Loving Abroad #3: A Black American in Korea

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Qnrzd4Lg8]
This is my third date. In this episode, I meet an African American living in Korea. On my previous two blind dates, I had met with non-native English speakers. However, with this blind date, I was able to communicate in English, making it easier to talk with one another. There aren’t many black Americans in Korea, and there are a lot of stereotypes against them in Korean culture. Let’s take a look at some of them and see what it was like for Jaye to live in Korea as a black American.

What are some stereotypes you faced as a black American woman in Korea – socially and professionally?

Jaye: “Professionally, people at work think of me as an athlete because they automatically assume I will be good at sports because I’m black. Some parents are afraid their children might learn bad things from black teachers, but I personally haven’t experienced that. In fact, the parents of my students believe their children can learn a lot from me through my teaching methods.
Socially, people always think I’m angry all the time, and it’s mainly due to movies I think. I don’t know what movies they’re watching, but they just think I’m mad which is why they are scared of black people.
When people talk to me, they automatically go into hip hop mode. They think because I’m black, I’m into only hip hop and try to speak to me like I was from a rap video.
Not many people bother me, but they, especially the ajumas, stare a lot and even try to touch my braids or touch my skin.”

[caption id="attachment_2232" align="aligncenter" width="412"] Blackface is still common in Korea. Mainstream medias still portray blackface for entertainment.[/caption]

PDA (Public Display of Affection) – How does it differ in Korea and America?

Jaye: "Korean couples are very lovey-dovey and personal. Also, they can be annoying on public transportations like the subway. I was trying to get through the door, but they were blocking the door and I just have to push through them. Sometimes on the street, they’re holding hands and just kind of creating traffic for the other pedestrians.
American couples are more carefree and they’re very playful. They’ll just flirt a lot."

[caption id="attachment_2235" align="aligncenter" width="409"] Korean couples often wear matching shirts or sometimes entire outfits to show their affection to the entire world.[/caption]

What would you expect from dating a Korean guy compared to an American guy?

Jaye: "I have no expectations of dating a Korean guy. They won’t want to date a black female because of disapproval from parents and the norms in Korean society. But if they were to approach me, I expect he will try to be assertive and play out an image of being hip hop.
For American guys I would expect they would automatically expect me to accept their proposal because there are so few black people in Korea."

[caption id="attachment_2234" align="aligncenter" width="241"] G-Dragon is one of the most popular Korean male figures.[/caption]

How open would your family be to interracial marriage?

Jaye: "They would be very open to it. They are totally cool with that. They already knew that I was an open-minded person so they would really expect it. They wouldn't mind at all. Race doesn't matter at all. Even in America I would date men other than my ethnicity, and they've grown accustomed to my dating preferences."


How well do you think other black Americans would adjust to life in Korea?

Jaye: "They would adjust very well. The cultures may be a little different, but black people, like Koreans, are raised to respect their elders. However, don’t expect Koreans to jump into a relationship with you. It’s easier for black males to pick up Korean women, but it’s not as easy for the black females to date a Korean guy."


[caption id="attachment_2233" align="aligncenter" width="449"] Night life in Gangnam[/caption]

 

Being a foreigner in a different country can be difficult, especially if the people of that country have little knowledge of the foreigner’s cultural background.
It’s important to know the culture of the nation you’re visiting, but it’s also important for that country to be accommodating of your culture as well. Learning culture is neither unilateral nor bilateral. It is multilateral, and the more you learn, the wider your perceptions of life.
The next time you see someone foreign to your country; don’t simply rely on the rumors of others. Instead, open a line of communication and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about a culture you have never had the chance of knowing before.

Jaye Wyn is an English teacher who has lived in Korea for four years. She enjoys not only hip hop but also Korean music. She also enjoys traveling throughout Korea in her free time.

 

Female Terrorist Motivations

Terrorist Culture: Not for everyone. But for some, including myself, the study terrorism as an act of communication, is interesting.  Terrorists will bomb certain venues to get their point across in a violent way. That’s right, the act of killing and endangering hundreds of thousands of people, in most terrorist cultures, is believed to aid in the gain of group power or attention. Another spicy interest of mine is to study female terrorists, specifically those of Islamic culture. To me, a female terrorist is like a spy wearing all black, is a person who is not trustworthy as they are seeking revenge.

