks, Alaska and just recently within the last two years there has been a Korean restaurant that has opened as well as a Korean store. The restaurant is very good, but I still have yet to check out the store.
I live in Auburn, AL USA . We have quite a few Koreans here and many more Korean businesses than you would expect in a rural American area. It's because of the Hyundai plant to the west and the Kia plant to the east. Some people have taken to calling the local area "Koreabama". We have a King Sejong Institute here, the only one not in NY, LA , SF or DC in the States and that's how I am learning Korean. We have an Asian supermarket, Korean hair salons, Korean-speaking real estate agents and even a Korean auto repair place to go with our ever-expanding number of Korean restaurants. The newest one to open even has Norebang. One of the restaurants has a cooler where you can buy various side dishes in bulk.
hey sup!! I was wondering if your pic is actually you? I'm just surprised cuz you don't look like the typical person (not that there is such a thing) that would be interested in korea, not to offend you but yeah.... I think it's cool though.
I live in Nottingham in the UK, and we have a Korean restaurant on the outskirts of the city centre. There's also a Korean dude that runs two shops in Beeston which is maybe 5 miles out of the centre. That's where I get my instant ramyun fix from!
In Sydney, Australia there is a China town that has a few Korean restaurants.. Here in the Brisbane area, on the Gold Coast.. Even I find myself staring at any Asian looking person, they are so rare! -_- The few Asian people I do meet in shops are usually from country areas of China, or even Japan, never Korea.. I don't blame them!
You need to check out Elizabeth St in Brisbane then when you have a chance. It's pretty much Brisbane's Koreatown. (and where I spend all my free time haha)
Paper Kawaii - Origami Tutorials man I must have been in a different part of GC. I lived there for four years. It wasn’t as Asian as Darwin, but it included a lot of Asian people just like the rest of Australia. (Late I know)
I'm from Oregon USA, and the major thing I've noticed is a HUGE influx of Korean fashion. Lots of high top knots, colorful leggings and way more leg showing than cleavage. KPop is definitely making an impact on the American fashion. :)
I currently live in Edae, attending Ewha Womans' University and I have personally haven't noticed a dramatic difference. There is a still a charm to Edae, where we have the cozy cafes to the unique restaurants and a bunch of university students taking over the streets.
lol, the part simon said "i know we are foreigner, no need to remind us" x"D i feel you bro, when i walked around seoul and use my native language people was staring at me like i am an alien x"DD
I live in the Philippines and I remember when I started liking Korean food the ONLY Korean store that I can buy Korean snacks and also Kimchi is about 2 hours...YES! 2 Hours away so I really have to sort of hoard every Korean food I would have to buy because I am only able to go there every 15th and end of the month since I do deliveries there...but now there is actually a Korean store about 10 minutes away from where I live that operates about 24hrs 7 days a week! So even if I get a craving in the middle of the night I can just walk to that store and buy there.
I live in QC there is like mini Koreatowns here.. but the main one is in Makati.. I think in the middle of the red light district and business center of Makati ^_^ where do you live? maybe I could help you out
I'm lucky then because there's a ton of Korean restaurants 15 mins away from where i live. And recently, like 2 or 3 years ago, there seems to be a boom of Korean owned mini-mart/convenience store as well, where they sell various Korean products.It's Korean invasion at BF Homes, Paranaque, a lot of Korean Restaurant and mini-marts. When I went to Festival Mall, Alabang I saw a lot of Koreans there as well. Saw them in packs - haha! - ; okay big groups. Also when I went to Baguio, I saw a handful of Korean teen groups too. They are everywhere now! But I am not complaining. I heard there's a Korean restaurant there - Secret Garden; yes! like the drama - but i wasn't able to try it because of lack of time. And anyway, in any local supermarket I already see a lot of Korean products being sold like kimchi, Korean ice-cream, soju, pepper paste, ramen. There seems to be a boom in Korean cosmetic stores here too: Etude House, The Face Shop, The Body Shop, Nature Republic and Skin Food , to name a few that I know of. I also saw a few Tous Les Jours opening up in malls.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and the majority of asians that live there are Chinese. In 2012 a Korean/Mexican restaurant opened called Takko... Other than that there's nothing else. Now I live in Clarksville, Tennessee and it amazed me how many Korean churches, restaurants (three in total, one being right in front of my apartment) and supermarkets there are in this area! I love it! It's a dream come true!
Hey Simon and Martina! Normally I wouldn't do this but i have a request! I've been watching you guys for about 3 years now and have seen all your video's at least 3 times. I love how recently you've also been doing videos about yourselves and Korea! SO i have a small wish. Can you guys do a video telling us your favorite groups in Kpop and all around! Like do a top 10 list of you favorite kpop groups ( I know you both love BigBang and 2ne1 but who else is up there). I also know Martina is a huge metal/ rock fan and Simon is into American rap. SO can you do a top 10 of your favorite bands over all?! I personally would love to see that and I think a lot of other fans would too. It'd help us know you guys better and such. I think it would be fun too ^^ I love you guys, thanks for teaching me about Korea and helping me find more great music while also keeping me updated on Kpop! You always put a smile on my face and i really appreciate that! Keep doin what you're doin!
I'm an Australian living in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, which is considered to be pretty rural by Korean standards, and everywhere I go people stare at me (not menacingly, just genuinely fascinated) and luckily, the general attitude towards foreigners here is really positive!
EYK should start a cheese shop in Gangnam, itaewon, or hongdae. I bet you guys will make so much cheese from all the expats looking for their cheese fix. I honestly think EYK has more room to expand and create more profit.
I'm in calgary, and the korean community is definitely growing. We don't have a korea town but there are quite a few korean restaurants around the city, and you can find lots of kpop posters, keychains, etc in chinatown.
I have heard that Kpop agencies have people that just stalk the streets of major cities to find people to recruit as trainees. So I was wondering if Soozee, since she is a gorgeous Korean woman, has ever been discovered by angencies, and I also want to know what you guys think about this.
I live in Hawaii and there's a lot of asian influences here especially with food. So korean food is not hard to find. You can go to a regular grocery store and there's an ethnic food aisle where you can find just about everything asian you need to make an authentic korean dish or japanese or chinese or filipino or vietnamese...you get the point.
