Kelsey I'm a black American who is Christian and if a black, asian, spanish, white who don't go to church and don't serve God and don't believe in God then i would not want them to marry my son or daughter if i did have any children and that don't mean I'm a racist it mean that there are standards that i would want for future children that i would have. So stop calling Koreans racist because you might be from America and believe anything that news media and liberals say. We should be Americans and not African American or Asian American or Latin American or Irish American. If South Korea don't want to friends with all foreigners then Kelsey respect their decisions okay. Um American that is black and not African.
the country was restarted and rebuilt during the 1950s so yes- many Asian countries not just Korea have not caught up with the Western world in real time.
Honestly, visiting Seoul for the first time was a cultural shock for me. I'm from an arab descent, so dark curly hair, tanned skin, all that jazz. Got tattoos on top of that. I was travelling with my friend who's white, and while nobody said to me anything racist, the difference between how my friend and I were treated by people was really big, to the point where even she felt uncomfortable and to a point I felt so alienated that I cried even, and I'm far from being a crier lol. but feeling like that in a foreign country was super isolating. it was especially noticeable from customer service workers at stores, they would smile at her and ask her if she needs help constantly, the cashiers would be super nice and smiley to her, even if she spoke one or two korean words they would get super excited, meanwhile I would get cold attitude and faces, I would be ignored, stared at, and even if I spoke basic conversation in Korean nobody really cared, let alone get excited about it lol. that being said, when I learned how to ignore those things and just accept them as they are, Korea was super fun and there's a lot to see and do, I even came back a 2nd time and was supposed to come back a third time but then covid hit. but yeah, definitely not a fun experience when you go through it for the first time.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that. If I were you I'd probably not leave my hotel again lmao but it's great you still enjoyed your experience. I don't think I'm strong enough to face such discrimination
Thank you for sharing ur story. There has been good Korean media that capture this type of Korean behavior (they set up secret cameras and make a white person and a non white foreigner ask for the same things to a Korean and the different attitudes that some Koreans have are shocking) and Koreans were embarrassed to face that aspect of society. There were talks in my middle school and high school from teachers educating students not to act differently depending on a person’s race but unfortunately still many Koreans behave that way. I just feel sorry for those Koreans that they’re not educated enough and don’t hang out with them. Anyway, glad you wanna come and enjoy other parts of Korea💖
@@samsam_sa Years ago, I was in the aisle seat on a plane to Vienna for a business conference, sitting next to 2 guys from sub-Saharan Africa. Ignoring me, they babbled in French, and I got a strong vibe that they felt superior to me (I'm Asian). I know body and facial language very well (from my years of dating women), so it was a very distasteful, sad experience.
I stayed in Korea for 90 days and I experienced one uncomfortable situation. I was in a mall in Suwon and a child pointed at me and asked his grandfather why my skin was dirty (I'm black)? He immediately looked at me, shushed his grandson picked him up and rushed out the front door. Mind you, Suwon is close to Seoul so there are many foreigners who visit, so I was shocked that this child has never been exposed to a black person before. All I could do is smile and brush it off.
I think the grandpas behaviour was more problematic than the childs. A child doesn't know certain things but as an adult it's important to address errors they make or answer questions they have so that they can learn. Instead of shushing the kid and making it feel bad for its reaction (which might become a negative memory associated with you) the grandpa should have just taught him about different ethnicities
Honestly you are so right! Korea is not what everyone always says. I am from Daegu, South Korea 🇰🇷 and most standards are so harsh and unfair. Not all Koreans are open minded so beware and don’t be too surprised if somebody makes a comment about your life decisions and/or physical appearance. If someone makes a unkind remark on anything about you, don’t believe them because you are beautiful and amazing. Love yourself 💜
I am 44years old korean women.. i lived in rural area in korea most of my life.. nowdays i have quited changed becuase of this kind of video.. and also many ppl live out of korea are making their life in other country. it is really helpful for understading culture and ppl from out side of korea. thank you for this video. p.s : if anyone who has bad experience in korea, i feel really sorry for them. atually we are not really same with K -drama.. 😥
@@daldacare7973 korean dramas are sooooo big influence...thats why plenty loves SK including me...thats why i also try to watch this kinds of vlogs to educate myself..and also im dreamin of going SK...🤗
@@daldacare7973 I think we should understand the difference between Korean dramas fantacy and reality as India is not exactly what shown in Indian TV Serials it's same for everywhere what shown in the Tv is not always true no one consider themselves bad...... According to me everywhere in the world both good and bad things exist together every country have their own social issues we should address them and solve them so that we can make our country and the world a better place to live.
As a southeast asian from the Philippines, majority of the filipinos are aware about racism in Korea , the mere fact that Philippines considered Korea as bestfriend started during Korean War and became major trading partner with each other But majority of us are open minded, we understand that maybe koreans are not expose to different races, but the fact that koreans are the #1 tourist who visited in the Philippines behind Japanese, Westeners and Americans proven that not all koreans have the same thought about Sourheast Asians, filipinos exposed to different people, different nationality so we are immune to this kind of stuff since tourism is our country's major income In fact there are many koreans choose to leave here in the Philippine, majority of the population here in Cebu City are Koreans and they are really nice There are also many Korean-Filipino couple here who fell in love with each other and getting married while the Korean girl/guy staying in our country to study english :)
I’ve visited Korea a few times and what I noticed the most was the high beauty standards and how prevalent “pretty privilege” is when you meet their ideal.. (offered free service, people being more nice to you etc.) also the one size clothing, skin tone foundations etc.. really creates a sense of a one-size-fits-all conformity mindset and pressure to fit in this box.. although I know there have been more awareness and more improvements in this area
I have never visited Korea but would like to visit once.. all I know about Korea is what google says or other youtubers or bolggers inform.. so I really don't know anything about the "pretty privilege" and it's very hard to imagine as nothing of the kind happens in my country..but the one-tone foundation and one-size clothing thing seems a bit exaggerated.. I mean it's a homogeneous society. So people don't look that different plus beauty standards in Korea are very high and as per that everybody usually has the same body type as each other..so it makes no sense for the traders/businessmen to stock something that nobody buys or a very few people buys.. it's simply the theory of demand and supply.. there's higher demand for those products so it's natural for the traders/businessmen to supply them more.. aren't they just catering their customers' needs while minimising certain costs for themselves?? And let's say say they do keep foundations in every tone and clothes of every size, but the demand of the lesser used shades and size is so less that it hardly gets sold then those products would get expired/out of trend and no one would ever want them causing loss of purchase cost and loss of carrying, ordering and managing cost.. I am really sorry if I come out as a rude person but the unavailability of different shades and sizes is not because they are racist and stuff it's because there's no demand of those products.. correct me if I'm wrong anywhere.. again I am really sorry if I sounded rude or mean..😇
@@lavijain7403 of course you’re right, but I always question how much of the actual demand is real vs also a product of society’s creation? Having seen many natives (including a lot of my friends) who naturally have slightly darker skin shades and bodies that are more voluminous.. I do question the demand. Quite a few of my Korean girlfriends have also told me they’ve done surgery, but it’s quite normal to accept. Further, the diet culture is huge in Korea and really in most East Asian countries (I’m East Asian also and the pressure on being thin can get somewhat extreme). And yes the one size clothing is very real, especially if you shop on the popular main streets vs actual malls. So I do see your point from a business pov! I do love many things about Korea, but I think it’s also important to address some of the real issues for the betterment of all :)
What hurts the most, being southeast asian and a filipino is that koreans forgot that filipino soldiers are part of their history, they achieved democracy and freedom because a lot of our able soldiers helped and fought for them and yet a lot of them are openly racist towards us.
@@xenomoe9519 Look ; all of us are racist to some degree. In general, the Philippine is a friendlier place for business and visit. And I’m not from Philippine.
@@xenomoe9519 the Philippines just a toxic. They are toxic just about video game, if you see the Philippines in they country, they are very nice. Btw IM from Indonesia why we know it, everyone Will be toxic cus a game bro
Hi Kelsey.. I am an Indian.. I really love your videos.. Not only in Korea but in general everywhere Indians are looked down.. I have no idea why.. we are as smart and kind as any other nationality.. just because of some stupid preconceived notions some people discriminate Indians.. things have changed.. I wish people won't look down on people of color..
I can relate what you're saying. I'm from Latin America and I'm of color too. It's sad how so many people and cultures think in that way about people of color, but more than sad, it's stupid. The world is like a color palette, with light tones, medium, and dark ones, those tones also mix between. All those shades of color are part of the same palette and if a shade is missing, then the palette is incomplete. When those people and cultures understand that they'll figure out that the world is not all about them and their culture of environment (not talking only about korean people) things will gonna be differente. The real world is about every culture, country and every etnicity. This is the real world, and regardless of that those with more economic power set the game rules, we're all part of the same world and no culture or etnicity owns it.
Prachi it's the western media that does it.. we are looked down upon because that's how they portray India.. slums everywhere and unhygienic environment which is full of diseases,crimes and poverty.. this is all they show when it comes to India.. jabki slums and poverty is a part of every country.. if there are rich people there would be poor people as well..but that's all they show about us..if you watched slumdog millionaire, all that is shown in the name of mumbai were the slums and not what mumbai actually is..i know showing the slums was important as per the plot but there are people who believe that's all what India is got to offer. They have so many stereotypes regarding us and it's all thanks to the media.. So don't get disheartened, ulta have the motivation that once we get to these countries we will show them about how wrong they are in looking down upon us..and honestly speaking it has started the world has started to see that India is something, something that can't be ignored and put into trashcan anymore..so let's just wait a lil bit longer.. as for racism because of colour, our skin colour isn't something that we choose.. it's something we are born with and we can't change that.. so let's just love it and be proud of it and do not get sad or depressed because of how others behave.. cuz they are just despising because they are jealous they can't be like us ..😎😎
@@lavijain7403 you are absolutely right!! They portrayed always with slum and beggar, dirty street etc.... That's the western countries tactic to show them better! Worst part is Korea also is shown for kpop idol with makeup things and downplayed their music and all stuff related to them. But Korea always lick westerners as a better example of status and all... The most stupid thing is Indian youngster supporting BTS and all when in fact they will never do a concert in India... Lots of TH-camr are using Indian community for views since in China most social media is banned
@@veenakumar455 I know a lot of youtubers make content about India so that a lot of viewers would be attracted..that is unethical but not wrong.. it's a business strategy because India has the 2nd largest population and even if 0.01% of Indians watch their videos they will earn nicely..having ideas to earn money aren't wrong plus they aren't spreading any false information.. It's unethical because a lot of youtubers are only saying those words to make money and they actually don't mean any of it..now the thing with BTS is if they see a market in India there company will not drop the the opportunity to capture that market because of again the population..they aren't doing any concerts as of now because BTS is not that popular in India as in the west and Indians are exceptionally famous for not spending there money in a lot of luxuries as most of the population is middle-class and concerts are a luxury..Indian youngsters aren't supporting BTS because they want a concert..of course as a fan they do want to witness them performing live just once but the fandom is not based on this notion alone..I am also an ARMY and I support BTS because of there amazing discography and healing lyrical abilities..even when I can't understand the language I can feel the depth and I get consoled by it..we stan them because they are talented..having a concert or not is not something that lies under their area of decision-making.. it's the company and like every business they are also focused on profits..If they see profits then they won't leave it..they have done concert in Riyadh and we all know that western media spoils the image of middle-east the most..
Whenever I meet people who have a narrow mentality I just say that we are all blood and bones afterall. Skin is just a wrapping paper to make the gift inside look more beautiful❤
Just because racism is normalized and accepted does not mean that it's ok; I think it's easy if you have never been a victim of severe racism to brush it off as "they don't know better." As a teacher who travels I just want be in an environment where im not constantly stressed about how people view me. I have no malice towards the way they think I simply care about my mental health more.
A lot of mature black people won’t be too shocked by what you said in this video. Most of us know all this about South Korea already. It’s just a sector of black people who look for videos trying to validate their love for Korea when deep down they know that many Koreans don’t accept the idea of us outside of entertainment. This doesn’t mean that you won’t find a date, or that every Korean will hate you but just know that you will have to find validation in yourself and not the opinions of a whole race of people who don’t totally get who you truly are anyways. This is completely fine too. Enjoy Korea’s sights and the overall experience to enrich your life. What Korean people think of you doesn’t matter Especially those who’re ignorant beyond repair. Always Be bold melanated Kings and Queens. ✊🏾👊🏾👌🏾👏🏾🙏🏾 NEVER LET ANYONE RUN YOU OUT OF SPACES. Get what you can out of the experience then move on.
@@queenoffuckingeverything why should we feel we can’t go to certain places. The only way to make change happen is to make steps to help those changes and visiting places where they aren’t exposed to us is the best way to fight those stigmas because then they can see for themselves.
@@Khandiee I agree. It’s not about causing a ruckus but showing others who don’t have an actual knowledge of black people outside of biased media that we are just people too.