As Islamic male martyrs are sometimes adored and made famous, thought to be rewarded in heaven with some 80,000 servants and 72 virgin women, I have wondered, what will the women receive? Are the women motivated to become terrorists through their religion? Do women who become terrorists gain equality among their male counterparts in daily life or is their life simply put on the line serving as an advantage through security checkpoints? This article is not about terrorist equality, or about communicating as terrorists, but it is about what motivates the women of Islamic culture to become terrorists. What does it bring them?

The modern-day female terrorist is not always talked about. They actually hold negligible in today’s media. But when they are talked about, it is a big deal. Essentially, female terrorists go against any sense of femininity when acting as an instrument of destruction. They send a message to multiple publics which says, ‘I can create life, and I can terminate life’. For purposes of strategy, female terrorists often wear disguises. They will dress in a Western fashion or as Israeli women and sometimes wear revealing clothes. But this compromises their Islamic religion. Many Islamic family members do not want their women to be disguised and dressed without modesty. Islamic family members will also not be paid as handsomely if their daughter becomes a terrorist or suicide bomber, which is another reason you don’t hear of many female terrorists.  So it can’t be the fame and flashing spotlights that motivate these young, strategic women, and it isn't the small amount of money…

In all, some women are simply used in terrorist attacks while some do it for themselves. For the most part, women are motivated to become terrorists by non-political factors. It appears that women who choose to partake in acts of terrorism bring respect to their status and involvement in the terrorist group; they bring pride to their family and children, and have found eternal paradise for themselves. Many female terrorists want to seek revenge on those who killed family members or on their male counterparts which have oppressed them in the past. It is also sometimes easier to be a female terrorist, when infiltrating security checkpoints in airports. Females have that advantage over men; they are not as closely examined. Sometimes women fight as terrorists to bring awareness about causes or about poverty. But while some women can take pride in being a terrorist, some women just don’t have a choice. These women have been raped, have had their reputations tarnished, they are unable to bear children, or carry a range of hidden backgrounds. These women are then handed a suicide belt.

Whatever the motivation, these women are setting up the stage to kill. Their style of communication continues to bring more sadness and distress into the world while their message is haunting. While most female terrorists are unheard of or kept in secret, there are hundreds of female terrorists and terrorists groups to research.



One female terrorist group that is quite popular is known as The Black Widows. This isn't me talking about the deathly-scary spiders that live in temperate regions of the world; I’m talking about the group of Chechen women who know how to kill. The Black Widows are also known as the ‘Shahdikas’ or the ‘Brides of Allah’. These women are highly trained by psychologists, other terrorists, and explosive experts. Most of the women seek revenge on the Russian government among others to fight for their husbands they have lost, while some of the group members are sold into the group, kidnapped, or tricked. Some of the women have just reached age sixteen. Don’t let their age or disguises fool you. A famous stunt performed by the Black Widows involved the deaths of one hundred and twenty-nine people in 2002 at the Moscow Theatre. The group has also been involved in over fifteen terrorist stunts in under fourteen years. I highly suggest you look these girls up.

And a question for you: If you were a spy, what would your spy-name be?

Democracy in Revolution: The History of America and Korea

Democracy – n. a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. (dictionary.com)

Democracy has spread throughout the world and affected change in many nation states. The U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1788, providing the world with the first institution of modern democracy. The U.S. had thrived under its democratic system for over two centuries. The Republic of Korea is also a democratic nation, but democracy is relatively new compared to its Western counterpart. Once freed from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, the Republic of Korea was established as a democracy in 1948.

We will take a look at the history of democracy in the U.S. and South Korea, and how it affected their culture.

History:

America:

The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, signaling the American colonies’ freedom from British rule. What many people don’t realize is that the Declaration of Independence didn’t institute the democracy that America enjoys today. That would be the Constitution, which was ratified in 1788, twelve years after the Declaration. The American Constitution, with a few amendments here and there, lasted for over 200 years, and it is the foundation upon which democracy stands in the U.S.

[caption id="attachment_2214" align="aligncenter" width="375"] The signing of the Declaration of Independence[/caption]

However, though America was a democracy, its past certainly raises questions about how well it upheld the institution. Keeping slaves was commonplace and Southern states wanted to continue using these laborers for their profits.
The Emancipation Proclamation led to the eventual abolishment of slavery, but it brings up questions about the democracy that America’s Founding Fathers had in mind. Because American democracy was led by majority rule, the slavery issue was the forefront to a heated debate and one of the leading causes of the rift between the North and the South.
On one hand, if the majority of the people wanted to continue using slaves, did that mean it would be unconstitutional to go against the public will? On the other hand, wasn’t slavery itself a tyranny against the oppressed? Even after the abolishment of slavery, in 1865, the prejudice against African Americans lasted more than a hundred years.