I agree with everything you guys have said about the changes in Korea. I visit often (every 2 years or so) because my brother lives there and every time I go, it's very different...the biggest and best thing to change is how friendly Koreans are to foreigners now! LOVE IT! The first time I went, I couldn't deal with people literally turning their backs to me if I was going to talk to them (even in shops in Seoul!), or walking up and just staring in my face (in smaller towns)...but then I have noticed how many chains (especially North American chains and brands) there are everywhere, which sucks! Keep up the great vids please!
Can you guys talk about what you have to do to get a Korean citizenship, and is it hard to get one? How long can you stay in Korea without a citizenship? On a TL;DR..... Sydney from USA
I'm pretty sure S&M are not Korean citizens ^^. They're in Korea under a business visa, I think. I'm not an expert, but here's what I know: Becoming a citizen in Korea is not very hard. You just need to have legally resided for 5 years in Korea, show that you can support yourself (basically have a job), and be somewhat proficient at Korean (there's a proficiency test and interview). There are other requirements and stuff, but this is generally what you need. You can stay in Korea as long as you want if you have the correct visa, but if you don't, you can stay without one anywhere from 30 days to 6 months, depending on your nationality (this applies to most countries, but you'd have to make sure to check if your country signed the Visa Waiver Agreement). In your case, since you're from the US, you can stay here for 3 months without getting a visa, as long as you don't try to make any money. For more info, you can go to immigration.co.kr ^^
I've lived in Cheonan-si, Korea for almost 2 years now. Back when I first got here, nobody seems to sell tortillas. I remember how happy I was to finally find them for the first time at the upscale Galleria food market we have here. Now a days though, I can find them in just about every major stores (E-mart, Lotte, Homeplus) and at times even in some smaller local stores. Life is good.
I'm visiting my family in Santa Rosa, CA, USA (near San Francisco) and yesterday I went to a Safeway which is the equivalent of a HomePlus or E-Mart. In the Asian food aisle, they had fermented red pepper paste and bulgogi sauce! The packaging had Korean and everything! They also had some choice Chinese, Japanese, and South Asian food products as well. It's small things like this that makes me feel included.
Hi Simon and Martina! Can you guys talk about why male idols enlist in the military? Is it mandatory? If so how long do they have to serve? Are women allowed to enlist? Have any female idols ever enlisted? I'm very curious.
Its mandatory for every male in south korea to enlist in the army for a minimum of 2 years. If you're a celebrity then you can post pone enlisting, like Bi (rain) he enlisted when he was 30 years old which is not okay for a normal citizen. Women are allowed to enlist in the military but its not mandatory for females, only males. Just a little FYI! :)
Where I live in Sacramento there's a pretty decent sized Korean community, it just seems to be spread out whereas with places like Koreatown in LA it's big but condensed. There are lots of little Korean boutiques and specialty stores but one HUGE international store that pretty much focuses on Korean food and products with other cultures mixed in. It's my favorite place to go shopping now since they renovated. They just opened a food court and next to it is a small Nature Republic store. I love going in there and buying the face masks!
All the Korean stuff I can get in my city are in China Town x) I'm okay with this though because theres also Japanese stuff, so it's all in one place :D However it would be cool to have Korea town.. especially because my Manchester is a big city!
I have the New Malden Korea Town about an hour away from my house that I visit often. It's very friendly there, the people, the restaurant owners, the shop workers. Easy to speak about cultural things to them as well...yummy food! My Korean class are usually k-pop related things that we speak about
Martina you look GORGEOUS! And about the question, where I live (Portugal) there is nothing Korean related anywhere! Not even in the close by towns. I checked but I really can't find. Maybe in Lisbon I would be able to, since it's the capital and all; But where I live, not food, not music, not nothing. It kinda sucks a lot because whenever I want to make, for example, Korean food, I can't because I can't get any of the ingredients, except if I order them online BUT the shipping costs get so high I end up not getting anything.
Eat Your Kimchi i absolutely love your videos, you make my day when I'm feeling down, so a good Simon and Martina joke is what brings a smile to my face. So thanks :-D ♥
I live in Corpus Chrisi Texas and I havnt seen or heard of a Korean community :( I wish I could find a restaurant or something. I've seen one Korean church but that's it. :/ I need to find someone to bond over Kpop haha
yah! i live in vermont and i havent heard of anything Korean related at all! :( and i have never seen kpop around where i live (besides a couple kids in my school that like it) so its really hard to stay connected :P
In the north of of Mexico we have a considerably large Korean community because there are many Korean or Asian brands that have factories here, for example Samsung, so they send Korean people to manage them, and they do get together, attend to a church for them, kinda know each other, like the usual things expats do when they want to keep their roots while living in a foreign country. Also, in my college we have exchange programs with many Korean universities, so my college has many Korean students and they also formed their own little Korean community, they are not closed to other people, i mean they came here for experiencing the culture so they're pretty open, but they do tend to hang together most of the time, like you see them all arriving together from the dorms and stuff.
I live in New York and in Flushing, Queens, and we have sort of this place which is basically a mix of Asian shops and people. And when I'm talking about Asian people, I mean people that were born and raised in Asia and usually don't speak any English besides "hello", "thank you", and "are you going to buy this?". There are a lot of Korean stores like Paris Baguette, Tous Les Jours, Nature Republic(got my picture next to cardboard Exo member, so funny because I remember thinking 'Holy shit, is he this short in real life?"), and Morning Glory. On a unrelated note, you guys should tell us what foods you miss from Canada so we can send them to you! You make us laugh, we give you ranch!
How is interracial marriage in korea and how is it looked upon by younger people like 20's? Are there any kpop idols who have married foreigners that weren't famous possibly met by chance or was just a fan???
Here in Minnesota, there are a lot of Korean people. However... this is because MN has the highest rate for Korean adoptees. I, myself, am not adopted, but I do have a lot of adopted Korean friends. I also used to go to a church for Korean people, and there are quite a lot of them around the metro. I know there are 3 or 4 Korean grocery stores around the cities but nothing as extensive as the H-Marts and such you can find in Cali, Chicago, and Texas.
I live outside NYC and there's a fairly large Korean community here, especially in New Jersey. There are some neighborhoods where all the signs for stores and business are in Korean. You can find a lot of Korean restaurants and there's an H mart. There's also Koreatown in the city.
Outside of NYC's Korea town - there is a large community of Koreans that live in the borough of Queens. I've never been there but I imagine they have a lot of stores geared toward Koreans.