@@queenoffuckingeverything to create change and because everywhere began like that. Every country was homogenous. Black people have always had to create a space that's safe and accepting of them
The way you explain how Koreans act racist/small minded is how Americans in rural communities act against other races. Its tragic, and I'm glad there's a social movement in Korea as well. Our social movements are messy but, still holding strong (far as I can tell) Thank-you for the honest video! I was really curious about the air pollution, so I appreciate you touching on that topic also. =)
Based on spending time in both countries, I think things are worse in the U.S., especially during these times. You have Asian hate crimes, police brutality, more white people becoming radicalized to the far right, the weakened power of the police, conflicts between minorities, and even extremism from the far-left. I honestly feel like things are getting worse rather than better.
Exactly why I live in a “rural community”. Keep your welfare, crime, and victimhood attitudes in the big cities. After all, they are doing SUCH a great job dealing with it....Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc., etc., etc.
@@chrisc1184 Due to the “everyone is a victim” message coming straight from the top. Ever heard of “Judge a person not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character”. I challenge you to tell that to BLM, who use the color if their skin in the name of their organization. It is you and your thinking that destroys racial harmony in the U.S. Wake up.
@@mikek5298 Where is this even coming from? I'm an independent thinker and don't take political sides. I'm just observing the chaos that's happening and nobody is willing to admit that things are getting worse in the states.
You don't need a social movement. Everyone is not going to like you. So what? Just like you don't like everyone. Just be civil with one another. I don't have to laugh at your jokes and you don't have to invite me over for coffee type of thing🤫😉
i really like your videos because often times foreign people who share the same opinions won’t speak in fear of what people who romanticized the country will say. i also like it’s from a perspective of someone who is Korean. 🥰❤️
I was in Pohang Korea and I experienced what I cal "mild" racism but over all I had a great experience. What I can't understand how Koreans can recognize and know it's wrong for Japanese to refuse acknowledging mistreatment and "comfort women" atrocities yet Koreans don't recognize nor accept they have the same mindset to ppl of color as Japanese had and still towards Koreans. The hypocrisy of the Korean racist/prejudice mindset was truly baffling.
Amen! I know you made this comment months ago but, had to add my two cents. It is truly baffling to watch some Korean commentary channels brush off obvious racism, like we are being too sensitive. For example, I was curious to hear what these channels had to say about accusations of black American cultural appropriation in K-Pop or instances of blackface in Korea. They simply brush it off. Like what?! They can get all up in arms if someone has a rising sun picture on a t-shirt but think blackface is ok. It’s incredible! Most of their K-Pop groups are doing an imitation of R&B and Hip-Hop yet, it is seldom acknowledged. The groups are fascinating and fun to watch but, I wonder if they know anything about where it all comes from. They love everything we created yet we are less than and see us a dirt? Well, I guess it is what it is and, it is disgusting!
I’m a Korean-American woman, a mother of two kids and a full-time doctor. While it hasn’t been easy to do that in the US, I often think that I would not have been able to do both at all in Korea. Given Korea’s extremely low birth rate, it would make sense to promote women being able to work and have careers. Secondly, if mothers could work after having children, you would not lose these members of the workforce and women might even be more encouraged to have children. Korea is now on the world stage politically, economically, and culturally. It is appropriate to open up societal views to issues from the outside world
I am a dark brown south east asian and planning to visit South Korea soon, as a tourist. I am just prepared to be judged and face racism, but never discouraged. Your videos really helped me to prepare myself mentally on what I should expect.
I've been visited south korea in 2018. So far its good experience. Maybe because its organized by travel agent. People at the merchandise shop, tour guide and crews nice enough. Even we met with group of adult women at a mountain (forget the name, maybe mt. Sorak), that realy nice, greeting us and even took some photos
As a visitor only for a short term you shouldn't worry, most of the racism is subvert not overt especially since you'll probably only visit Seoul and big cities. The racism would be subtle commentary in Korean that you could easily brush off or weird staring on the trains
I would love to hang with you girl. You take the "rose-colored glasses" and make them clear. Love your honesty. I am 52, African-American, and have seen it all and I have been through most of it in my own country, so it wouldn't be that much of a shock to me. I kill with kindness and yes, it does pay to be wealthy and that is anywhere. Chris Rock made the following observation: "You could be the richest black person and still nobody would want to be you." If you know that going in, then you take what there is and throw out the rest. I still want to visit SK, I just know what's what and keep it moving. If you don't want what I can offer, your loss, not mine~~🤣🤣
The beauty standards is what always get me, South Korea has one of the highest female suicide rates in the world and it definitely seems like this can be the reason for it
And plastic surgery, I heard some stories where teenagers at certain age are offered plastic surgery to fix their face to fit beauty standard of Korea.
*disclaimer* Plz don't forget that this is my PERSONAL opinion/analysis about Korea! I'm 24(born in 98) and lived in Korea for 20yrs, so this content is basically a compilation on my experiences in Korea and experience of my friends(both Korean/foreign). Your Korean experience might be totally different from what I state here and my words are not the bible obviously!! :) I'm human, so the ppl I socialize with irl are at most 100 ppl, and the stories I hear from those 100ppl are from their social groups, which are around a 100 each, which makes my Korean experience limited to a group of 10000ppl. Keep that in mind, and take my words with a grain of salt ;). I do think I have insight about how Korea feels to foreign ppl cuz of my unique background, and so I made this video to help foreigners, especially bc with the recent hype of Korea, some foreigners seem to think that Korea doesn't have problems or have unrealistic expectations and they become disappointed when they come here :) Plz don't hesitate to share your own Korean experience, it's really interesting for me to read them and it helps to build an open community where everyone can talk about their experiences!! Also, it's more data added to my 10000ppl's data, so it evens out things I think :) Share positive experiences honestly, and negative experiences honestly too! Anyway hope this video helped you guys in some way
@@vasilisn9373 You have to remember there is Korean age and International age. In South Korea their calendar year is different and you can be 1-2 older depending on the month you were born.
Hopefully, Korea will do better with racial issues. I def see the efforts to teach about racial differences in schools esp. with more Korean people marrying other races and more foreigners coming to live here. Korea also needs to do better if they want to be respected as an economic superpower and a major tourist hub.
I fell in love with K-dramas about a year ago. I've watched/binged so many of them I'm too embarrassed to tell how many... 😉 And yes they are not reality. I never believed they were. But almost everything you've talked about are things I have noticed and/or concluded from watching k-dramas. So you can find these issues even in the most rosy of dramas. I used to be a Media- and communication student and still analyse dramas and movies in perhaps a different way than most people. Maybe that is one reason I make different conclusions. But maybe I'm also too old to buy everything I see without questioning it (I'm 46). And one thing you didn't mention that I've also noticed is how especially women my age and older are mostly depicted in K-dramas. They are only intrested in feeding their usually adult children, marry off their children, berating their children (and husbands). They normally don't have any interests beyond their family and their house. And as a consequence are also completely de-sexualised. They are not individuals, not women with desires and dreams, but "The Mother". An almost archetypical depiction that's usually very similar between dramas. There are of course exceptions, but this is the most common way to portray middle-aged women I've seen in K-dramas. I've wondered how Korean women around that age feel about seeing this image so frequently repeated. And I also wonder if this is is the ideal Korean women are expected to take on in Korea especially as they grow older? Just to be clear; I would absolutely hate that. 😒 And I assume there must be many Korean women who are not comfortable with that either.
I won't stop saying this: It's sad how so many people and cultures think in that way about people who are different, but more than sad, it's stupid. The world is like a color palette, with light tones, medium, and dark ones, those tones also mix between. All those shades of color are part of the same palette and if a shade is missing, then the palette is incomplete. When those people and cultures understand that they'll figure out that the world is not all about them and their culture of environment (not talking only about korean people) thtings are gonna be different. This shit is about every culture, country and every etnicity. This is the real world, and regardless of that those with more economic power set the game "rules", we're all part of the same world and no culture or etnicity owns it.
You are so right. People forget that we are all part of the same world, we're all people of one place. I will never understand the mindsets and prejudice of those who try to divide people and alienate us from one another.
Preach sister. Honestly what's so complicated to just be kind and respect others cultures and traditions and accept the fact that we all are different with different experiences. It's so stupid when I see people being so ignorant makes me want to yank my brains out.
In that case... We feel proud to be indian Because we welcome our guests with open arms.. Whether never make them feel alone... Offer and help them.. coz they are away from there family and home.. I hope it has to be everywhere... We should make this world a happy place... Everyone is beautiful in this world. Not for his or her color... Because of there heart /nature.. Coz beauty dies with age... Good heart never...
Yeah that's true but still there are some morons in every society to make them feel bad about their appearance. Actually what I love about my country India is that we love when foreigners visit our country and we love to show them how beautiful India is. They are willing to help you first then anyone else😂
By the way..if you come to India, you can EASILY make friends 😂👍 That's for sure. Specially young generation & educated people. We are too good in making friends.
I like Indian people, we have many Indian students here in Kazakhstan (Central Asia) and I always want to make friends with them, but I’m too shy 😆 btw they don’t dress properly when it’s cold they don’t wear warm clothes and I’m always so worried about them in winter
I like Indian girls’ hair, it’s super thick beautiful and the volume is big, my favorite actress is Deepika Padukone, also my grandmother and pretty much every grandma in our country watched Anandi tv show😅
I haven’t met a lot of Indians (although he isn’t Indian) my college chemistry professor is from Sri Lanka and he was hands down one of my favorite professors in college! He had such a sweet and kind personality and his aura would just shine. I took 3 chemistry classes with him and loved every second of it.
Keep doing what you are doing. I feel like a lot of TH-camr foreigners (especially black people) enjoy Korean entertainment and really want to be accepted when they go to Korea. They really swallow a lot of bitter experiences and try to downplay the racism, but I know that it affects them. Thank you for this video. Keep doing what you are doing. Don't back down even with Korea's strong cult like cancel culture. 화이팅!!!
As Korean - American living in Korea now and traveling back and forth. You hit all the main points and issues especially on race. Friends who are even slightly darker are treated so different. Racism in the US is more overt but racism in Korea is more subvert. Its definitely an issue and I like how honest you were about it, not whitewashing that ideal image everyone only sees through kpop and kdrama media. There is still a racial hierarchy caste system that Korea Times / Herald recently wrote about how lighter the skin and Korean looking you are the higher you are on the caste - Koreans at the top, then Gyopo, Goryoin, Yanbian Koreans, North Korean Defectors and Zainichi at the second tier for being nominally Korean, then Chinese, Japanese (maybe Mongols and Vietnamese) on the third tier, then White on the fourth tier, and then Southeast Asian and South Asian on the fifth tier (and maybe black/other dark toned races)
I heard a lot of male artists saying....'I only like girls who knows cooking and also have take care of me' ....I also live in a patriarchal society...but nobody says that in television shows ....they will be ashamed to say that in public and will be judged by people
My Korean friend explained me many topics that you're talking about in this video and i was really shocked. I live in Africa and the first time I faced to racism was when i was looking for a Korean correspondent, i was hurting because, I'm a black person who lives in africa and people didn't want to talk with me because of that. They were full in prejudices since I mentioned where I live. Also i don't understand how is it bad to be feminist in Korea
I'm not sure about this. I think it has to do with something that feminists are considered to be extremely radical and violent in South Korea. Though I'm not sure, so please just correct me if I'm wrong.
@@micha-estla6860 did you read my comment? I said people were full of prejudices like I'm really poor and live in huts like in documentaries where you can see extremely poor people. Also I was weird that since I mentioned my origins people suddenly ghost me. I remember that guy who told me : oh I thought you were in USA, sorry I can't talk with you anymore 🙄... Please don't comment like African people can't suffer from racism... That's so stupid
There is a thriving men's rights movement in South Korea. The way these men react to any perceived encroachment of their "rights" can be explosive. A popular idol (Irene of Red Velvet) mentioning she was reading a feminist novel (Kim Ji-young, born in 1982) saw some male "fans" spewing hate comments, burning her merch, and swearing off her and Red Velvet forever.
The reality is that every country has it's own unique issues and benefits, you just have to pick which issues you can stand and which benefits are most important to you.