[caption id="attachment_2213" align="aligncenter" width="386"] African Americans suffered great discrimination for a long time[/caption]

Not until 1965 were African Americans finally free from voting discrimination. Democracy, as stated above, is an institution that gives its people the power to exercise their constitutional rights. But it wasn’t until only 49 years ago that every American citizen could equally take part in democracy’s biggest medium: voting.

Korea:

The government regimes in Korea can be broken down into six republics, each signaling a period of time.

- The First Republic (1948-1960) was under Rhee Syngman’s rule. He used his executive powers to keep himself in power and rid his political oppositions. He pushed amendments to the Constitution that would allow him to serve more than the eight-year presidential term limit. During elections, he would use military force to make sure he would be re-elected at the polls. In 1960, the April 19 Revolution, when college students and professors and civilians protested against Rhee’s dictatorship, forced Rhee to finally give up his presidential seat.

[caption id="attachment_2216" align="aligncenter" width="191"] Korea's first president Rhee Syngman[/caption]

- The Second Republic (1960-1961) was a truly democratic system in which the people had the freedom to practice their constitutional rights that they could not under the Rhee administration. However, the Second Republic only lasted a year because the government had trouble building an effective strategy to improve Korea’s economy along with other policies. In 1961, Major General Park Chung-hee staged a coup and usurped power.

- Park led the country in its Third Republic (1963-1972). He was a military dictator, and anyone that challenged his authority was labeled a traitor and quickly disposed. Like Rhee, Park also forced an amendment to the constitution that would allow him a third term in office. He also declared martial law and dissolved the National Assembly, replacing it with a parliamentary system.

[caption id="attachment_2217" align="aligncenter" width="218"] Park Chung-hee[/caption]

- The Fourth Republic 1972-1979) started with the Yushin Constitution, which gave Park control over the parliament and the prospect of forever being the president. However, in 1979, he was assassinated, bringing his 18-year military rule to an end.

- The Fifth Republic (1979-1987) saw Chun Doo-hwan come into power. He, too, used his military power to take control of the executive power. Through political manipulation and authoritarian power, he got himself elected as president. After mass protests, his presidential term ended in 1987, which paved the way for the current Republic.

- The Sixth Republic (1987-present day) saw many presidents, who were all elected directly through the citizens. Currently, the Park Geun-hye administration stands as Korea’s first female president.

[caption id="attachment_2210" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Korean presidents, from 1980-2008 (Source: South Korea's Miraculous Democracy, Hahm Chaibong)[/caption]

 

Analysis

America:
The road to democracy in America began in the 18^th century, when the colonies rebelled against British rule. The American Revolution brought freedom to Americans after they defeated the British. America established its democratic system and its constitution through war against a foreign oppressor. This united the people together until the Civil War which almost destroyed the America we know to be today. America has been a democratic nation for over 200 years, but in that time span, there have been many bumps.
Today, America is a country of endless diverse ethnicities and cultures. However, there are still many in America that looks upon these multitudes of ethnicities with contempt.
In the Revolutionary War, Americans fought outside forces, which may have led to some Americans today to judge outsiders with prejudice. Even though Barack Obama, the nation’s first non-white president, sits in the Oval Office, the majority of politicians, Congressmen, and Senators are predominantly white.

[caption id="attachment_2208" align="aligncenter" width="300"] President Barack Obama[/caption]

If democracy is supposed to promote equality for everybody, why does it seem so unequal when it comes to who holds power? Of course, every American citizen has the right to vote for their representatives, be it Congressman or the president. However, the history of discrimination against minorities has not made it easier for those that are non-white to hold public office.

Korea:
Unlike America, Korea’s path to democracy started with a revolution against its own government. Koreans didn’t face tyranny from outside forces. Instead, their democratic system was oppressed by dictators and authoritative figures like Park or Rhee.
Korea’s economy flourished under Park’s rule, but at what cost? Those that fought for democracy were met with violent force by the military regimes. In Korea, those that saw its economy thrive under Park’s rule believe that without his firm grasp on power, the country would not be where it is today.
Does the end justify the means? Korea has become a global powerhouse in economic terms, but its democracy has not had time to mature into a system where people have faith in it.