The change I'm talking about just occurred 2 weeks ago. Out of nowhere The Face Shop opened up in the most major malls around Toronto, all at the same time. It used to be that I could only get it at Pacific mall, now I can get them at Vaughan Mills, square one, the Eaton Centre, Fairview mall.
I live in Cleveland,Ohio USA and we have a very large Korean community. There are 3 or 4 Korean restaurants and Asian markets and Korean markets. A college called Baldwin Wallace has a transfer program with Ewha Womans University where you guys did your video!! And i know several Korean college girls because of that transfer program :)
Ugh, i hate it when giant chains (riches) take over all these small hardworking shops that's worth the trip to Korea for. I can easily go to ZARA and Forever21 in the US here...these monopolization is not doing Korea (or ANY countries) any good.
There isn't a large Korean community here, but on this one street near my university there are like 3 or 4 Korean grocery stores and a couple of Korean restaurants. The Korean stores also carry a lot of Japanese items, so I go there for Japanese and Korean snack foods.
I went to look in Foyles in London a while ago (you know the bookshop?), and went looking around the language section, there were shelves and shelves on European languages, Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Japanese etc. There was even some stuff on some African languages! As for Korean, there was only a small set of shelves about the size of a small single dresser.
I live in Canada and I've noticed that people have been paying more attention to Korean culture. There are even some Korean shops opening up in malls. For example The Face Shop opened a store in Square One and they play Kpop there too! In Toronto they also have a mall called Pacific Mall which is basically filled with Asian stores. Although the mall isn't very close to where I live, it's probably one of the only sources I have to buy albums and Korean items. There are definitely more Korean shops and Kpop fans showing up in my area and it's really nice to see!^^
As a Korean in the U.S., I'm glad to hear about the change regarding foreigners, and I'm glad you didn't have to deal with that as much in the latter part of your stay in Korea.
I live in Texas and there are plenty of Korean areas. There's plenty of Korean restaurants and markets around my house. I remember there was a time where my family would get discriminated on because my dad and my siblings are mixed with white, but times have changed. My dad looks like a European version of Lee Minho and he would still be looked down upon. Since then, the Korean community has gotten used to the diversity and they're all pretty friendly with everyone. It's crazy how much has changed in 15 years.
There's a big Korean community in Atlanta, GA, mostly in Duluth area. You can drive down one street and everything is in Korean: grocery stores, restaurants, auto shop, dentists, doctors, churches, noraebangs, etc. Some of them cater to mostly Korean patrons so it helps to have someone who understands Korean (like my Korean/Chinese-Amer husband!).
Oh and for korean groceries superstore actually carries quite a bit (seriously you can find so many international food products there) and then you can always go to TnT ( owned by superstore I believe) for specialty asian groceries!
Where I live we have a small Korean community, everyone just refers to it as Koreatown. Unfortunately it's an hour away but I go there every so often. They have cute indie fashion boutiques and even a karaoke bar. Also, a korean supermarket of course. Everything is in Hangul and it's pretty amazing. Anyways, love you guys, your videos give me so much life hahaha. xxx
I live in Oakville 20 min outside Toronto and have noticed a lot more Korean, Chinese and overall more Asian families moving into Oakville over the past two years. We've had some more Asian restaurants open up in the area but I still think the majority of people shop in Brampton or Mississauga for Asian foods. It's always cool trying my Asian friends' food because I haven't had it before.
I live in Orange County SoCal which surprisingly has a lot of Korean communities. They have about 5 korean markets around where i live and have lots of bakeries like Paris Baguette and Tours Les Jours. There's also many cosmetic stores that sell Korean cosmetics. There's also a lot of kbbq and Bibimbop restaurants. They even have a little kpop store in the market that sells albums and posters.
In Tulsa we actually have a large Asian community so I have lots of not only Korean items available but those from Japan,Thailand,Vietnam and China as well. We do have a growing number of Korean restaurants as well in fact, I found a brand new one last weekend!
Here in Panama City, there is a little bit of a Korean community. A few Korean shops/restaurants here and there. I wish there was more though, one day I'll be there Korea. One day.
I live in Yongin, and I've noticed that also.many of the little shops I loved to go to shut down for Riahn hair, Pizza Hut, Alpha, Daiso, A cellphone shop or UNIQLO...and I was so friendly with those store owners! It's just so sad..
In Texas we have a korean store called H-Mart and its in a few cities. They are quite large and you can get food, groceries, kpop items and clothes there. Its pretty cool :)
San Diego has a Korea Town :D The biggest supermarket there is Zion, they have a Paris Baguette inside among other little shops. It's a very busy town on weekends.
I've been living in the Seattle area for about a year and a half now, and from what I've noticed, there's not specifically a Korean community, as opposed to other ethnic communities. There's a large Asian population here, and Seattle has an International District downtown, but I haven't noticed any differentiation of communities specific to Korea itself. I am, however, currently living with a family who's hosting a Korean middle-school exchange student and it's been interesting getting to know her and learning what she knows about various things in the US.
I wish I had watched this video before Sep. 1st! My husband and I met in Incheon in 2010 when we were teaching at the same hagwon. We returned to the States, continued dating, got married, yada yada, and now we are BACK, only this time we are in Gwangju which is VERY different from where we were originally. We've also noticed the increase in cheese and it seems like food is a lot more expensive than it used to be, but it's hard to tell if that's a regional difference or a 4 year later difference. We used to notice a lot of "wayguk" whispers, even in Incheon and Seoul, but so far, aside from some confused looks from people and once a "HI HOW ARE YOU I AM FINE THANK YOU" from a drunk college age guy, people don't really do it here which seems weird as there are A LOT less white people in our neighborhood than from where we were before.
There is a very small asian market in my university town. There is a large one in the Capitol. Though there is a HUGE Korean exchange program at my university so my town caters well to Asian international students! Yay! I'm happy!
So I have been living in Busan for about 7 months now. When I first came here I heard "A foreigner" a lot and also got the "foreigner look" now I don't hear/ see it anymore. I thought it stopped, but when I listen for it I still hear it when I get on the subway. And most people think that I am American or Russian. The only thing that changed is that I keep seeing more and more foreigners and that ajummas ask me for the way in korean and don't even back away when they see that I am not Korean...