My husband who’s Korean born & raised , said the same thing . He swears & promise that he would never raise our kids in Korea . He said that majority of Korean people in Korea , are deep down races & very judgmental. Like super judge-mental. And preferably ,stick to there own kind. Yep , you heard it to their own kind . Not all . But most . But the one thing he shared to me about , was how messed up their justice system are . I know… I live in the states & our justice system are not all that great either , but once it involves a child , a minor . There is no way @ it. All hell would break loose in & outside prison . Anyways , I remember him telling me how the laws over there are so f*#k up , especially for sexual assault victims . The justices for rape victims, are close to none, very minimum. For Young victims or old victims , the justices are not justified . For instance , there was a year where a little girl at the age or 9 0r 10 (can’t quite remember) who got sexual assaulted ,raped in a single toilet public restroom & I think it was at a underground subway station , but anyways whoever found her , said that what they saw in that restroom , the scene was so horrific and gory , that it was unimaginable . Something You would only see in a killing horror movie . Her inside were ripped ,inside out . (But Thank god she survived, ). This whole situation sicken me , where I 🤮. but The most upsetting part , that made me furious to my core is that the suspect , only got sentenced for just 10yrs in prison. Just 10yrs. . ! 😡 By the time he gets out ,she’ll be like 18/19 or 20 (I think) . This MF/fers , will be out of jail walking freely on the street like nothing happened . And here this little girl, would have to face the probabilities & chances of running into this low life, no good ,psychotic , pathetic psychopath . Not only that ,because of the damaged that he caused to her organs , this girl won’t be able to conceive . Practically , he ruined her life and all he get is 10yrs. Oh !! This makes my inside boils 🤬🤯😡 . !
then he has to renounce his korean citizenship becuase if he hates it so much he cant use privileges of it like traveling everywhere without visa you cant seat on 2 chairs you have to pick one
Portuguese here. If my grandfather had that mindset, "give me water", my grandmother would through the water on him, and she was a stay-at-home mother. She only starts to work to pay for my mother's and uncle's university.
I think that being a homogenous country doesn't still give many rights for anyone to be racist and I say this because I live in a country that has almost the same demographics as South Korea but many people here(Zimbabweans) are friendly and welcoming. Even if we (Zimbabweans) see white people or Asians, we don't mind them cause to us they are also people and we have other things to worry about instead of wondering why we have different features. However, this doesn't dissuade the fact that some of us look down or treat people who differ from us differently and in a bad or racist manner. With that said not every country is perfect but if everyone visits a country knowing the good and the bad you won't have high expectations and will not be disappointed if what you see and what you thought are parallel. Hope that the person who reads this comment is having a great day
@@robguyton3577 what trail of bloodshed? If you are talking about conflict in Africa…that is heavily nuanced. Large parts of africa was colonized for centuries. Africa was split off by several European countries and in doing that the lines between tribes and peoples were thrown in disarray. People were forced to co-habitat with other peoples who spoke different languages and had conflicting cultures. An influx of European weaponry and then the sudden withdrawal of European peoples, leads directly to the issues you see on tv. African is a huge continent, and it is filled with countries that are as varied as France in relation to Finland. Sudan is different from Egypt. Nigeria is different from Kenya and Chad. Africans and African-Americans are different…several centuries different. Anyways…please excuse the dissertation. Like the amazing person making this video…everything is nuanced, and change sadly happens slowly and incrementally.
i saw it lol. I tried to take their opinion seriously cuz I don't want to offend anyone obvs, but when the title of the reddit is 'she hates Korea and has a WHITE bf', I can't take them srly anymore lol. I will stay safe TYYYY
@@blizzardreed8121 They are incels. There is no reasoning with them. They ooze prejudice, and illogicality. They tend to come out of the woodwork when they feel their masculinity is being threatened. And yeah, somehow an Asian female dating a Caucasian male threatens their sense of self, and/ or view of the world. No idea how that works, but then I don't have a neckbeard LOL
I love how honest and objective you are. I can’t stand the overly nationalistic ppl in my country who get immediately angry when someone calls out social problems. We need to talk about a problem to be able to solve it.
Your channel is very cultural and its great and informative that you talk about that stuff in a straight and real way. Most info about korea ARE romaticized. And most coutries face those same social problems and mindset, but in different scales
I felt the population density more in Tokyo than in Seoul. When arriving in Seoul for a vacation after staying in Japan for almost a year, I thought there was so much more space in Seoul/ I felt more free.
Traveling abroad and backpacking and visiting in laws abroad, I found Korean people in Korea to be the most distant and cold than any other country I have been to. And I am Korean! It was such a disappointment to come to terms with. My parents sent me on a tour all over the country as well as non tour traveling from city to suburb to rural areas. I wish it was not so, but that was my authentic experience.
@ So Vain: The reason you found "people in Korea to be the most distant and cold," is because of culture shock (same in China and Japan). Anyone raised in a Western nation would have a similar experience. I myself was exposed to chilling arrogance from Africans who grew up under French culture.
Probably going the wrong places although I have my qualms with my fellow Korean people, I've traveled all around the country and have seen hospitality and made nice small talk with many rural people in the villages and friends there. Maybe its because I was there for much longe studying and working therer versus just the tourist experience you had. But I'm sorry to hear your experiences are not what is actual Korean hospitality.
I'm happy that you, as a Korean say all this because when i say that to my fellow, they said I'm racist and pessimistic about SK.. I hope people will open their eyes because even in variety shows, kpop industry and even drama you can see that... Unfortunately people are so blinded by kpop and kdrama, they can't see the reality behind it!
In regards to racism in Korea..I'm always surprised people are surprised it exists there..I mean I'm Māori/Korean/Japanese living in my birth country NZ and I encounter is regularly here so I fully expect to encounter it when I'm traveling. No country I've traveled to fully accepts foreigners and no country is perfect. Thanks for addressing a difficult subject Kelsey.
I've seen East Asian women at KKK rallies in the USA. I'm also shocked people are surprised at racism existing there when the white men that go there say they're better at white supremacy than white women
Literally. If you're mixed living in the West, we KNOW already, but then there are so many westerners who live in a bubble and have no idea, usually cause they are the dominant group and have no idea what that feels like...we done been knew.
I love your honesty. And I agree with everything you have said. I find a lot but not all Koreans to be very opinionated and small minded so PLEASE BE CAREFUL. What I find really irritated with Koreans . . They feel they can say anything to you no matter how cruel or rude but you’re not allow to say anything back. I was told that there is a law or rule where you can’t confront your attacker? Is that true?
If it is true that is a global embarrassment. How can you go on mute when you are confronted. That’s ridiculous. Hope they will change that embarrassing law.
@@gemmywhi3711 that’s crazy to me, people feel they have the right to say anything about what someone does with their body. I guess that is why I have a hard time understanding the fans of KPop. They want to dictated if the idols date, get tattoos or even go to a club. These idols are adults
I've been here in South Korea for over a year now, and I remember my biggest cultural shock came this year when I saw a Pride flag in Gangnam. As a gay person in my 20s, it made me happy to see something I never expected in this side of the world. I'm Asian (Filipino born, Canadian raised) so a lot of the cultural things were already very familiar so it wasn't a lot to adapt to in that area. For instance, in Filipino we also give people titles. For example, our equivalent of 오빠/형 is "Kuya." We also have a formal language that is similar to 요 by adding "po," mostly at the end of our sentences. It's also interesting how one-sided the relationship between Philippines and S. Korea is. When I went to the Philippines, I got to see how big Korean pop culture is there. I felt more like a Canadian when I was in the Philippines, but here in S. Korea I feel both Canadian and Filipino. It's also sad to say but I have "light skin privilege" because people assume all Southeast Asians are tan. Because I'm very pale most people in Korea just assume I'm East Asian or Korean. So I don't stand out as much. When I visited the Philippines, people just assumed I was a foreigner, because of how i look, even though I was born there and can still speak the language.
Ok hear me out, I've been watching a lot of these Thai BL series lately and it has come to my notice that all the lead actors have pale white skin and the actors with a little tan/yellow complexion are given either "funny"/comedian roles or as a side/supporter character. The thing is, in Thailand you'll find people of various skin tones. Maybe not of different races but obviously not all are pale. I've just found one series wherein the lead character has a slightly darker complexion anyway my point being is, southeast asians don't accept their own people and put unrealistic beauty standards.. and this made me so sad cause they're influenced by the kpop/kdrama/kculture. I know there's a whole history behind white = beautiful but as of now, it's definitely cause of, if not Korean culture then I'd say the east asian culture. I wish we, all south asian and south east asian countries stopped putting unrealistic beauty standards on ourselves first and then only we can take the next step.
@@cassiadsouza709 This is likely not true. Thailand has been a tourism hub for many Americans and Europeans for a very long time, especially for sex. There's a huge power dynamic there because of wealth disparity between Western countries and Thailand. As a result, there is a sort of white worship that happens. You always see Thai girls wanting a white man to marry.
Also funny thing is, I come from India, and even though almost more than half of our population have dark/ brown complexion, having pale white skin is still considered being beautiful. This, however, ISN'T the current mindset of the newer gen but the older gen on the other hand... make me want to offer some of my brains to them. Sorry for the rant. I loved reading from your canadian/Filipino, having "light skin" privilege perspective haha
@@chrisc1184 no yeah I totally agree with you that's why I said "whole history" also people working in fields doing hard labor were more likely to be tanned and hence people who didn't to hard labor were rich and fair. But as of recently, I don't know if you've noticed kpop and the kdrama community has been thriving in Thailand for the past few years
Thanks Kelsey for the informative video! You definitely nailed those ten points. I’m British Indian, I have visited Korea and loved many things about the country such as; the food, culture, landscapes etc. I had some understandings of the social issues in Korea before arriving so I was pretty well prepared. I did my research, learnt a lot about the culture and knew my way around Seoul (as I was travelling alone). There’s a lot of similarities in Indian and Korean culture, of course each country has its own social problems, but what annoys me is that people who watch Korean dramas or who obsess over Korean boys etc, they have no idea what it’s like living in a country they are fantasising about. Sure, I’d definitely recommend those wanting to go to Korea to travel and experience the way of life out there. But at the same time, doing your own research and educating yourself will only go along way, thanks to your video I really do hope more people would watch this. Would be interesting if you could make a video about women’s safety in Korea, when I was out there, I knew about the spy cameras in public spaces (toilettes, changing rooms) it was actually on BBC. I never faced any problems in Korean apart from a few people being rude to me in Busan (but I guess that’s just a few minority). I honestly had the best time out there and would definitely visit Korea again! Keep up the awesome work, looking forward to your next video. Love the transparency and your thoughts ❤️
Although I had a blast in Korea when I lived there temporarily, I knew after my time there that I could NEVER live there permanently. Some of the reasons you mentioned were why. I felt severely out of place and boxed into a “foreign” corner there, no matter what I did to improve my language and understanding of the culture and history. And some of the men were extremely gross to my friends and I as well. And the obvious racism that is still a huge issue.
I'm really glad I never took a teaching job in Korea. I kept asking the hiring manager are you sure I will be treated fairly??? This video confirms, im glad I did not go.
@@matrices3987 I agree, the vanity is strange to me we all age I worry for those who are vane how will they handle the aging process. I'm very fortunate I had an intuition not to take the job offer I received from career. Just dealing with the colorism in south east asia was hard on me mentally I just uploaded a video about it on my channel 5 years after the fact!
I always dreamed of visiting Korea making Korean friends(kdramainfluence) when I was researching I found out that Indian race is looked down there then I leave the idea of going there. Additionally I saw some Indian and Pakistani TH-camrs talking about the racist problem they faced in their Korean university. I felt really sad. Anyways South Korea do possess soft corner in many Indian hearts. Hope all will get along well on day.
When I travelled to Korea the first time my Japanese friend and I ran into an Indian tourist. She was dressed on a salwar kameez and practically everywhere we went there were Korean people telling her that she looked beautiful. Lol. I was slightly jealous. I was only there for a week though.
Dont be sad! Its fine to be worried about someone's negative reaction of you but trust me there are more good people in the world than bad. The bad ones are just more popular. Korea is a beautiful place and you shouldn't stop yourself from experiencing another culture due to racism.
@@good-tn9sr I am not pushing her. I was just trying to give my "positive" takeaway out of a negative situation. She can choose to go or not. It's ignorant of you to use words that are irrelevant in this situation as she has not visited korea yet.
@@spillingthechai2156 how is it ignorant? You just wanted to use the word ‘ignorant’ but used it wrong. Before you visit somewhere, you usually do research, which this person obviously did and she also got opinions from people who live there.
I live in Korea, my family has not experienced racism in a way that makes us feel unwelcome or unsafe. I just noticed some people avoid us and some merchants may make comments assuming we do not understand what they’re saying (we don’t). We actually feel safer here than in the US, to be honest.
Given your assumed light complextion you're acceptable to many Koreans and will generally not face the subtle racism posited to those slightly darker Asians and black people.
This was really honest. I love being Korean but like all people groups, there are major cultural issues that need to be faced in order to change and improve.
Thank you for this! You seem like such a kind and caring woman. I love how these critiques of Korea came from a place of you thinking and hoping the country can and will do better in some areas. This is how we should talk about all countries because no place is all good or all bad. Each country just has positive points, challenges, and good people arising to meet the challenges.
I'm so glad that you were exposed to other cultures and were able to identify these problems. Thanks for sharing and open this discussion with us. Those are super important points to bring up.
This video was so helpful for me. I’ve been planning to take my daughter to Korea when she’s older and knowing about the air pollution is so important for me as she has a heart condition. Thank you for making this video!
i’m actually really grateful for all of the info !! just helps to not go into things blind and understand a culture in its entity, knowing the good and the bad and the in between :] i‘m from austria and there‘s lots of nice things to do and see here, but tho not the exact same, it is similarly conservative to south korea and therefore has lots of aspects which i think foreigners, especially people of color, should know before visiting the countryside or smaller cities at least..so thank youu for the content and effort !! 😙
I’m glad you made a video like this. The media really romanticizes Korea. When I visited Korea I had a wake up call and culture shock when I experienced a few of these things. At first I was very confused but now that I understand it doesn’t bother me any more. But my love for Korea is still strong and I was lucky to make Korean friends. But foreigners need to know this kind of stuff.