[caption id="attachment_2209" align="aligncenter" width="388"] The Gwangju Democratic Uprising in May, 1980.[/caption]

People in Korea are divided upon issues related to the current administration. The older generation (those that grew up under the Park Chung-hee regime) lean heavily toward right-wing political parties like the Saenuri Party, while the younger generation tends to support more liberal parties like the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (formerly the Democratic Party). Thus, in Korea, liberal minded people are often ridiculed and accused of being “commies.”
With such a stark contrast in public opinion about politics and policies, there isn’t a single Congressional session that goes by without lawmakers going at each other’s throats (sometimes literally).
Having protests against the government is widely looked down upon, and anyone that participates is usually socially ostracized.
Even in the military, servicemen are highly discouraged from admitting that they had been in a demonstration or protest, for fear of being labeled a North Korean sympathizer.

America and Korea both went through uprisings to achieve democracy. Though Korea has only recently practiced democratic freedom (27 years to be exact), it follows a system much like the U.S.
Both country has a judicial, legislative, and executive branch. They also have a constitution to which they adhere.
The history of both countries has led them both to prosperity, but it was not an easy struggle. History plays a huge role in constructing society and culture. It’s important to know a country’s back story in order to truly understand its current structure. We cannot simply look at different cultures and expect things to change without digging deeper and looking at its cultural roots.

Loving Abroad #2: Overcoming the Language Barrier

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gp8euVvINw]

I ventured onto another blind date with another woman from China. And once more, the date was held on Google Hangouts on Air. For those that haven’t seen our first show (Loving Abroad #1: Korean American guy meets a Chinese girl), the objective of our show is to explore the diversity of cultural dating (and perhaps to find myself a soul-mate?).
For this show, we decided to speak in our native languages. I spoke English and she spoke Chinese throughout the date, and we barely understood each other. Watch us try to overcome language barriers with drawings and hand gestures.

Verbal Communication
I spoke English and half the time she understood what I was trying to say. However, during the other half, I had to resort to hand gestures and drawings to get my point across. As you can probably guess, I understood nothing when she spoke Chinese. The only two words that I understood were: bu and sheur (no and yes).
I had difficulty trying to get my point across with words alone. Though we eventually understood what the other was trying to say, it took a lot of time.
COMMUNICATION: 50%


[caption id="attachment_2195" align="aligncenter" width="429"] Not sure if she's smiling because she understood me or if she's just feigning it.[/caption]




Gestures
Everything I said was accompanied with my hands. I felt like I was trying to communicate with the students at my 학원; hagwon; cram school.
My hands waved around the screen pointing at her, me, and some imaginary people. I can’t tell whether or not she understood all of my gestures, but accompanied with my quizzical facial expressions, she seemed to comprehend the nature of my questions.
Mengshen didn’t use many gestures, and this may be due to cultural differences.
In America, many people use their hands to express their words and meaning across, but in Korea or China, not many people make hand gestures.
COMMUNICATION: 35%

[caption id="attachment_2190" align="aligncenter" width="439"] Thumbs up: universal gesture for "good"[/caption]

Visuals
When nothing else worked, we both used pictures to get our messages across.
This worked surprisingly well. When she was trying to tell me what she thought of Korean men, she drew a handsome looking character. At which point I thought she believed all Korean men to be as dashingly good-looking as me. However, upon further interrogation, she drew for me a chart.
For some odd reason, she thought I didn’t belong to the 75 percentile range, where the Korean men are handsome. Instead, she thought I was “okay.”
Despite the differences in our opinions about my physical appearance, we communicated well through visual mediums.
COMMUNICATION: 90%


[caption id="attachment_2184" align="aligncenter" width="441"] Visual mediums: helpful in showing where I stand among men[/caption]




Despite the language barrier, Mengshen and I had a good time on our online date. Regardless of language, culture, or nationality, it’s important to try to communicate with people around the world.
Don’t give yourself excuses like, “Oh, we don’t speak the same language.”
If you try, the other recipient will eventually understand your thoughts and messages. Let’s get out there and communicate with one another. After all, in this day and age, communication is key when it comes to understanding those around us – near or far.

Menghen Hu is a 21-year-old Chinese national from the Anhui Province. She is in Korea studying film at Konkuk University, hoping to be a successful actress someday.

Education: Korean High School vs. American High School

What determines intellect? The standards for intellect differ in many countries, and it’s hard to determine a person’s intellectual capacity.  Well, fear not! This article will give you the answers to achieving great intellect by showing you the comparisons between the Korean and American high school education system. I've attended both American and Korean high schools, so the following content is based on my personal experiences.
Note: experiences may differ for other people.