I live in Suwon. Since it's a big city, the situation is a bit different than it would be in the country (I used to live in Asan a few years ago). I have, however, noticed that in the last year or so there are things that are available that were previously very hard to come by. Like you guys said, I've noticed a lot of herbs like Basil and Thyme and Oregano are readily available at Homeplus, along with the bigger selection of cheese. I, too, used to get a lot of "omg foreigner!" comments, but rarely hear it now. So I think my situation is pretty much the same as yours.
I live in Fort Wayne, IN and we have 2 (that i know of) Asian grocery stores and several Asian restaurants, 2 of them are Korean the rest are Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese.
In California Korean stores and restaurants have became really popular! I think there's at least 2 or 3 Korean BBQ restaurants in most cities, sometimes even more. Almost every grocery store now has an Asian Food section even Walmart. You can find seaweed almost anywhere! Most stores especially non Korean stores are run by Koreans. I think the Korean population or overall Asian population is increasing rapidly. In all honesty it's like heaven for me :)!!! Totally want to go to Korea!!!
I live in MD, right outside of DC and we have tons of Korean supermarkets. I can count at least 4 within 10 minutes of my house. They just opened a 24 hr Korean bbq near me as well. DC has everyone and everything!
I'm rather thankful that Sydney has quite a large Korean community here. There's suburbs like strathfield, eastwood and lidcombe which are packed full of korean restaurants and businesses, the city council even named a little section of a main street 'korea town' because of how many korean restaurants and businesses there are and korean night clubs run by koreans catered for asians/koreans.
Re Germany, there are a lot of korean students, as we have some famous universities for Arts, Design and music. We purchase korean products online, there is a big supermarket online, they do have a wide range of products but nothing compared with some stores in USA. Prices are also a little higher.
*Waves cane at you* Back in my day, Korea didn't have cheese! Now it does. Here are some more things that have changed in the time that we've been here.
I seriously just thought of asking this question for TLDR! You read my mind!
Your TL:DR videos are my favourite, I love hearing about your opinions and experiences. I think it's would be great if instead of writing up all your other opinions on your website, you just made longer TL:DR videos. You guys are such enthusiastic and entering speakers I would much rather hear your opinions than read them. I understand you are both very busy so if it because of time constraints I totally understand. I just wanted to let you know that I think it would be awesome if you made the TL:DRs longer. :)
lol does it have ranch yet?
Martina I love your shirt! n_n
Is there yogurt? I need yogurt pretty much every day! I NEEDS it :O
English subs are now up if you need em!
We have a Korean community in Memphis, but it is spread out. There is at least one store that is just a Korean market that sells Korean and other Asian specialties, there is a Korean Church, and a few restaurants.
Kpoop isn't what it used to be. Back in 2010 those were tree days
Eat Your Kimchi have you guys watched winner by yg entertainment the one that chooses the new yg boy group. You live in Korea so you must've heard about it
We have a lot of Korean friends here in the Philippines, especially where I live, Baguio City. Baguio is just like the residential areas in Korea (I see in the dramas) where the houses are on hills... and the weather here is not so hot.. I guess they like these qualities. There are many Korean shops, restaurants, nor rae bangs, churches and supermarkets here now and the local community enjoy these as much as they do. :D
Thanks, but I have a working understanding of Canadian.
If someone was like "oh my god, a foreigner", I would stare at my arms, scream, and run away.
HOW DID I NEVER NOTICE SIMON WEARING GLOVES WITH THE CANADIAN LEAF ON THEM WHEN HE SAID, "I am Canadian"?!?!?! GENIUS
A lot of the food changes has to do with the Korea-United States Free-Trade Agreement going into effect April 2012. Shortly around that time, I started to see cranberry juice in the stores. I was so happy. They were really missing out on the cranberry-soju concoction. But yeah, a lot of more Western foods were introduced. And yes, more limes! I want them to perfect margaritas, because they're totally missing out on a good one. With that, there are definitely a lot more foreigners now, too. I'm waiting for the day when Koreans will begin to accept that white people can know Korean too. So I don't get a shocked reaction every single time I say something in Korean to a stranger. Especially if it's just one word like 괜찮아요. And they'd say, "한글 말 잘해요!"
Future TL:DR idea- is it hard to eat in Korea if you can't handle spicy food? Are there certain things we should avoid and is there a way to order food less spicy?
So this is something I'm extremely curious about.
In South Korea, I've heard they have "virtual stores" when you just walk up to a wall in a store or in a gas station that hosts shelves of virtual items and you use your phone to scan the barcode and they'll send it to your home.
By any chance, have you guys ever been to one or if not, what is your personal intake on it? Would you prefer actual stores where you can physically buy the item or do you think virtual shopping sounds much easier?
As always, you two are absolutely adorable! ^^
This has nothing to do with the video but how much longer do you guys plan on living in Korea? Would you ever move back to Canada some where else or will you stay in Korea?
what i noticed on my campus is that people stick to groups of people who are of their own race. so the korean group doesn't talk to anyone who is not korean, the girls are pretty descent to talking to non-koreans but the boys won't even acknowledge you. but im just generally speaking same for all the other groups as well.
Do the high schools and/or middle schools have extra curricular activities after school like clubs or sport teams? I ask because I know I've heard about how students have a crap ton of school work, yet in so many music videos I see things like cheerleaders and such. Do they actually have that?
Still hoping you do a TLDR on this~
Simon and Martina!! Please answer this :3
Vanice Icarus if you are still wondering, the answer is no. There are a few exceptions but for the majority the "study culture" is huge and parents keep their kids at cram school once normal school finishes, and they can be studying until late as 11 at night. There have even been problems with cram schools having students until past midnight, which has recently been made illegal.
purkin thanks for answering. So are they getting cheerleaders and sports stuff from other cultures or from the exceptions in their society?
Vanice Icarus yup, they LOVE what they see in American/Western pop culture and reflect it in their own media - there are no football teams or cheerleaders in schools, their high school experience is just completely different than ours. And no problem :) my boyfriend actually moved from Korea to study in the US because his parents didn't want him to grow up in such a confined culture.