Love your openness, I’ve watched so many videos that are similar and they are a bit more superficial, your video got deep into the heart of the issues that you face in your country. I hope it helps people who just see the idols and dramas and think it’s like a utopia to live there, but when they move there they get discourage and dishearten.
Also it’s actually really nice that you’re stating some things that we could face coz like I have never seen anyone talking about these problems so openly.
i actually spent a year in seoul as an exchange student last year in 2020 at yonsei univ (girl you went there too?? we could’ve met 😭) and everything you mentioned in these two videos - i literally felt like everything is true. my korean friends that i mostly hung out with, were 'exposed' outside of korea and either studied or lived there for a while, but i gotta say that i actually prefer hanging out with you guys more because i know we share a similar mindset, so in that aspect it was more comfortable for me. i did feel the social barrier between the locals and the foreigners, but it's quite understandable because of the mental barrier and the education system - as you also mentioned. i did have one of the best years of my life in korea, and had a great time while being there because of my circle of friends who i thankfully met through mentor’s club right before the pandemic took a turn. at the end of the day - every country, people, governments have its ups and downs and im sure korea will move towards a positive direction.
The first time I watched your video I was kinda shocked, cause NO ONE talks about this kind of things like you do. But I absolutely loveee your videos!!! It's so helpful! I still wanna move to korea, so your videos so educating and preparing
My first job out of college in the US was in a Korean family owned company, and sadly I agree with everything you pointed out. The tone that would be used for someone like me of Asian Indian descent vs someone who is white was so visible. I never understood how they have been in the business for so many years with solid number of workers but not a single black employee was interviewed or hired in my 1 yr of employment there. During the winter time in the warehouse section of the building due to lack of heat I have seen people literally shiver for 8 hours while completing their shift and the opposite happened during the summer where people would be dripping in sweat due to lack of cool air. While I understood to maintain the longevity of the product they may have been forced to keep everything in cool condition during winter, I still think there had to be another way but maybe I am wrong who knows.
I followed a Korean vlogger. She moved from Germany to Seoul and was so inspiring in the beginning, but over time you felt the influence to a point where she defended all these things, simply because she now thinks so herself. What has always bothered me the most is this: "Germans question too much instead of just accepting." I love other cultures and would love to travel to Seoul because of all the possibilities. But I don't know if I could live there :/.
It's not like you discouraging us in fact you are awaring us so that we won't face any difficulties or make any big desicions that can be worse in future you shared honesty...so thank you for that...❤
Sadly, I couldn't agree you more. After living in Korea for 2 years, I also witnessed all the things you mentioned. I also saw how much pressure these things were making on its people.
I think regarding the skin color. It is pretty much the same around Asia. Asian culture and perspective always prefer white skin tone. Not sure it is a thing in Korea, but China and my country have the process to make skin whiter. So there is also discrimination against those who have darker skin even from the same nationality bec the mindset is that dark skin means you work in the field and poor. Travel, study abroad and experience different culture def will open our minds more and I do hope some days everyone will see each other as equal. I hope one day Asia also have equality between men and women as well.
A lot of these social issues mentioned are apparent in Turkey as well. Even Turkish people living in Europe think this way, it’s about the mindset. So I hope the world changes for the better!
I agree with your some of points. But I want to point out that generalization of certain race and certain nation is very dangerous act, which will lead to spawning prejudice over certain race. In my opinion, Racism starts as we start to have a bias over one because of one's nationality and skin color.
I saw a video about a family who had quintuplets and the government did very little to support them, I was so shocked. Healthcare in Korea is so good, I'm astonished that childcare isn't the same.
i really appreciate finding this video and the way you delivered everything u had to say, it sounded like i was getting advice from a friend, usually youtubers sound overly pretentious and holding back to save face but you spoke the hard truth while still sounding respectful and reasonable...thanks.
i watched several videos from your channel and i really appreciate how open you are talking without sugar coating things about Korean culture . . i have Korean friends living here in the Philippines and we are like a family but yes still we also noticed different treatment because of social status.
I think the things which you've mentioned are mostly visible in every other Asian country and as an Indian I'm used to it lol. But as you said to bring the change the problem should be acknowledged and I hope not only Koreans but people around the world would know to respect an individual irrespective of their colour, choices and etc is absolutely important. Periodt.
I love you so much for speaking these facts . Cause there are lot of Indians who usually face racism in south Korea(exception).Some people literally judge Indians based on their colour .There is a stereotypical believe that all Indians are dark skin but NO. If you judge people based on their colour sorry sweethearts problem lies within you and your heart is darker than their skin colour and no amount of your White skin can overlap that. And there is much more than Curry in India .Well thank you for speaking this out . Lots of Love from India .🇮🇳🇮🇳❤️❤️
Great video. Love the honesty. I am a Gyopo born to Korean parents overseas (LatAm) in my 30s. Born and raised in LatAm. I've worked in, Korean, LatinAmerican and International (European) companies from the Analyst up to the General Manager role (managing Koreans and Latinos at the same time). I agree with all of what you've said, especially when you mentioned that the social-cultural development [has-not-caught-up] with the turbo economic growth of the last 60-70 years. Though it is evolving for the better with those groups you mentioned as well, there is still a long way to go. While managing the local subsidiary of a Korean company, discussing with the Korean HQ was sometimes a pain as they do not understand how Latin America works and were inflexible, always thinking that the 'Korean way is the right way' and other reductionist-shortsighted-absurd views. On the other hand, LatAm is, for the most part and especially in the public sphere, quite slow and inefficient, sometimes inconsistent in their commercial promises, etc. On a more positive light (obviously this is a generalization from what I've personally experienced). Koreans are fast, efficient, resilient, when all is set up cohesively-properly. Latin Americans are holistic, better at caring for their employees and better at creating healthier company cultures. That said, no business (or general) culture is superior and all cultures can learn form each other. Koreans need to acknowledge and Practice by this to live happier, more fulfilling lives. In turn, happier, more satisfied people are more innovative and creative as well in the profesional realm which Koreans tend to emphasize so much (sometimes myself as well).
I lived and worked in Korea for three years. I had many female coworkers who, once they got married or pregnant, quit working. I had heard that that was a thing that happened but I didn't believe it until it actually happened! I can relate to a lot of what you've said in this and the first video as a white female American.
I appreciate your honesty and not sugarcoating things that are very real issues, it allows people to kind of figure out how to prepare themselves in case they ever face such situations. Not talking about them because it makes people “look bad” won’t help anything. If it looks bad, maybe it’s time to work towards changing it.
Thank you for sharing, your insight and explanation about the issues are articulated in a way that is constructive. Good to hear that there is interest in changing some of these social issues.
Thank you so so much for sharing this Kelsey! I greatly appreciate your straightforwardness and objectivity. Thank you for giving your audience a full, wholistic view of Korea in a way no other channel is doing. Your maturity on addressing these topics is such an inspiration. It is such a joy to watch your videos, thank you!!
Whole time a lot of Americans act the same towards black people (I'm a black American) so I would not be super surprised... sadly this is something blacks consider everywhere they are because we face it worldwide. Not everywhere everyday, but often enough...
Here (in S Korea), it’s more of a prejudice toward foreigners (non-white), even other Asians. A lot of it is just a lack of exposure. It’s not unsafe tho! Like the ‘racist’ Koreans will just give you space/avoid talking to you but that’s the extent. And most of the time it’s because they know there’s a language/ culture barrier, not necessarily bc the look down on you. No one is crossing the street to avoid you or will call the police bc they think you’re dangerous. You will still be respected in stores and served well at restaurants. My Black/Hispanic family feels much safer here than back in the US.
@@janellimarie I call B.S. Your Black / Hispanic family is much safer here in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. That's why you are here in the first place.
@@robguyton3577 much safer? Coming from you as white? And thet way you said thats why you are here on the first place lol like you own America , like you are native american . The fact that you said that it just prove you think America only belong to white people and white people are above other ethnicities and first class and own USA ,which is RACIST . You trying to say you are not racist by being racist?
@@robguyton3577 and racism in south korea vs racism in the US is different . Most of the time racism im korea is because of the ignorances towards other culture . While racism in the US based on superiority and hatred by white people like you
@@newbabies923 it is not just whites being racist lmao, as someone who lives in a very diverse area, it is all the other races as well. It’s a problem more so with the older generation. Welcome to America
Good job, Kelsey! Very thoughtful! I grew up in the United States and have traveled to Slavic and Middle-Eastern countries as well as Canada and Central/South America, but never to Asia. My recent studies have concentrated on China (too late!) and I noticed that nearly ALL of your complaints about Korea is reflected in Chinese (including my gf's) complaints about China. It's interesting to see that.
I appreciate your your honest opinion about your country. I find it informative. As a black woman traveling is hard so knowing what to expect can make the difference in whether I enjoy my trip or experience culture shock. Thank you
Watch part 1 of this video: th-cam.com/video/Sdyqjk__Vdc/w-d-xo.html
Kelsey I'm a black American who is Christian and if a black, asian, spanish, white who don't go to church and don't serve God and don't believe in God then i would not want them to marry my son or daughter if i did have any children and that don't mean I'm a racist it mean that there are standards that i would want for future children that i would have. So stop calling Koreans racist because you might be from America and believe anything that news media and liberals say. We should be Americans and not African American or Asian American or Latin American or Irish American. If South Korea don't want to friends with all foreigners then Kelsey respect their decisions okay. Um American that is black and not African.
I appreciate your honesty.And believe me i don't think less of Korean still love the culture and am still willing yo explore it.
Kelsey were you born in America or Korea ?
So.... Why is unfortunate that White people aren't looked down.
@@elshaddai321 surely raised in the States the woke meter is going off
Your videos don't discourage me, in fact, listening to these things makes me prepare for possible things that I might face.
YEESSSSSS That’s the goal of this video😭😭 love ur mindset😉
Me too!
I think the same like you.
@@vitoriamachado6860 Planeja ir pra Coréia quando amiga?
Better to hear the unvarnished truth, than to arrive and find out the hard way that you have been romanticising about XYZ, right?
I feel like S. Korea is a country with the technology of the 2050's but the mentality of the 1950's.
I agree so much
the country was restarted and rebuilt during the 1950s so yes- many Asian countries not just Korea have not caught up with the Western world in real time.
Yep
Yuhh
@@_blink_xg western world? Wtf is that supposed to mean…
Honestly, visiting Seoul for the first time was a cultural shock for me. I'm from an arab descent, so dark curly hair, tanned skin, all that jazz. Got tattoos on top of that. I was travelling with my friend who's white, and while nobody said to me anything racist, the difference between how my friend and I were treated by people was really big, to the point where even she felt uncomfortable and to a point I felt so alienated that I cried even, and I'm far from being a crier lol. but feeling like that in a foreign country was super isolating. it was especially noticeable from customer service workers at stores, they would smile at her and ask her if she needs help constantly, the cashiers would be super nice and smiley to her, even if she spoke one or two korean words they would get super excited, meanwhile I would get cold attitude and faces, I would be ignored, stared at, and even if I spoke basic conversation in Korean nobody really cared, let alone get excited about it lol. that being said, when I learned how to ignore those things and just accept them as they are, Korea was super fun and there's a lot to see and do, I even came back a 2nd time and was supposed to come back a third time but then covid hit. but yeah, definitely not a fun experience when you go through it for the first time.
Thanks for being such a big hearted and sharing your story 💜💜
I'm so sorry you had to go through that. If I were you I'd probably not leave my hotel again lmao but it's great you still enjoyed your experience. I don't think I'm strong enough to face such discrimination
Thank you for sharing ur story. There has been good Korean media that capture this type of Korean behavior (they set up secret cameras and make a white person and a non white foreigner ask for the same things to a Korean and the different attitudes that some Koreans have are shocking) and Koreans were embarrassed to face that aspect of society. There were talks in my middle school and high school from teachers educating students not to act differently depending on a person’s race but unfortunately still many Koreans behave that way. I just feel sorry for those Koreans that they’re not educated enough and don’t hang out with them. Anyway, glad you wanna come and enjoy other parts of Korea💖
@@samsam_sa Years ago, I was in the aisle seat on a plane to Vienna for a business conference, sitting next to 2 guys from sub-Saharan Africa. Ignoring me, they babbled in French, and I got a strong vibe that they felt superior to me (I'm Asian). I know body and facial language very well (from my years of dating women), so it was a very distasteful, sad experience.
Sorry to hear that. It had to have been pretty bad if your friend was getting extremely uncomfortable with it.