[caption id="attachment_2173" align="aligncenter" width="286"] Time for School![/caption]

School Hours:

Korea:

To make sure high school students in Korea are ready to be the most intellectual minds on Earth, they usually come to school by 8:00 am. The classes last until 4:00 or 5:00 pm, which in my opinion, is too short. How is one expected to become more knowledgeable by only studying seven or eight hours a day?
Fortunately, thanks to the ingenuity of the Korean education system, students are required to stay an extra four to five hours for mandatory in study hall and review the lectures they learned that day.

[caption id="attachment_2174" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Thankfully, Korean high school students can stay longer at school and study some more![/caption]

As you can imagine, the students’ faces light up in anticipation when they hear they can’t go home, but instead have to stay at school longer to study. Why go home to your family when you can stay at school and cram more knowledge into your brain? Who needs family and home when you have the comfort of books to quench your thirst for knowledge!

America:

Like their Korean counterparts, American high school students go to school around 8:00 am as well. However, unlike those lucky Korean students, their classes finish around 2:30 pm.
It pains me just thinking about all that studying those American kids are missing out on. It’s amazing how these American kids can go to college with only this amount of studying. Sure, most high school students in America partake in some form of extracurricular activity, but sticking your nose into a book for over five hours is more fruitful than going out and enjoying the sunshine.

[caption id="attachment_2167" align="aligncenter" width="370"] Why would any kid in their right mind want to take time away from studying?[/caption]

 

Grading system:

Korea:

Because Korean high school students study so hard, it’s hard to pick out the best students. After all, education is all about choosing only the brightest and the best, right?
The only way to motivate these kids to study is by having them compete against each other! In Korea, only a certain percentage of students can achieve 1^st rank percentile. The education system is broken down into ranks, so the students with the top grades are ranked into first, and those with lesser grades are ranked into second, third, and so on, all the way down to the ninth rank percentile. What exactly does that mean?
Well, it means, if in one class, the majority of the students get high marks on a test (ex: 95 on their math tests), the minority that scored less (let’s say 94), would automatically drop down to the second and third rank. Now, that sounds really fair.
After all, how are top-notch universities supposed to choose the brightest students without such a magnificent grading system? And you can’t argue that it’s unfair for the students who studied really hard for an exam and dropped down an entire rank because they made one simple little mistake.

[caption id="attachment_2168" align="aligncenter" width="392"] It's every man for himself when it comes to exams.[/caption]

America:

Students in America are graded based on their individual efforts? You mean they aren’t pitted against each other to compete for grades? What nonsense is this?
Apparently, students are encouraged to take things slowly, at their own pace until they learn the material. Now why would you want to learn, when you can memorize entire books, pass some tests, and forget the materials afterwards?
It’s also amazing how anyone can get an A on their tests and not be ranked into percentile groups like in Korea. I’m not sure how American universities know how to choose the smartest and most intellectual students without percentile ranks. No wonder American students can go to good colleges without having to spend every single minute of their high school life studying from a book.

[caption id="attachment_2175" align="aligncenter" width="447"] Teachers interacting with students?[/caption]

 

Vacation:

Korea:

Like most nations, Korean high schools have summer and winter vacations. Summer breaks last about a month, but winter breaks last nearly two months. But who needs all that time off from school? It’s preposterous to think that high school students would take all that time off from their studies. Thus, the great nation of Korea has wisely cut down summer and winter breaks to one and two weeks, respectively.
Sure, technically, the summer and winter vacations are supposed to be at least a month long, but the schools ask the students to be back in class during the breaks for suppository lectures.
Once back in class, these kids jump in excitement and giggle at the pleasure of utilizing their summer and winter breaks to enhance their much needed education.

[caption id="attachment_2172" align="aligncenter" width="399"] The right way to enjoy your vacation[/caption]

America:

Summer break, winter break, and spring break? And let’s not forget all those silly holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving. And can you believe some states even have snow days? Only in America, would dedicated students not go to school because of something as insignificant as fluffy white powder.
I can only imagine the toll it takes on those poor American students who had to suffer during their vacation, away from school. They come back from their long and unexciting holidays only to be too well-rested to get any studying done.
If you want to educate these young minds, the only sane way to teach them anything is taking away their personal time and cramming a book under their noses.