Martina is so pretty
Hey Simon and Martina can you do a TL;DR about the popular kpop groups in Korea?? I mean us International fans all have specific groups that are popular in our own countries but we dont really know which groups are the most popular in Korea as opposed to the ones that are more popular among international fans
That's a great idea, but very terrifying. A lot of people's favourite groups are totally unknown in Korea. I'm really scared to talk about that...*runs away*
Eat Your Kimchi Pleeeeasssse :( do it for your biggest Jamaican fan ^_^ and i'm sure that a lot of other kpoppers would also like to know
Eat Your Kimchi yea do it pleeease!! Jebal :(
Eat Your Kimchi
omg, I'm actually really interested in knowing what groups are actually relevant in korea and their popularity compared to internationally because I've heard extremely popular groups like exo, suju, etc are not so much in korea
i second that motion! Eat Your Kimchi pretty please with extra cheese. :D
just tell us the really popular ones. no need to tell us that our favorite is unpopular though. :))
I love my Korean community here in San Antonio, Texas! Every Korean I have ever encountered at a restaurant or market have been so kind and helpful when I was ordering food or looking for a certain item. They are all so excited that I have an interest in learning about Korean culture. It's great and I'm thankful too because my friends have told me about how some the ahjumma's and ahjussi's are rude to them or only speak Korean around them. I wonder if it's because I look like I have Asian blood in me?
My korean community has 2 people - my computer and I
This is so true for a lot of us it hurts. I'm literally the only Korean, no, Asian at my college that I've seen. T.T
Jake
Im not even korean lol. I guess its only my computer then.
srkambbs srkambbs LMAO
srkambbs srkambbs O.o
Maybe we should stop sending Simon and Martina candy and start sending them cheese!
hmm I don't know... I don't think you should.. most cheese seem like it has to be refrigerated... I mean it is technically spoiled but it's not a good idea...
I have a question. Cince Orange "Caramel's 'Catallena' MV deemed unsuitable for broadcast by KBS" I want to ask about the unsuitable things in MV and how much of them do you think are right to bann and how much are not?
I live in Flushing New York. And we are filled with Asians so I fit in, but I hate the ignorant people who always ask me if I'm Chinese or Japanese because I can speak Japanese... BUT IM KOREAN!!! GET IT THROUGH YOUR SMALL MINDS!!! Yeah... Welcome to New York...
It's so ironic though.. When I lived in US and Canada I was always called out like a foreigner... ; _ ;
PLEASE STOP TELLING ME WHERE I'M FROM..! I KNOW I'M ASIAN BUT I LIVED HERE MOST OF MY LIFE...! I DON'T KNOW KUNG FU..!
NoooOoooOOOoOo..!
I live in Fairbanks, Alaska and just recently within the last two years there has been a Korean restaurant that has opened as well as a Korean store. The restaurant is very good, but I still have yet to check out the store.
I live in Auburn, AL USA . We have quite a few Koreans here and many more Korean businesses than you would expect in a rural American area. It's because of the Hyundai plant to the west and the Kia plant to the east. Some people have taken to calling the local area "Koreabama". We have a King Sejong Institute here, the only one not in NY, LA , SF or DC in the States and that's how I am learning Korean. We have an Asian supermarket, Korean hair salons, Korean-speaking real estate agents and even a Korean auto repair place to go with our ever-expanding number of Korean restaurants. The newest one to open even has Norebang. One of the restaurants has a cooler where you can buy various side dishes in bulk.
hey sup!! I was wondering if your pic is actually you? I'm just surprised cuz you don't look like the typical person (not that there is such a thing) that would be interested in korea, not to offend you but yeah.... I think it's cool though.
I live in Nottingham in the UK, and we have a Korean restaurant on the outskirts of the city centre. There's also a Korean dude that runs two shops in Beeston which is maybe 5 miles out of the centre. That's where I get my instant ramyun fix from!
In Sydney, Australia there is a China town that has a few Korean restaurants.. Here in the Brisbane area, on the Gold Coast.. Even I find myself staring at any Asian looking person, they are so rare! -_- The few Asian people I do meet in shops are usually from country areas of China, or even Japan, never Korea.. I don't blame them!
You need to check out Elizabeth St in Brisbane then when you have a chance. It's pretty much Brisbane's Koreatown. (and where I spend all my free time haha)
ErinEopso Wow ok, will do! ^_^
Paper Kawaii - Origami Tutorials man I must have been in a different part of GC. I lived there for four years. It wasn’t as Asian as Darwin, but it included a lot of Asian people just like the rest of Australia. (Late I know)
Where I live a Korean food store was opened this year and it's awesome because there is usually Japanese and Chinese stores but no KOREAN! ❤️
I'm from Oregon USA, and the major thing I've noticed is a HUGE influx of Korean fashion. Lots of high top knots, colorful leggings and way more leg showing than cleavage. KPop is definitely making an impact on the American fashion. :)
I like that you are highlighting some of the comments at the end. I wish it would stay this way:)
My name is Bri and this video made me very sad.
BRI ARE IMPORTANT
I currently live in Edae, attending Ewha Womans' University and I have personally haven't noticed a dramatic difference. There is a still a charm to Edae, where we have the cozy cafes to the unique restaurants and a bunch of university students taking over the streets.
lol, the part simon said "i know we are foreigner, no need to remind us" x"D i feel you bro, when i walked around seoul and use my native language people was staring at me like i am an alien x"DD
Where are you from?
Indonesia :) you?
kajitani13
America, but I speak creole. Almost no one I know has heard of it
Canadian here :) Just arrived in Seoul last night and ready for my own adventure in Korea
I live in the Philippines and I remember when I started liking Korean food the ONLY Korean store that I can buy Korean snacks and also Kimchi is about 2 hours...YES! 2 Hours away so I really have to sort of hoard every Korean food I would have to buy because I am only able to go there every 15th and end of the month since I do deliveries there...but now there is actually a Korean store about 10 minutes away from where I live that operates about 24hrs 7 days a week! So even if I get a craving in the middle of the night I can just walk to that store and buy there.
wait.. where?!
I live in QC there is like mini Koreatowns here.. but the main one is in Makati.. I think in the middle of the red light district and business center of Makati ^_^ where do you live? maybe I could help you out
I live in hawaii now, but yeah i'll be returning soon. its been a while lots has changed in metro manila. . . crazy.
yeah its been crazy here...always been that way especially in my neighborhood :D nice to see another fellow Filipino here!
I'm lucky then because there's a ton of Korean restaurants 15 mins away from where i live. And recently, like 2 or 3 years ago, there seems to be a boom of Korean owned mini-mart/convenience store as well, where they sell various Korean products.It's Korean invasion at BF Homes, Paranaque, a lot of Korean Restaurant and mini-marts.