I stayed in Korea for 90 days and I experienced one uncomfortable situation. I was in a mall in Suwon and a child pointed at me and asked his grandfather why my skin was dirty (I'm black)? He immediately looked at me, shushed his grandson picked him up and rushed out the front door. Mind you, Suwon is close to Seoul so there are many foreigners who visit, so I was shocked that this child has never been exposed to a black person before. All I could do is smile and brush it off.
im sorry you had to face this, I hope you're okay now.
Did he really say that? I'm so shocked
@@Alexandra-yd1iz kids have no filter, they say whatever's on their mind
Oh wow, I'm so sorry u went thru that
I think the grandpas behaviour was more problematic than the childs. A child doesn't know certain things but as an adult it's important to address errors they make or answer questions they have so that they can learn. Instead of shushing the kid and making it feel bad for its reaction (which might become a negative memory associated with you) the grandpa should have just taught him about different ethnicities
Honestly you are so right! Korea is not what everyone always says. I am from Daegu, South Korea 🇰🇷 and most standards are so harsh and unfair. Not all Koreans are open minded so beware and don’t be too surprised if somebody makes a comment about your life decisions and/or physical appearance. If someone makes a unkind remark on anything about you, don’t believe them because you are beautiful and amazing. Love yourself 💜
Cool comment ☺️
Thx 💜
💜💜💜 I'm a foreigner living in Daegu! Thank you for your kind words!
@@DMorga 💕
Thank you for your kind words!
I am 44years old korean women.. i lived in rural area in korea most of my life..
nowdays i have quited changed becuase
of this kind of video..
and also many ppl live out of korea are making their life in other country.
it is really helpful for understading culture and ppl from out side of korea.
thank you for this video.
p.s :
if anyone who has bad experience in korea, i feel really sorry for them.
atually we are not really same with K -drama..
😥
That's really nice.
Yes I agree..we Indians love Koreans so much
@@daldacare7973 korean dramas are sooooo big influence...thats why plenty loves SK including me...thats why i also try to watch this kinds of vlogs to educate myself..and also im dreamin of going SK...🤗
@@ma.deeawatin9319 yes I too agree that..many students and girls from our country shift to Korea because of all fantasies
@@daldacare7973 I think we should understand the difference between Korean dramas fantacy and reality as India is not exactly what shown in Indian TV Serials it's same for everywhere what shown in the Tv is not always true no one consider themselves bad......
According to me everywhere in the world both good and bad things exist together every country have their own social issues we should address them and solve them so that we can make our country and the world a better place to live.
I'm Korean girl who lives in Korea, and all her saying is true
As a southeast asian from the Philippines, majority of the filipinos are aware about racism in Korea , the mere fact that Philippines considered Korea as bestfriend started during Korean War and became major trading partner with each other
But majority of us are open minded, we understand that maybe koreans are not expose to different races, but the fact that koreans are the #1 tourist who visited in the Philippines behind Japanese, Westeners and Americans proven that not all koreans have the same thought about Sourheast Asians, filipinos exposed to different people, different nationality so we are immune to this kind of stuff since tourism is our country's major income
In fact there are many koreans choose to leave here in the Philippine, majority of the population here in Cebu City are Koreans and they are really nice
There are also many Korean-Filipino couple here who fell in love with each other and getting married while the Korean girl/guy staying in our country to study english :)
*I'm real guy who wants to live in your heart, and all my saying is true*
Now, Don't lie that you already have boyfriend. You got Instagram?
BTW, *Don't "judge me by my name..."*
@@dontignoremebaby32cringe 😑😑
@@4jnyt574 🤔 i luv u 😛
I’ve visited Korea a few times and what I noticed the most was the high beauty standards and how prevalent “pretty privilege” is when you meet their ideal.. (offered free service, people being more nice to you etc.) also the one size clothing, skin tone foundations etc.. really creates a sense of a one-size-fits-all conformity mindset and pressure to fit in this box.. although I know there have been more awareness and more improvements in this area
I have never visited Korea but would like to visit once.. all I know about Korea is what google says or other youtubers or bolggers inform.. so I really don't know anything about the "pretty privilege" and it's very hard to imagine as nothing of the kind happens in my country..but the one-tone foundation and one-size clothing thing seems a bit exaggerated.. I mean it's a homogeneous society. So people don't look that different plus beauty standards in Korea are very high and as per that everybody usually has the same body type as each other..so it makes no sense for the traders/businessmen to stock something that nobody buys or a very few people buys.. it's simply the theory of demand and supply.. there's higher demand for those products so it's natural for the traders/businessmen to supply them more.. aren't they just catering their customers' needs while minimising certain costs for themselves?? And let's say say they do keep foundations in every tone and clothes of every size, but the demand of the lesser used shades and size is so less that it hardly gets sold then those products would get expired/out of trend and no one would ever want them causing loss of purchase cost and loss of carrying, ordering and managing cost.. I am really sorry if I come out as a rude person but the unavailability of different shades and sizes is not because they are racist and stuff it's because there's no demand of those products.. correct me if I'm wrong anywhere.. again I am really sorry if I sounded rude or mean..😇
@@lavijain7403 of course you’re right, but I always question how much of the actual demand is real vs also a product of society’s creation? Having seen many natives (including a lot of my friends) who naturally have slightly darker skin shades and bodies that are more voluminous.. I do question the demand. Quite a few of my Korean girlfriends have also told me they’ve done surgery, but it’s quite normal to accept. Further, the diet culture is huge in Korea and really in most East Asian countries (I’m East Asian also and the pressure on being thin can get somewhat extreme). And yes the one size clothing is very real, especially if you shop on the popular main streets vs actual malls. So I do see your point from a business pov!
I do love many things about Korea, but I think it’s also important to address some of the real issues for the betterment of all :)
This exists here in America here too, sadly. Just spend some time in LA or NYC :(
the skin products all have skin whitening ingredients in them
Yeah they value pretty privilege to the max
What hurts the most, being southeast asian and a filipino is that koreans forgot that filipino soldiers are part of their history, they achieved democracy and freedom because a lot of our able soldiers helped and fought for them and yet a lot of them are openly racist towards us.
And Filipinos are as racist as Koreans. Let's not forget that too.
I’m Korean and I currently have a Filipino girlfriend. So Not all Koreans are as you describe them to be.
@@amosnorman548 not all but many.
@@xenomoe9519 Look ; all of us are racist to some degree. In general, the Philippine is a friendlier place for business and visit. And I’m not from Philippine.
@@xenomoe9519 the Philippines just a toxic. They are toxic just about video game, if you see the Philippines in they country, they are very nice. Btw IM from Indonesia why we know it, everyone Will be toxic cus a game bro
Hi Kelsey.. I am an Indian.. I really love your videos.. Not only in Korea but in general everywhere Indians are looked down.. I have no idea why.. we are as smart and kind as any other nationality.. just because of some stupid preconceived notions some people discriminate Indians.. things have changed.. I wish people won't look down on people of color..
I can relate what you're saying. I'm from Latin America and I'm of color too. It's sad how so many people and cultures think in that way about people of color, but more than sad, it's stupid. The world is like a color palette, with light tones, medium, and dark ones, those tones also mix between. All those shades of color are part of the same palette and if a shade is missing, then the palette is incomplete. When those people and cultures understand that they'll figure out that the world is not all about them and their culture of environment (not talking only about korean people) things will gonna be differente. The real world is about every culture, country and every etnicity. This is the real world, and regardless of that those with more economic power set the game rules, we're all part of the same world and no culture or etnicity owns it.
Prachi it's the western media that does it.. we are looked down upon because that's how they portray India.. slums everywhere and unhygienic environment which is full of diseases,crimes and poverty.. this is all they show when it comes to India.. jabki slums and poverty is a part of every country.. if there are rich people there would be poor people as well..but that's all they show about us..if you watched slumdog millionaire, all that is shown in the name of mumbai were the slums and not what mumbai actually is..i know showing the slums was important as per the plot but there are people who believe that's all what India is got to offer. They have so many stereotypes regarding us and it's all thanks to the media..
So don't get disheartened, ulta have the motivation that once we get to these countries we will show them about how wrong they are in looking down upon us..and honestly speaking it has started the world has started to see that India is something, something that can't be ignored and put into trashcan anymore..so let's just wait a lil bit longer.. as for racism because of colour, our skin colour isn't something that we choose.. it's something we are born with and we can't change that.. so let's just love it and be proud of it and do not get sad or depressed because of how others behave.. cuz they are just despising because they are jealous they can't be like us ..😎😎
Don't worry Western media has a done a fantastic job in influencing how people see Asians too LOL. They suck.
@@lavijain7403 you are absolutely right!! They portrayed always with slum and beggar, dirty street etc.... That's the western countries tactic to show them better! Worst part is Korea also is shown for kpop idol with makeup things and downplayed their music and all stuff related to them. But Korea always lick westerners as a better example of status and all... The most stupid thing is Indian youngster supporting BTS and all when in fact they will never do a concert in India... Lots of TH-camr are using Indian community for views since in China most social media is banned
@@veenakumar455 I know a lot of youtubers make content about India so that a lot of viewers would be attracted..that is unethical but not wrong.. it's a business strategy because India has the 2nd largest population and even if 0.01% of Indians watch their videos they will earn nicely..having ideas to earn money aren't wrong plus they aren't spreading any false information.. It's unethical because a lot of youtubers are only saying those words to make money and they actually don't mean any of it..now the thing with BTS is if they see a market in India there company will not drop the the opportunity to capture that market because of again the population..they aren't doing any concerts as of now because BTS is not that popular in India as in the west and Indians are exceptionally famous for not spending there money in a lot of luxuries as most of the population is middle-class and concerts are a luxury..Indian youngsters aren't supporting BTS because they want a concert..of course as a fan they do want to witness them performing live just once but the fandom is not based on this notion alone..I am also an ARMY and I support BTS because of there amazing discography and healing lyrical abilities..even when I can't understand the language I can feel the depth and I get consoled by it..we stan them because they are talented..having a concert or not is not something that lies under their area of decision-making.. it's the company and like every business they are also focused on profits..If they see profits then they won't leave it..they have done concert in Riyadh and we all know that western media spoils the image of middle-east the most..
Whenever I meet people who have a narrow mentality I just say that we are all blood and bones afterall. Skin is just a wrapping paper to make the gift inside look more beautiful❤
Woah, those are some deep words girl!
Wao
That is so poetic and deep
Those are some real deep words😐💜
i love this comment!!
Just because racism is normalized and accepted does not mean that it's ok; I think it's easy if you have never been a victim of severe racism to brush it off as "they don't know better." As a teacher who travels I just want be in an environment where im not constantly stressed about how people view me. I have no malice towards the way they think I simply care about my mental health more.
“Constantly stressing about how people view me” is literally a YOU🫵 problem…
Seems like you have a self esteem and confidence problem that you need to solve internally.
A lot of mature black people won’t be too shocked by what you said in this video. Most of us know all this about South Korea already. It’s just a sector of black people who look for videos trying to validate their love for Korea when deep down they know that many Koreans don’t accept the idea of us outside of entertainment. This doesn’t mean that you won’t find a date, or that every Korean will hate you but just know that you will have to find validation in yourself and not the opinions of a whole race of people who don’t totally get who you truly are anyways. This is completely fine too. Enjoy Korea’s sights and the overall experience to enrich your life. What Korean people think of you doesn’t matter Especially those who’re ignorant beyond repair. Always Be bold melanated Kings and Queens. ✊🏾👊🏾👌🏾👏🏾🙏🏾 NEVER LET ANYONE RUN YOU OUT OF SPACES. Get what you can out of the experience then move on.
Why do you wanna go to the country that you may experience that kind of things?
We have The us and we have enough for that.
@@queenoffuckingeverything why should we feel we can’t go to certain places. The only way to make change happen is to make steps to help those changes and visiting places where they aren’t exposed to us is the best way to fight those stigmas because then they can see for themselves.
@@Khandiee yes! (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡
@@Khandiee I agree. It’s not about causing a ruckus but showing others who don’t have an actual knowledge of black people outside of biased media that we are just people too.
@@queenoffuckingeverything to create change and because everywhere began like that. Every country was homogenous. Black people have always had to create a space that's safe and accepting of them
The way you explain how Koreans act racist/small minded is how Americans in rural communities act against other races. Its tragic, and I'm glad there's a social movement in Korea as well. Our social movements are messy but, still holding strong (far as I can tell) Thank-you for the honest video! I was really curious about the air pollution, so I appreciate you touching on that topic also. =)
Based on spending time in both countries, I think things are worse in the U.S., especially during these times.
You have Asian hate crimes, police brutality, more white people becoming radicalized to the far right, the weakened power of the police, conflicts between minorities, and even extremism from the far-left. I honestly feel like things are getting worse rather than better.
Exactly why I live in a “rural community”. Keep your welfare, crime, and victimhood attitudes in the big cities. After all, they are doing SUCH a great job dealing with it....Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc., etc., etc.
@@chrisc1184 Due to the “everyone is a victim” message coming straight from the top. Ever heard of “Judge a person not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character”. I challenge you to tell that to BLM, who use the color if their skin in the name of their organization. It is you and your thinking that destroys racial harmony in the U.S. Wake up.