[caption id="attachment_2176" align="aligncenter" width="420"] The wrong way to enjoy your vacation[/caption]

As you have read above, intellect is determined by how much you study. And as such, Koreans are highly intellectual. Who needs happiness and creativity when you have knowledge! Keep up the good work Korea!

Loving Abroad #1: Korean American guy meets a Chinese girl

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWi9u-Q6IdU]

I went on an online blind date with a Chinese woman. Why over the internet you ask? The point of the blind date is not about simply meeting new women. It’s about meeting new women – from around the world.
The show is to learn about the dating differences from other cultures. We welcome you to the first show (as embedded above). For those that don’t have time to sit through the entire date (which was held through Google Hangouts on Air), here are some of the things I learned about dating in the Chinese culture. And now, without further ado, we present to you the blind date between Isaac Kim (Korean-American) and Qu Zhuo Lei (Chinese).

At what age do women begin dating?

China
According to Zhuo Lei, aka Xiya, most Chinese girls become independent of their household at around 18. That’s when they head off to college and learn to live on their own. Their newfound freedom gives them to chance to explore the world and experience new trials, including dating.
The majority of Chinese society frowns upon its underage youths dating one another. But once they become of age, they have nothing to hold them back from finding love.

Korea
There is no strict age when it comes to dating in Korea. I see kids in primary school going on dates with their boyfriends or girlfriends while some people in their 20s have never been on a single date their entire lives. However, although Korea society doesn’t necessarily look down upon minors dating, women (that are yet unmarried) are subject to living under their parents’ supervision until they tie the knot.

Are men expected to pick up / drop off their dates on the first date?

China
Never. That’s the quick answer.
Usually, a man picks up their dates from their parents’ house if the girl wants to introduce him to her family. By introducing him to her parents, the intended meaning is “we are getting married.” So be careful if your Chinese girlfriend ever wants you to meet her parents. You may think it’s just a quick meet and greet, but for her, it means marriage.

Korea
Once again, never.
In Korean society, it’s quite rare to see men pick up their dates. The two of them decided upon a location to meet at an appointed time. For couples that have been in a relationship for a long time, you can sometimes see men dropping off their significant other, but most of the time, girls find their own way back home after an evening of romance.

What do women look for in men?

To answer this question, many things have to be considered. There are those that are after money, those that care about appearances and height, and those that look for a man who will truly and deeply care about them. These are universal truths for both men and women, regardless of culture.

China
As mentioned above, some Chinese women look for men that are tall or good-looking. It all depends on the individual woman. In some cases, men (rich men) would pour everything they had to capture the heart of an especially beautiful girl. In other cases, two people would meet and have an enduring relationship based on the feelings they had for each other. Like most cultures, it’s really hard to pinpoint exactly what women want.

Korea
A lot of Korean women (as well as their male counterparts) have really high standards when they look for a partner. The most common among those high standards is height. Now I’m not saying all Korean women are interested in height, but most would add that trait to their list. But once again, it really depends on who you’re trying to woo.

And finally…

How long before sex?

China
This can be anywhere between the first few dates to a year. However, not many Chinese women tend to give their mind and body to a man they won’t see again after sex. Women want to know their man before they can be comfortable enough to lay with him. If a girl sleeps with a guy too quickly, others will judge her to be weak. Thus, they try to be careful about engaging in sexual activity.

Korea
Similar to China, Korean women won’t easily get into bed with a man. Sure, there are the occasional hook-ups and one-night stands, but when it comes to relationships, the sex part may take longer. Korean society (usually the older generation) often negatively portrays women if they have sexual intercourse before marriage. Many Korean men want their future wives to be virgins, wanting to be the first to bed their wives. With such a mindset among much of Korean society, it’s hard for women to indulge and divulge their sexual relationships with others.
For the better part of an hour, I learned much about the dating culture and customs in China. However, that doesn’t make me an expert on the subject of dating in China. It was a great way for me to look into the Chinese culture. And please don’t expect everything in my article to be 100 percent accurate because dating customs may be different in different parts of China. But do please take a look at the similarities and differences that you may find. And now that you have learned (or so I hope) something about the Chinese dating culture, you have more resources to find yourself a romantic partner in a different part of the world!

Qu Zhuo Lei (Xiya) is a 29-year-old Chinese expat living in Korea. She is receiving her Masters Degree in Special Effects in Film at Chungang University. Her interests include hip-hop, CG, and her cat, 흑백; Heukbaek; Black and White.