When I went to Festival Mall, Alabang I saw a lot of Koreans there as well. Saw them in packs - haha! - ; okay big groups. Also when I went to Baguio, I saw a handful of Korean teen groups too. They are everywhere now! But I am not complaining. I heard there's a Korean restaurant there - Secret Garden; yes! like the drama - but i wasn't able to try it because of lack of time.
And anyway, in any local supermarket I already see a lot of Korean products being sold like kimchi, Korean ice-cream, soju, pepper paste, ramen.
There seems to be a boom in Korean cosmetic stores here too: Etude House, The Face Shop, The Body Shop, Nature Republic and Skin Food , to name a few that I know of. I also saw a few Tous Les Jours opening up in malls.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and the majority of asians that live there are Chinese. In 2012 a Korean/Mexican restaurant opened called Takko... Other than that there's nothing else.
Now I live in Clarksville, Tennessee and it amazed me how many Korean churches, restaurants (three in total, one being right in front of my apartment) and supermarkets there are in this area! I love it! It's a dream come true!
There Martina goes again!
Blinking allot while Simon is talking!
Why do I notice these things? Because Martina's eye liner looks nice!!!
Hey Simon and Martina! Normally I wouldn't do this but i have a request! I've been watching you guys for about 3 years now and have seen all your video's at least 3 times. I love how recently you've also been doing videos about yourselves and Korea! SO i have a small wish. Can you guys do a video telling us your favorite groups in Kpop and all around! Like do a top 10 list of you favorite kpop groups ( I know you both love BigBang and 2ne1 but who else is up there). I also know Martina is a huge metal/ rock fan and Simon is into American rap. SO can you do a top 10 of your favorite bands over all?! I personally would love to see that and I think a lot of other fans would too. It'd help us know you guys better and such. I think it would be fun too ^^ I love you guys, thanks for teaching me about Korea and helping me find more great music while also keeping me updated on Kpop! You always put a smile on my face and i really appreciate that! Keep doin what you're doin!
You guise should go visit the Cheese lady in Bucheon!!!
I'm an Australian living in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, which is considered to be pretty rural by Korean standards, and everywhere I go people stare at me (not menacingly, just genuinely fascinated) and luckily, the general attitude towards foreigners here is really positive!
EYK should start a cheese shop in Gangnam, itaewon, or hongdae. I bet you guys will make so much cheese from all the expats looking for their cheese fix. I honestly think EYK has more room to expand and create more profit.
I'm in calgary, and the korean community is definitely growing. We don't have a korea town but there are quite a few korean restaurants around the city, and you can find lots of kpop posters, keychains, etc in chinatown.
I have heard that Kpop agencies have people that just stalk the streets of major cities to find people to recruit as trainees. So I was wondering if Soozee, since she is a gorgeous Korean woman, has ever been discovered by angencies, and I also want to know what you guys think about this.
I live in Hawaii and there's a lot of asian influences here especially with food. So korean food is not hard to find. You can go to a regular grocery store and there's an ethnic food aisle where you can find just about everything asian you need to make an authentic korean dish or japanese or chinese or filipino or vietnamese...you get the point.
I live in Wales. Some people in my school don't even know where korea is...
I agree with everything you guys have said about the changes in Korea. I visit often (every 2 years or so) because my brother lives there and every time I go, it's very different...the biggest and best thing to change is how friendly Koreans are to foreigners now! LOVE IT! The first time I went, I couldn't deal with people literally turning their backs to me if I was going to talk to them (even in shops in Seoul!), or walking up and just staring in my face (in smaller towns)...but then I have noticed how many chains (especially North American chains and brands) there are everywhere, which sucks!
Keep up the great vids please!
Can you guys talk about what you have to do to get a Korean citizenship, and is it hard to get one? How long can you stay in Korea without a citizenship? On a TL;DR..... Sydney from USA
I'm pretty sure S&M are not Korean citizens ^^. They're in Korea under a business visa, I think.
I'm not an expert, but here's what I know:
Becoming a citizen in Korea is not very hard. You just need to have legally resided for 5 years in Korea, show that you can support yourself (basically have a job), and be somewhat proficient at Korean (there's a proficiency test and interview). There are other requirements and stuff, but this is generally what you need.
You can stay in Korea as long as you want if you have the correct visa, but if you don't, you can stay without one anywhere from 30 days to 6 months, depending on your nationality (this applies to most countries, but you'd have to make sure to check if your country signed the Visa Waiver Agreement). In your case, since you're from the US, you can stay here for 3 months without getting a visa, as long as you don't try to make any money.
For more info, you can go to immigration.co.kr ^^
I've lived in Cheonan-si, Korea for almost 2 years now. Back when I first got here, nobody seems to sell tortillas. I remember how happy I was to finally find them for the first time at the upscale Galleria food market we have here. Now a days though, I can find them in just about every major stores (E-mart, Lotte, Homeplus) and at times even in some smaller local stores.
Life is good.
Can we visit the EYK studio once we are in korea?
I'm visiting my family in Santa Rosa, CA, USA (near San Francisco) and yesterday I went to a Safeway which is the equivalent of a HomePlus or E-Mart. In the Asian food aisle, they had fermented red pepper paste and bulgogi sauce! The packaging had Korean and everything! They also had some choice Chinese, Japanese, and South Asian food products as well. It's small things like this that makes me feel included.
Hi Simon and Martina!
Can you guys talk about why male idols enlist in the military? Is it mandatory? If so how long do they have to serve? Are women allowed to enlist? Have any female idols ever enlisted? I'm very curious.
Its mandatory for every male in south korea to enlist in the army for a minimum of 2 years. If you're a celebrity then you can post pone enlisting, like Bi (rain) he enlisted when he was 30 years old which is not okay for a normal citizen. Women are allowed to enlist in the military but its not mandatory for females, only males. Just a little FYI! :)
Where I live in Sacramento there's a pretty decent sized Korean community, it just seems to be spread out whereas with places like Koreatown in LA it's big but condensed. There are lots of little Korean boutiques and specialty stores but one HUGE international store that pretty much focuses on Korean food and products with other cultures mixed in. It's my favorite place to go shopping now since they renovated. They just opened a food court and next to it is a small Nature Republic store. I love going in there and buying the face masks!
All the Korean stuff I can get in my city are in China Town x) I'm okay with this though because theres also Japanese stuff, so it's all in one place :D However it would be cool to have Korea town.. especially because my Manchester is a big city!