@@mikek5298 Where is this even coming from? I'm an independent thinker and don't take political sides. I'm just observing the chaos that's happening and nobody is willing to admit that things are getting worse in the states.
You don't need a social movement. Everyone is not going to like you. So what? Just like you don't like everyone. Just be civil with one another. I don't have to laugh at your jokes and you don't have to invite me over for coffee type of thing🤫😉
i really like your videos because often times foreign people who share the same opinions won’t speak in fear of what people who romanticized the country will say. i also like it’s from a perspective of someone who is Korean. 🥰❤️
also we have a word for people who don’t like darker skin people within their race & it’s called colorism!
I was in Pohang Korea and I experienced what I cal "mild" racism but over all I had a great experience. What I can't understand how Koreans can recognize and know it's wrong for Japanese to refuse acknowledging mistreatment and "comfort women" atrocities yet Koreans don't recognize nor accept they have the same mindset to ppl of color as Japanese had and still towards Koreans. The hypocrisy of the Korean racist/prejudice mindset was truly baffling.
Amen! I know you made this comment months ago but, had to add my two cents. It is truly baffling to watch some Korean commentary channels brush off obvious racism, like we are being too sensitive. For example, I was curious to hear what these channels had to say about accusations of black American cultural appropriation in K-Pop or instances of blackface in Korea. They simply brush it off. Like what?! They can get all up in arms if someone has a rising sun picture on a t-shirt but think blackface is ok. It’s incredible! Most of their K-Pop groups are doing an imitation of R&B and Hip-Hop yet, it is seldom acknowledged. The groups are fascinating and fun to watch but, I wonder if they know anything about where it all comes from. They love everything we created yet we are less than and see us a dirt? Well, I guess it is what it is and, it is disgusting!
I’m a Korean-American woman, a mother of two kids and a full-time doctor. While it hasn’t been easy to do that in the US, I often think that I would not have been able to do both at all in Korea.
Given Korea’s extremely low birth rate, it would make sense to promote women being able to work and have careers. Secondly, if mothers could work after having children, you would not lose these members of the workforce and women might even be more encouraged to have children.
Korea is now on the world stage politically, economically, and culturally. It is appropriate to open up societal views to issues from the outside world
I'm not Korean but housing became part of problem too, isn'it? while many idol buy a buliding and many of Korean lease/rent a house (apartment)
Nothing they do makes sense to help people have babies...it's all opposite.
I am a dark brown south east asian and planning to visit South Korea soon, as a tourist. I am just prepared to be judged and face racism, but never discouraged. Your videos really helped me to prepare myself mentally on what I should expect.
Best of luck 😊
Appreciate the place but don't mind the racist people there. Their opinions shouldn't matter. Best of luck
I've been visited south korea in 2018. So far its good experience. Maybe because its organized by travel agent. People at the merchandise shop, tour guide and crews nice enough. Even we met with group of adult women at a mountain (forget the name, maybe mt. Sorak), that realy nice, greeting us and even took some photos
I'm indonesian fyi
As a visitor only for a short term you shouldn't worry, most of the racism is subvert not overt especially since you'll probably only visit Seoul and big cities. The racism would be subtle commentary in Korean that you could easily brush off or weird staring on the trains
I literally love your personnality, you seems so friendly ! I really like your video and listening to your point of view and advices
Thank uuuu hehe
I would love to hang with you girl. You take the "rose-colored glasses" and make them clear. Love your honesty. I am 52, African-American, and have seen it all and I have been through most of it in my own country, so it wouldn't be that much of a shock to me. I kill with kindness and yes, it does pay to be wealthy and that is anywhere. Chris Rock made the following observation: "You could be the richest black person and still nobody would want to be you." If you know that going in, then you take what there is and throw out the rest. I still want to visit SK, I just know what's what and keep it moving. If you don't want what I can offer, your loss, not mine~~🤣🤣
The beauty standards is what always get me, South Korea has one of the highest female suicide rates in the world and it definitely seems like this can be the reason for it
And plastic surgery, I heard some stories where teenagers at certain age are offered plastic surgery to fix their face to fit beauty standard of Korea.
*disclaimer* Plz don't forget that this is my PERSONAL opinion/analysis about Korea! I'm 24(born in 98) and lived in Korea for 20yrs, so this content is basically a compilation on my experiences in Korea and experience of my friends(both Korean/foreign). Your Korean experience might be totally different from what I state here and my words are not the bible obviously!! :) I'm human, so the ppl I socialize with irl are at most 100 ppl, and the stories I hear from those 100ppl are from their social groups, which are around a 100 each, which makes my Korean experience limited to a group of 10000ppl. Keep that in mind, and take my words with a grain of salt ;). I do think I have insight about how Korea feels to foreign ppl cuz of my unique background, and so I made this video to help foreigners, especially bc with the recent hype of Korea, some foreigners seem to think that Korea doesn't have problems or have unrealistic expectations and they become disappointed when they come here :)
Plz don't hesitate to share your own Korean experience, it's really interesting for me to read them and it helps to build an open community where everyone can talk about their experiences!! Also, it's more data added to my 10000ppl's data, so it evens out things I think :) Share positive experiences honestly, and negative experiences honestly too!
Anyway hope this video helped you guys in some way
It's still 2021...so you're 23 (not 24) congrats
@@vasilisn9373 You have to remember there is Korean age and International age. In South Korea their calendar year is different and you can be 1-2 older depending on the month you were born.
I moved to Cuba📻 from 📺Nigeria back in🌍 1998🌁
Hopefully, Korea will do better with racial issues. I def see the efforts to teach about racial differences in schools esp. with more Korean people marrying other races and more foreigners coming to live here. Korea also needs to do better if they want to be respected as an economic superpower and a major tourist hub.
I fell in love with K-dramas about a year ago. I've watched/binged so many of them I'm too embarrassed to tell how many... 😉 And yes they are not reality. I never believed they were. But almost everything you've talked about are things I have noticed and/or concluded from watching k-dramas. So you can find these issues even in the most rosy of dramas.
I used to be a Media- and communication student and still analyse dramas and movies in perhaps a different way than most people. Maybe that is one reason I make different conclusions. But maybe I'm also too old to buy everything I see without questioning it (I'm 46).
And one thing you didn't mention that I've also noticed is how especially women my age and older are mostly depicted in K-dramas. They are only intrested in feeding their usually adult children, marry off their children, berating their children (and husbands). They normally don't have any interests beyond their family and their house. And as a consequence are also completely de-sexualised. They are not individuals, not women with desires and dreams, but "The Mother". An almost archetypical depiction that's usually very similar between dramas. There are of course exceptions, but this is the most common way to portray middle-aged women I've seen in K-dramas. I've wondered how Korean women around that age feel about seeing this image so frequently repeated. And I also wonder if this is is the ideal Korean women are expected to take on in Korea especially as they grow older? Just to be clear; I would absolutely hate that. 😒 And I assume there must be many Korean women who are not comfortable with that either.
I won't stop saying this: It's sad how so many people and cultures think in that way about people who are different, but more than sad, it's stupid. The world is like a color palette, with light tones, medium, and dark ones, those tones also mix between. All those shades of color are part of the same palette and if a shade is missing, then the palette is incomplete. When those people and cultures understand that they'll figure out that the world is not all about them and their culture of environment (not talking only about korean people) thtings are gonna be different. This shit is about every culture, country and every etnicity. This is the real world, and regardless of that those with more economic power set the game "rules", we're all part of the same world and no culture or etnicity owns it.
You are so right. People forget that we are all part of the same world, we're all people of one place. I will never understand the mindsets and prejudice of those who try to divide people and alienate us from one another.
Preach sister. Honestly what's so complicated to just be kind and respect others cultures and traditions and accept the fact that we all are different with different experiences. It's so stupid when I see people being so ignorant makes me want to yank my brains out.
there's the same color of blood and bones. just goes to prove that humans are superficial and will stay so cos they only judge the book by its cover 😐
thank you
So true
In that case...
We feel proud to be indian
Because we welcome our guests with open arms..
Whether never make them feel alone...
Offer and help them.. coz they are away from there family and home..
I hope it has to be everywhere... We should make this world a happy place...
Everyone is beautiful in this world.
Not for his or her color... Because of there heart /nature..
Coz beauty dies with age... Good heart never...
It's my dream to come India😢
Yeah that's true but still there are some morons in every society to make them feel bad about their appearance. Actually what I love about my country India is that we love when foreigners visit our country and we love to show them how beautiful India is. They are willing to help you first then anyone else😂
India is better than these racist nation
Well said 😻
@@لیلاقاسمی-ر5ث your always welcomed to our country
By the way..if you come to India, you can EASILY make friends 😂👍 That's for sure. Specially young generation & educated people.
We are too good in making friends.
True 😊😂
I like Indian people, we have many Indian students here in Kazakhstan (Central Asia) and I always want to make friends with them, but I’m too shy 😆 btw they don’t dress properly when it’s cold they don’t wear warm clothes and I’m always so worried about them in winter
I like Indian girls’ hair, it’s super thick beautiful and the volume is big, my favorite actress is Deepika Padukone, also my grandmother and pretty much every grandma in our country watched Anandi tv show😅
@@ariann9714once you get to know indian people you'll not be shy anymore........oh God that show is gaining so much popularity 😂😂
I haven’t met a lot of Indians (although he isn’t Indian) my college chemistry professor is from Sri Lanka and he was hands down one of my favorite professors in college! He had such a sweet and kind personality and his aura would just shine. I took 3 chemistry classes with him and loved every second of it.
Keep doing what you are doing. I feel like a lot of TH-camr foreigners (especially black people) enjoy Korean entertainment and really want to be accepted when they go to Korea. They really swallow a lot of bitter experiences and try to downplay the racism, but I know that it affects them. Thank you for this video. Keep doing what you are doing. Don't back down even with Korea's strong cult like cancel culture. 화이팅!!!
Kelsey, as a Koreanist who has studied these phenomena your observations are completely spot on .
I'm so proud of you for being genuine and not sugar coating things, I would help so many of us
As Korean - American living in Korea now and traveling back and forth. You hit all the main points and issues especially on race. Friends who are even slightly darker are treated so different. Racism in the US is more overt but racism in Korea is more subvert. Its definitely an issue and I like how honest you were about it, not whitewashing that ideal image everyone only sees through kpop and kdrama media. There is still a racial hierarchy caste system that Korea Times / Herald recently wrote about how lighter the skin and Korean looking you are the higher you are on the caste - Koreans at the top, then Gyopo, Goryoin, Yanbian Koreans, North Korean Defectors and Zainichi at the second tier for being nominally Korean, then Chinese, Japanese (maybe Mongols and Vietnamese) on the third tier, then White on the fourth tier, and then Southeast Asian and South Asian on the fifth tier (and maybe black/other dark toned races)
What about Pacific Islanders like Samoans?
That seems like a great article to read
Whites are alot lower on that list than she makes out
I heard a lot of male artists saying....'I only like girls who knows cooking and also have take care of me' ....I also live in a patriarchal society...but nobody says that in television shows ....they will be ashamed to say that in public and will be judged by people
Different culture. In some Asian countries the guys get coddled by their wives like a huge man baby
My Korean friend explained me many topics that you're talking about in this video and i was really shocked. I live in Africa and the first time I faced to racism was when i was looking for a Korean correspondent, i was hurting because, I'm a black person who lives in africa and people didn't want to talk with me because of that. They were full in prejudices since I mentioned where I live.
Also i don't understand how is it bad to be feminist in Korea
I'm not sure about this. I think it has to do with something that feminists are considered to be extremely radical and violent in South Korea. Though I'm not sure, so please just correct me if I'm wrong.
So you’re african American living in Africa and getting discriminated against?
@@micha-estla6860 did you read my comment? I said people were full of prejudices like I'm really poor and live in huts like in documentaries where you can see extremely poor people. Also I was weird that since I mentioned my origins people suddenly ghost me. I remember that guy who told me : oh I thought you were in USA, sorry I can't talk with you anymore 🙄...
Please don't comment like African people can't suffer from racism... That's so stupid
@@Alexandra-yd1iz no I’m literally African girl 😭 yeah I completely understand.
There is a thriving men's rights movement in South Korea.
The way these men react to any perceived encroachment of their "rights" can be explosive.
A popular idol (Irene of Red Velvet) mentioning she was reading a feminist novel (Kim Ji-young, born in 1982) saw some male "fans" spewing hate comments, burning her merch, and swearing off her and Red Velvet forever.
The reality is that every country has it's own unique issues and benefits, you just have to pick which issues you can stand and which benefits are most important to you.
My husband who’s Korean born & raised , said the same thing . He swears & promise that he would never raise our kids in Korea . He said that majority of Korean people in Korea , are deep down races & very judgmental. Like super judge-mental. And preferably ,stick to there own kind. Yep , you heard it to their own kind . Not all . But most .
But the one thing he shared to me about , was how messed up their justice system are .
I know… I live in the states & our justice system are not all that great either , but once it involves a child , a minor . There is no way @ it. All hell would break loose in & outside prison .