I have the New Malden Korea Town about an hour away from my house that I visit often. It's very friendly there, the people, the restaurant owners, the shop workers. Easy to speak about cultural things to them as well...yummy food! My Korean class are usually k-pop related things that we speak about
Well if it makes you feel better there is a Taco Bell combined with a cell phone store. You can get a taco and a phone plan
Martina you look GORGEOUS!
And about the question, where I live (Portugal) there is nothing Korean related anywhere! Not even in the close by towns. I checked but I really can't find. Maybe in Lisbon I would be able to, since it's the capital and all; But where I live, not food, not music, not nothing. It kinda sucks a lot because whenever I want to make, for example, Korean food, I can't because I can't get any of the ingredients, except if I order them online BUT the shipping costs get so high I end up not getting anything.
Haha Forever 21 is actually owned by a Korean person though
Really!?!?!
Wow, thank you
Eat Your Kimchi i absolutely love your videos, you make my day when I'm feeling down, so a good Simon and Martina joke is what brings a smile to my face. So thanks :-D ♥
Thank you for watching!
I live in Corpus Chrisi Texas and I havnt seen or heard of a Korean community :( I wish I could find a restaurant or something. I've seen one Korean church but that's it. :/ I need to find someone to bond over Kpop haha
yah! i live in vermont and i havent heard of anything Korean related at all! :( and i have never seen kpop around where i live (besides a couple kids in my school that like it) so its really hard to stay connected :P
bella alexandria
ugh i completely get you. the struggle is real lol
oh the stuggle DX true that~~~
In the north of of Mexico we have a considerably large Korean community because there are many Korean or Asian brands that have factories here, for example Samsung, so they send Korean people to manage them, and they do get together, attend to a church for them, kinda know each other, like the usual things expats do when they want to keep their roots while living in a foreign country. Also, in my college we have exchange programs with many Korean universities, so my college has many Korean students and they also formed their own little Korean community, they are not closed to other people, i mean they came here for experiencing the culture so they're pretty open, but they do tend to hang together most of the time, like you see them all arriving together from the dorms and stuff.
I personally love goat cheese.
I live in New York and in Flushing, Queens, and we have sort of this place which is basically a mix of Asian shops and people. And when I'm talking about Asian people, I mean people that were born and raised in Asia and usually don't speak any English besides "hello", "thank you", and "are you going to buy this?".
There are a lot of Korean stores like Paris Baguette, Tous Les Jours, Nature Republic(got my picture next to cardboard Exo member, so funny because I remember thinking 'Holy shit, is he this short in real life?"), and Morning Glory.
On a unrelated note, you guys should tell us what foods you miss from Canada so we can send them to you! You make us laugh, we give you ranch!
How is interracial marriage in korea and how is it looked upon by younger people like 20's? Are there any kpop idols who have married foreigners that weren't famous possibly met by chance or was just a fan???
Here in Minnesota, there are a lot of Korean people. However... this is because MN has the highest rate for Korean adoptees. I, myself, am not adopted, but I do have a lot of adopted Korean friends. I also used to go to a church for Korean people, and there are quite a lot of them around the metro. I know there are 3 or 4 Korean grocery stores around the cities but nothing as extensive as the H-Marts and such you can find in Cali, Chicago, and Texas.
Korean community what korean community says girl living in Wales
I live outside NYC and there's a fairly large Korean community here, especially in New Jersey. There are some neighborhoods where all the signs for stores and business are in Korean. You can find a lot of Korean restaurants and there's an H mart. There's also Koreatown in the city.
Forever 2NE1 ... Yes, that was actually my First thought until I got what was meant ... That moment when you've listened to too much Kpop xD Menboong~
Outside of NYC's Korea town - there is a large community of Koreans that live in the borough of Queens. I've never been there but I imagine they have a lot of stores geared toward Koreans.
But... But... I love Brie ;_;
The change I'm talking about just occurred 2 weeks ago. Out of nowhere The Face Shop opened up in the most major malls around Toronto, all at the same time. It used to be that I could only get it at Pacific mall, now I can get them at Vaughan Mills, square one, the Eaton Centre, Fairview mall.
How does Korea celebrate birthdays?????!!!!!!!
I live in Cleveland,Ohio USA and we have a very large Korean community. There are 3 or 4 Korean restaurants and Asian markets and Korean markets. A college called Baldwin Wallace has a transfer program with Ewha Womans University where you guys did your video!! And i know several Korean college girls because of that transfer program :)
Can we mail you cheese?
Right?! Cuz...I live in Wisconsin and these guys like it a lot more than I do ://
I live in Plano, Texas and then Korean community is thriving in my area. We just got a brand new H mart and it's pretty fantastic
Ugh, i hate it when giant chains (riches) take over all these small hardworking shops that's worth the trip to Korea for. I can easily go to ZARA and Forever21 in the US here...these monopolization is not doing Korea (or ANY countries) any good.
There isn't a large Korean community here, but on this one street near my university there are like 3 or 4 Korean grocery stores and a couple of Korean restaurants. The Korean stores also carry a lot of Japanese items, so I go there for Japanese and Korean snack foods.
No korean stuff at all. :((((( hard life of living in England...
I went to look in Foyles in London a while ago (you know the bookshop?), and went looking around the language section, there were shelves and shelves on European languages, Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Japanese etc. There was even some stuff on some African languages! As for Korean, there was only a small set of shelves about the size of a small single dresser.
I live in Canada and I've noticed that people have been paying more attention to Korean culture. There are even some Korean shops opening up in malls. For example The Face Shop opened a store in Square One and they play Kpop there too! In Toronto they also have a mall called Pacific Mall which is basically filled with Asian stores. Although the mall isn't very close to where I live, it's probably one of the only sources I have to buy albums and Korean items. There are definitely more Korean shops and Kpop fans showing up in my area and it's really nice to see!^^
SENPAI NOTICE ME LOL
O HAI!
EXTREME SPAZZING NOISE hehe.
As a Korean in the U.S., I'm glad to hear about the change regarding foreigners, and I'm glad you didn't have to deal with that as much in the latter part of your stay in Korea.
I live in Texas and there are plenty of Korean areas. There's plenty of Korean restaurants and markets around my house. I remember there was a time where my family would get discriminated on because my dad and my siblings are mixed with white, but times have changed. My dad looks like a European version of Lee Minho and he would still be looked down upon. Since then, the Korean community has gotten used to the diversity and they're all pretty friendly with everyone. It's crazy how much has changed in 15 years.
I live near a Army base in the US. We have around five small family owned Korean/Asian markets and a few Korean restaurants in the town next to it.
Army bases are pretty good for finding small Korean communities in general in the US.
There's a big Korean community in Atlanta, GA, mostly in Duluth area. You can drive down one street and everything is in Korean: grocery stores, restaurants, auto shop, dentists, doctors, churches, noraebangs, etc. Some of them cater to mostly Korean patrons so it helps to have someone who understands Korean (like my Korean/Chinese-Amer husband!).
Oh and for korean groceries superstore actually carries quite a bit (seriously you can find so many international food products there) and then you can always go to TnT ( owned by superstore I believe) for specialty asian groceries!
Where I live we have a small Korean community, everyone just refers to it as Koreatown. Unfortunately it's an hour away but I go there every so often. They have cute indie fashion boutiques and even a karaoke bar. Also, a korean supermarket of course. Everything is in Hangul and it's pretty amazing. Anyways, love you guys, your videos give me so much life hahaha. xxx
I live in Oakville 20 min outside Toronto and have noticed a lot more Korean, Chinese and overall more Asian families moving into Oakville over the past two years. We've had some more Asian restaurants open up in the area but I still think the majority of people shop in Brampton or Mississauga for Asian foods. It's always cool trying my Asian friends' food because I haven't had it before.
I live in Orange County SoCal which surprisingly has a lot of Korean communities. They have about 5 korean markets around where i live and have lots of bakeries like Paris Baguette and Tours Les Jours. There's also many cosmetic stores that sell Korean cosmetics. There's also a lot of kbbq and Bibimbop restaurants. They even have a little kpop store in the market that sells albums and posters.
In Tulsa we actually have a large Asian community so I have lots of not only Korean items available but those from Japan,Thailand,Vietnam and China as well. We do have a growing number of Korean restaurants as well in fact, I found a brand new one last weekend!
Cheese is incredible!! The big cheese distributor in our area, Cabot, is some of the best cheese I've ever had.
Here in Panama City, there is a little bit of a Korean community. A few Korean shops/restaurants here and there. I wish there was more though, one day I'll be there Korea. One day.
As I am moving to Seoul in a few months, I would really like to see an updated "What to bring to Korea", or "Things you can't find in Korea" video!
I live in Yongin, and I've noticed that also.many of the little shops I loved to go to shut down for Riahn hair, Pizza Hut, Alpha, Daiso, A cellphone shop or UNIQLO...and I was so friendly with those store owners! It's just so sad..
In Texas we have a korean store called H-Mart and its in a few cities. They are quite large and you can get food, groceries, kpop items and clothes there. Its pretty cool :)
San Diego has a Korea Town :D The biggest supermarket there is Zion, they have a Paris Baguette inside among other little shops. It's a very busy town on weekends.
I've been living in the Seattle area for about a year and a half now, and from what I've noticed, there's not specifically a Korean community, as opposed to other ethnic communities. There's a large Asian population here, and Seattle has an International District downtown, but I haven't noticed any differentiation of communities specific to Korea itself. I am, however, currently living with a family who's hosting a Korean middle-school exchange student and it's been interesting getting to know her and learning what she knows about various things in the US.
I wish I had watched this video before Sep. 1st! My husband and I met in Incheon in 2010 when we were teaching at the same hagwon. We returned to the States, continued dating, got married, yada yada, and now we are BACK, only this time we are in Gwangju which is VERY different from where we were originally. We've also noticed the increase in cheese and it seems like food is a lot more expensive than it used to be, but it's hard to tell if that's a regional difference or a 4 year later difference. We used to notice a lot of "wayguk" whispers, even in Incheon and Seoul, but so far, aside from some confused looks from people and once a "HI HOW ARE YOU I AM FINE THANK YOU" from a drunk college age guy, people don't really do it here which seems weird as there are A LOT less white people in our neighborhood than from where we were before.
There is a very small asian market in my university town. There is a large one in the Capitol. Though there is a HUGE Korean exchange program at my university so my town caters well to Asian international students! Yay! I'm happy!
So I have been living in Busan for about 7 months now. When I first came here I heard "A foreigner" a lot and also got the "foreigner look" now I don't hear/ see it anymore. I thought it stopped, but when I listen for it I still hear it when I get on the subway. And most people think that I am American or Russian. The only thing that changed is that I keep seeing more and more foreigners and that ajummas ask me for the way in korean and don't even back away when they see that I am not Korean...
I live in Suwon. Since it's a big city, the situation is a bit different than it would be in the country (I used to live in Asan a few years ago). I have, however, noticed that in the last year or so there are things that are available that were previously very hard to come by. Like you guys said, I've noticed a lot of herbs like Basil and Thyme and Oregano are readily available at Homeplus, along with the bigger selection of cheese. I, too, used to get a lot of "omg foreigner!" comments, but rarely hear it now. So I think my situation is pretty much the same as yours.
I live in Fort Wayne, IN and we have 2 (that i know of) Asian grocery stores and several Asian restaurants, 2 of them are Korean the rest are Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese.
In California Korean stores and restaurants have became really popular! I think there's at least 2 or 3 Korean BBQ restaurants in most cities, sometimes even more. Almost every grocery store now has an Asian Food section even Walmart. You can find seaweed almost anywhere! Most stores especially non Korean stores are run by Koreans. I think the Korean population or overall Asian population is increasing rapidly. In all honesty it's like heaven for me :)!!! Totally want to go to Korea!!!
I live in MD, right outside of DC and we have tons of Korean supermarkets. I can count at least 4 within 10 minutes of my house. They just opened a 24 hr Korean bbq near me as well. DC has everyone and everything!
I'm rather thankful that Sydney has quite a large Korean community here. There's suburbs like strathfield, eastwood and lidcombe which are packed full of korean restaurants and businesses, the city council even named a little section of a main street 'korea town' because of how many korean restaurants and businesses there are and korean night clubs run by koreans catered for asians/koreans.
Re Germany, there are a lot of korean students, as we have some famous universities for Arts, Design and music. We purchase korean products online, there is a big supermarket online, they do have a wide range of products but nothing compared with some stores in USA. Prices are also a little higher.