Anyways , I remember him telling me how the laws over there are so f*#k up , especially for sexual assault victims . The justices for rape victims, are close to none, very minimum. For Young victims or old victims , the justices are not justified .
For instance , there was a year where a little girl at the age or 9 0r 10 (can’t quite remember)
who got sexual assaulted ,raped in a single toilet public restroom & I think it was at a underground subway station , but anyways whoever found her , said that what they saw in that restroom , the scene was so horrific and gory , that it was unimaginable . Something You would only see in a killing horror movie .
Her inside were ripped ,inside out .
(But Thank god she survived, ). This whole situation sicken me , where I 🤮. but The most upsetting part , that made me furious to my core is that the suspect , only got sentenced for just 10yrs in prison. Just 10yrs. . ! 😡
By the time he gets out ,she’ll be like 18/19 or 20 (I think) . This MF/fers , will be out of jail walking freely on the street like nothing happened . And here this little girl, would have to face the probabilities & chances of running into this low life, no good ,psychotic , pathetic psychopath . Not only that ,because of the damaged that he caused to her organs , this girl won’t be able to conceive . Practically , he ruined her life and all he get is 10yrs. Oh !! This makes my inside boils 🤬🤯😡 . !
then he has to renounce his korean citizenship
becuase if he hates it so much he cant use privileges of it like traveling everywhere without visa
you cant seat on 2 chairs you have to pick one
Portuguese here. If my grandfather had that mindset, "give me water", my grandmother would through the water on him, and she was a stay-at-home mother. She only starts to work to pay for my mother's and uncle's university.
I think that being a homogenous country doesn't still give many rights for anyone to be racist and I say this because I live in a country that has almost the same demographics as South Korea but many people here(Zimbabweans) are friendly and welcoming. Even if we (Zimbabweans) see white people or Asians, we don't mind them cause to us they are also people and we have other things to worry about instead of wondering why we have different features. However, this doesn't dissuade the fact that some of us look down or treat people who differ from us differently and in a bad or racist manner. With that said not every country is perfect but if everyone visits a country knowing the good and the bad you won't have high expectations and will not be disappointed if what you see and what you thought are parallel. Hope that the person who reads this comment is having a great day
I find that Africans are among the most racist people on the planet. There is along trail of bloodshed to prove that.
@@robguyton3577 what trail of bloodshed? If you are talking about conflict in Africa…that is heavily nuanced. Large parts of africa was colonized for centuries. Africa was split off by several European countries and in doing that the lines between tribes and peoples were thrown in disarray. People were forced to co-habitat with other peoples who spoke different languages and had conflicting cultures. An influx of European weaponry and then the sudden withdrawal of European peoples, leads directly to the issues you see on tv.
African is a huge continent, and it is filled with countries that are as varied as France in relation to Finland. Sudan is different from Egypt. Nigeria is different from Kenya and Chad. Africans and African-Americans are different…several centuries different. Anyways…please excuse the dissertation. Like the amazing person making this video…everything is nuanced, and change sadly happens slowly and incrementally.
@@robguyton3577 anyone with a little bit of knowledge of different cultures in the world including ones in Africa wouldn't agree with that
I just saw Kelsey's video shared in an incel subreddit. Be safe Kelsey.
i saw it lol. I tried to take their opinion seriously cuz I don't want to offend anyone obvs, but when the title of the reddit is 'she hates Korea and has a WHITE bf', I can't take them srly anymore lol. I will stay safe TYYYY
wait what happened? 🥺🥺
@@KelseytheKorean they just proved her point
@@KelseytheKorean Many narrow-minded men think women of their race is surly belong them which is totally unreasonable.
@@blizzardreed8121 They are incels.
There is no reasoning with them.
They ooze prejudice, and illogicality.
They tend to come out of the woodwork when they feel their masculinity is being threatened.
And yeah, somehow an Asian female dating a Caucasian male threatens their sense of self, and/ or view of the world.
No idea how that works, but then I don't have a neckbeard LOL
I love how honest and objective you are. I can’t stand the overly nationalistic ppl in my country who get immediately angry when someone calls out social problems. We need to talk about a problem to be able to solve it.
Your channel is very cultural and its great and informative that you talk about that stuff in a straight and real way. Most info about korea ARE romaticized. And most coutries face those same social problems and mindset, but in different scales
I felt the population density more in Tokyo than in Seoul. When arriving in Seoul for a vacation after staying in Japan for almost a year, I thought there was so much more space in Seoul/ I felt more free.
Obviously tokyo is like no other place in the world, its like another galaxy. It kind of reminds me of Hong Kong.
Traveling abroad and backpacking and visiting in laws abroad, I found Korean people in Korea to be the most distant and cold than any other country I have been to. And I am Korean! It was such a disappointment to come to terms with. My parents sent me on a tour all over the country as well as non tour traveling from city to suburb to rural areas. I wish it was not so, but that was my authentic experience.
@ So Vain: The reason you found "people in Korea to be the most distant and cold," is because of culture shock (same in China and Japan). Anyone raised in a Western nation would have a similar experience. I myself was exposed to chilling arrogance from Africans who grew up under French culture.
Hello So Vain how are you doing?
Whaaa? More distant and cold than us English people?! Impossible… XD
Probably going the wrong places although I have my qualms with my fellow Korean people, I've traveled all around the country and have seen hospitality and made nice small talk with many rural people in the villages and friends there. Maybe its because I was there for much longe studying and working therer versus just the tourist experience you had. But I'm sorry to hear your experiences are not what is actual Korean hospitality.
And that's ok.
I'm happy that you, as a Korean say all this because when i say that to my fellow, they said I'm racist and pessimistic about SK.. I hope people will open their eyes because even in variety shows, kpop industry and even drama you can see that... Unfortunately people are so blinded by kpop and kdrama, they can't see the reality behind it!
I dislike the apathy for one another. Unless someone is in “your tribe” or “wealthy” or “a celebrity” “good looking” “equally apathetic.”
In regards to racism in Korea..I'm always surprised people are surprised it exists there..I mean I'm Māori/Korean/Japanese living in my birth country NZ and I encounter is regularly here so I fully expect to encounter it when I'm traveling. No country I've traveled to fully accepts foreigners and no country is perfect. Thanks for addressing a difficult subject Kelsey.
I've seen East Asian women at KKK rallies in the USA. I'm also shocked people are surprised at racism existing there when the white men that go there say they're better at white supremacy than white women
@@l-kin3480 that’s sick wtffff
Literally. If you're mixed living in the West, we KNOW already, but then there are so many westerners who live in a bubble and have no idea, usually cause they are the dominant group and have no idea what that feels like...we done been knew.
Youre gonna be denied entry into pubs/clubs in korea though, thats not gonna happen to you in NZ
I love your honesty. And I agree with everything you have said. I find a lot but not all Koreans to be very opinionated and small minded so PLEASE BE CAREFUL. What I find really irritated with Koreans . . They feel they can say anything to you no matter how cruel or rude but you’re not allow to say anything back. I was told that there is a law or rule where you can’t confront your attacker? Is that true?
Yes!
If it is true that is a global embarrassment. How can you go on mute when you are confronted. That’s ridiculous. Hope they will change that embarrassing law.
With the viral issues where Korean condemn bella porch for her tattoo and other small issues, yes.. your claim are valid.
@@gemmywhi3711 that’s crazy to me, people feel they have the right to say anything about what someone does with their body. I guess that is why I have a hard time understanding the fans of KPop. They want to dictated if the idols date, get tattoos or even go to a club. These idols are adults
At this point I'd rather stick a go pro to me 24/7 if I ever visit S. Korea then. If anyone says sh*t to me it's recorded
I've been here in South Korea for over a year now, and I remember my biggest cultural shock came this year when I saw a Pride flag in Gangnam. As a gay person in my 20s, it made me happy to see something I never expected in this side of the world. I'm Asian (Filipino born, Canadian raised) so a lot of the cultural things were already very familiar so it wasn't a lot to adapt to in that area. For instance, in Filipino we also give people titles. For example, our equivalent of 오빠/형 is "Kuya." We also have a formal language that is similar to 요 by adding "po," mostly at the end of our sentences.
It's also interesting how one-sided the relationship between Philippines and S. Korea is. When I went to the Philippines, I got to see how big Korean pop culture is there. I felt more like a Canadian when I was in the Philippines, but here in S. Korea I feel both Canadian and Filipino. It's also sad to say but I have "light skin privilege" because people assume all Southeast Asians are tan. Because I'm very pale most people in Korea just assume I'm East Asian or Korean. So I don't stand out as much. When I visited the Philippines, people just assumed I was a foreigner, because of how i look, even though I was born there and can still speak the language.
Progress is being made slowly. PPL should be able to live their lives without fear no matter what their sexual orientation is.
Ok hear me out, I've been watching a lot of these Thai BL series lately and it has come to my notice that all the lead actors have pale white skin and the actors with a little tan/yellow complexion are given either "funny"/comedian roles or as a side/supporter character. The thing is, in Thailand you'll find people of various skin tones. Maybe not of different races but obviously not all are pale. I've just found one series wherein the lead character has a slightly darker complexion anyway my point being is, southeast asians don't accept their own people and put unrealistic beauty standards.. and this made me so sad cause they're influenced by the kpop/kdrama/kculture. I know there's a whole history behind white = beautiful but as of now, it's definitely cause of, if not Korean culture then I'd say the east asian culture. I wish we, all south asian and south east asian countries stopped putting unrealistic beauty standards on ourselves first and then only we can take the next step.
@@cassiadsouza709 This is likely not true. Thailand has been a tourism hub for many Americans and Europeans for a very long time, especially for sex. There's a huge power dynamic there because of wealth disparity between Western countries and Thailand. As a result, there is a sort of white worship that happens. You always see Thai girls wanting a white man to marry.
Also funny thing is, I come from India, and even though almost more than half of our population have dark/ brown complexion, having pale white skin is still considered being beautiful. This, however, ISN'T the current mindset of the newer gen but the older gen on the other hand... make me want to offer some of my brains to them. Sorry for the rant. I loved reading from your canadian/Filipino, having "light skin" privilege perspective haha
@@chrisc1184 no yeah I totally agree with you that's why I said "whole history" also people working in fields doing hard labor were more likely to be tanned and hence people who didn't to hard labor were rich and fair. But as of recently, I don't know if you've noticed kpop and the kdrama community has been thriving in Thailand for the past few years
Thanks Kelsey for the informative video! You definitely nailed those ten points. I’m British Indian, I have visited Korea and loved many things about the country such as; the food, culture, landscapes etc. I had some understandings of the social issues in Korea before arriving so I was pretty well prepared. I did my research, learnt a lot about the culture and knew my way around Seoul (as I was travelling alone). There’s a lot of similarities in Indian and Korean culture, of course each country has its own social problems, but what annoys me is that people who watch Korean dramas or who obsess over Korean boys etc, they have no idea what it’s like living in a country they are fantasising about. Sure, I’d definitely recommend those wanting to go to Korea to travel and experience the way of life out there. But at the same time, doing your own research and educating yourself will only go along way, thanks to your video I really do hope more people would watch this. Would be interesting if you could make a video about women’s safety in Korea, when I was out there, I knew about the spy cameras in public spaces (toilettes, changing rooms) it was actually on BBC. I never faced any problems in Korean apart from a few people being rude to me in Busan (but I guess that’s just a few minority). I honestly had the best time out there and would definitely visit Korea again! Keep up the awesome work, looking forward to your next video. Love the transparency and your thoughts ❤️
Although I had a blast in Korea when I lived there temporarily, I knew after my time there that I could NEVER live there permanently. Some of the reasons you mentioned were why. I felt severely out of place and boxed into a “foreign” corner there, no matter what I did to improve my language and understanding of the culture and history. And some of the men were extremely gross to my friends and I as well. And the obvious racism that is still a huge issue.
I'm really glad I never took a teaching job in Korea. I kept asking the hiring manager are you sure I will be treated fairly??? This video confirms, im glad I did not go.
Even if you were treated fairly because you are part of a desired class you would probably be disgusted by the culture of extreme racism and vanity.
@@matrices3987 I agree, the vanity is strange to me we all age I worry for those who are vane how will they handle the aging process. I'm very fortunate I had an intuition not to take the job offer I received from career. Just dealing with the colorism in south east asia was hard on me mentally I just uploaded a video about it on my channel 5 years after the fact!
@MyLifeInJeju yeah I know I made a video on my channel about some of the crap I went through....
I always dreamed of visiting Korea making Korean friends(kdramainfluence) when I was researching I found out that Indian race is looked down there then I leave the idea of going there. Additionally I saw some Indian and Pakistani TH-camrs talking about the racist problem they faced in their Korean university. I felt really sad. Anyways South Korea do possess soft corner in many Indian hearts. Hope all will get along well on day.
When I travelled to Korea the first time my Japanese friend and I ran into an Indian tourist. She was dressed on a salwar kameez and practically everywhere we went there were Korean people telling her that she looked beautiful. Lol. I was slightly jealous. I was only there for a week though.
Dont be sad! Its fine to be worried about someone's negative reaction of you but trust me there are more good people in the world than bad. The bad ones are just more popular. Korea is a beautiful place and you shouldn't stop yourself from experiencing another culture due to racism.
@@spillingthechai2156 yea but she could be emotionally scarred and it’s pretty ignorant to push her to go there when we know her situation.
@@good-tn9sr I am not pushing her. I was just trying to give my "positive" takeaway out of a negative situation. She can choose to go or not. It's ignorant of you to use words that are irrelevant in this situation as she has not visited korea yet.
@@spillingthechai2156 how is it ignorant? You just wanted to use the word ‘ignorant’ but used it wrong. Before you visit somewhere, you usually do research, which this person obviously did and she also got opinions from people who live there.
thanks girl really helpful...love your honesty
The huge snorlax plushie tho 🥺🥺
UwU
I live in Korea, my family has not experienced racism in a way that makes us feel unwelcome or unsafe. I just noticed some people avoid us and some merchants may make comments assuming we do not understand what they’re saying (we don’t).
We actually feel safer here than in the US, to be honest.
Given your assumed light complextion you're acceptable to many Koreans and will generally not face the subtle racism posited to those slightly darker Asians and black people.
This was really honest. I love being Korean but like all people groups, there are major cultural issues that need to be faced in order to change and improve.
Thank you for this! You seem like such a kind and caring woman. I love how these critiques of Korea came from a place of you thinking and hoping the country can and will do better in some areas. This is how we should talk about all countries because no place is all good or all bad. Each country just has positive points, challenges, and good people arising to meet the challenges.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM IS THE FIRST STEP TO CHANGE.... VERY WELL SAID KELSEY...
I'm so glad that you were exposed to other cultures and were able to identify these problems. Thanks for sharing and open this discussion with us. Those are super important points to bring up.
This video was so helpful for me. I’ve been planning to take my daughter to Korea when she’s older and knowing about the air pollution is so important for me as she has a heart condition. Thank you for making this video!
i’m actually really grateful for all of the info !! just helps to not go into things blind and understand a culture in its entity, knowing the good and the bad and the in between :] i‘m from austria and there‘s lots of nice things to do and see here, but tho not the exact same, it is similarly conservative to south korea and therefore has lots of aspects which i think foreigners, especially people of color, should know before visiting the countryside or smaller cities at least..so thank youu for the content and effort !! 😙
I’m glad you made a video like this. The media really romanticizes Korea. When I visited Korea I had a wake up call and culture shock when I experienced a few of these things. At first I was very confused but now that I understand it doesn’t bother me any more. But my love for Korea is still strong and I was lucky to make Korean friends. But foreigners need to know this kind of stuff.
Love your openness, I’ve watched so many videos that are similar and they are a bit more superficial, your video got deep into the heart of the issues that you face in your country. I hope it helps people who just see the idols and dramas and think it’s like a utopia to live there, but when they move there they get discourage and dishearten.
Also it’s actually really nice that you’re stating some things that we could face coz like I have never seen anyone talking about these problems so openly.
i actually spent a year in seoul as an exchange student last year in 2020 at yonsei univ (girl you went there too?? we could’ve met 😭) and everything you mentioned in these two videos - i literally felt like everything is true. my korean friends that i mostly hung out with, were 'exposed' outside of korea and either studied or lived there for a while, but i gotta say that i actually prefer hanging out with you guys more because i know we share a similar mindset, so in that aspect it was more comfortable for me. i did feel the social barrier between the locals and the foreigners, but it's quite understandable because of the mental barrier and the education system - as you also mentioned. i did have one of the best years of my life in korea, and had a great time while being there because of my circle of friends who i thankfully met through mentor’s club right before the pandemic took a turn. at the end of the day - every country, people, governments have its ups and downs and im sure korea will move towards a positive direction.
Somebody who finally tells the truth !
I love how honest and reflected you are. Keep it up 🙂
The first time I watched your video I was kinda shocked, cause NO ONE talks about this kind of things like you do. But I absolutely loveee your videos!!! It's so helpful! I still wanna move to korea, so your videos so educating and preparing
Thank you for honesty... Very few people can be as honest as you have been about their own countries.
I would be totally in doubt of going somewhere when everything I hear is sugar-coated. Thank you for your honestly, it's well appreciated!
My first job out of college in the US was in a Korean family owned company, and sadly I agree with everything you pointed out. The tone that would be used for someone like me of Asian Indian descent vs someone who is white was so visible. I never understood how they have been in the business for so many years with solid number of workers but not a single black employee was interviewed or hired in my 1 yr of employment there. During the winter time in the warehouse section of the building due to lack of heat I have seen people literally shiver for 8 hours while completing their shift and the opposite happened during the summer where people would be dripping in sweat due to lack of cool air. While I understood to maintain the longevity of the product they may have been forced to keep everything in cool condition during winter, I still think there had to be another way but maybe I am wrong who knows.
I followed a Korean vlogger. She moved from Germany to Seoul and was so inspiring in the beginning, but over time you felt the influence to a point where she defended all these things, simply because she now thinks so herself.
What has always bothered me the most is this: "Germans question too much instead of just accepting."
I love other cultures and would love to travel to Seoul because of all the possibilities. But I don't know if I could live there :/.
It's not like you discouraging us in fact you are awaring us so that we won't face any difficulties or make any big desicions that can be worse in future you shared honesty...so thank you for that...❤
Sadly, I couldn't agree you more. After living in Korea for 2 years, I also witnessed all the things you mentioned. I also saw how much pressure these things were making on its people.
I think regarding the skin color. It is pretty much the same around Asia. Asian culture and perspective always prefer white skin tone. Not sure it is a thing in Korea, but China and my country have the process to make skin whiter. So there is also discrimination against those who have darker skin even from the same nationality bec the mindset is that dark skin means you work in the field and poor. Travel, study abroad and experience different culture def will open our minds more and I do hope some days everyone will see each other as equal. I hope one day Asia also have equality between men and women as well.
May I know which country you from ??
A lot of these social issues mentioned are apparent in Turkey as well. Even Turkish people living in Europe think this way, it’s about the mindset. So I hope the world changes for the better!
So interesting & informative! Your channel is a must watch for people wanting to visit/shift to SK
I appreciate this perspective. Thanks for sharing!
I’m very glad I found your channel. I’m glad you are not afraid to call out your country and speak the truth
This was so interesting. Thank u very much for sharing an honest inside into the Korean culture.
Greetings from Germany 😊
I agree with your some of points. But I want to point out that generalization of certain race and certain nation is very dangerous act, which will lead to spawning prejudice over certain race. In my opinion, Racism starts as we start to have a bias over one because of one's nationality and skin color.
I saw a video about a family who had quintuplets and the government did very little to support them, I was so shocked. Healthcare in Korea is so good, I'm astonished that childcare isn't the same.
i really appreciate finding this video and the way you delivered everything u had to say, it sounded like i was getting advice from a friend, usually youtubers sound overly pretentious and holding back to save face but you spoke the hard truth while still sounding respectful and reasonable...thanks.
i watched several videos from your channel and i really appreciate how open you are talking without sugar coating things about Korean culture . . i have Korean friends living here in the Philippines and we are like a family but yes still we also noticed different treatment because of social status.
I think the things which you've mentioned are mostly visible in every other Asian country and as an Indian I'm used to it lol. But as you said to bring the change the problem should be acknowledged and I hope not only Koreans but people around the world would know to respect an individual irrespective of their colour, choices and etc is absolutely important. Periodt.
In India it depends region to region. Racism is common in North India. As a traveller rest of India is way more open minded.
@@xenomoe9519 Uhh No
No one will do that world is based on discrimination
As always, Kelsey laid it all. Thank you for always spitting your opinion no holds barred.
Thank you for being so honest
Wow! You really changed my perspective, not in a bad way, I just love how you didn't sugarcoat it! 🥰
Thank you. Useful, realistic.
I love you so much for speaking these facts . Cause there are lot of Indians who usually face racism in south Korea(exception).Some people literally judge Indians based on their colour .There is a stereotypical believe that all Indians are dark skin but NO. If you judge people based on their colour sorry sweethearts problem lies within you and your heart is darker than their skin colour and no amount of your White skin can overlap that. And there is much more than Curry in India .Well thank you for speaking this out . Lots of Love from India .🇮🇳🇮🇳❤️❤️
Great video. Love the honesty.
I am a Gyopo born to Korean parents overseas (LatAm) in my 30s. Born and raised in LatAm. I've worked in, Korean, LatinAmerican and International (European) companies from the Analyst up to the General Manager role (managing Koreans and Latinos at the same time).
I agree with all of what you've said, especially when you mentioned that the social-cultural development [has-not-caught-up] with the turbo economic growth of the last 60-70 years. Though it is evolving for the better with those groups you mentioned as well, there is still a long way to go.
While managing the local subsidiary of a Korean company, discussing with the Korean HQ was sometimes a pain as they do not understand how Latin America works and were inflexible, always thinking that the 'Korean way is the right way' and other reductionist-shortsighted-absurd views.
On the other hand, LatAm is, for the most part and especially in the public sphere, quite slow and inefficient, sometimes inconsistent in their commercial promises, etc.
On a more positive light (obviously this is a generalization from what I've personally experienced). Koreans are fast, efficient, resilient, when all is set up cohesively-properly. Latin Americans are holistic, better at caring for their employees and better at creating healthier company cultures.
That said, no business (or general) culture is superior and all cultures can learn form each other. Koreans need to acknowledge and Practice by this to live happier, more fulfilling lives. In turn, happier, more satisfied people are more innovative and creative as well in the profesional realm which Koreans tend to emphasize so much (sometimes myself as well).
I lived and worked in Korea for three years. I had many female coworkers who, once they got married or pregnant, quit working. I had heard that that was a thing that happened but I didn't believe it until it actually happened! I can relate to a lot of what you've said in this and the first video as a white female American.
I appreciate your honesty and not sugarcoating things that are very real issues, it allows people to kind of figure out how to prepare themselves in case they ever face such situations. Not talking about them because it makes people “look bad” won’t help anything. If it looks bad, maybe it’s time to work towards changing it.
Thank you for sharing, your insight and explanation about the issues are articulated in a way that is constructive. Good to hear that there is interest in changing some of these social issues.
Hello 👋 how are you doing?
Thank you so so much for sharing this Kelsey! I greatly appreciate your straightforwardness and objectivity. Thank you for giving your audience a full, wholistic view of Korea in a way no other channel is doing. Your maturity on addressing these topics is such an inspiration. It is such a joy to watch your videos, thank you!!
Thank you Kelsey!
It's so refreshing seeing videos from a realist TH-camr.
Hello Mirna how are you doing?
Hello Mirna how are you doing?
Whole time a lot of Americans act the same towards black people (I'm a black American) so I would not be super surprised... sadly this is something blacks consider everywhere they are because we face it worldwide. Not everywhere everyday, but often enough...
Here (in S Korea), it’s more of a prejudice toward foreigners (non-white), even other Asians. A lot of it is just a lack of exposure. It’s not unsafe tho! Like the ‘racist’ Koreans will just give you space/avoid talking to you but that’s the extent. And most of the time it’s because they know there’s a language/ culture barrier, not necessarily bc the look down on you. No one is crossing the street to avoid you or will call the police bc they think you’re dangerous. You will still be respected in stores and served well at restaurants. My Black/Hispanic family feels much safer here than back in the US.
@@janellimarie I call B.S. Your Black / Hispanic family is much safer here in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. That's why you are here in the first place.
@@robguyton3577 much safer? Coming from you as white? And thet way you said thats why you are here on the first place lol like you own America , like you are native american . The fact that you said that it just prove you think America only belong to white people and white people are above other ethnicities and first class and own USA ,which is RACIST . You trying to say you are not racist by being racist?
@@robguyton3577 and racism in south korea vs racism in the US is different . Most of the time racism im korea is because of the ignorances towards other culture . While racism in the US based on superiority and hatred by white people like you
@@newbabies923 it is not just whites being racist lmao, as someone who lives in a very diverse area, it is all the other races as well. It’s a problem more so with the older generation. Welcome to America
You’re so real and honest for speaking the truth. Thank you for sharing these!
Good job, Kelsey! Very thoughtful! I grew up in the United States and have traveled to Slavic and Middle-Eastern countries as well as Canada and Central/South America, but never to Asia. My recent studies have concentrated on China (too late!) and I noticed that nearly ALL of your complaints about Korea is reflected in Chinese (including my gf's) complaints about China. It's interesting to see that.
Thank you for you honesty and frankness on difficult topics.
Hello Cindy how are you doing today?
You're so right. Things need to change in the country. But until then, we really appreciate your information and facts so we know beforehand 🥰
I appreciate your your honest opinion about your country. I find it informative. As a black woman traveling is hard so knowing what to expect can make the difference in whether I enjoy my trip or experience culture shock. Thank you
You earned yourself a new subscriber for speaking the truth.I respect people that speak the truth regardless of how bad it might sound.