Russians in the heart of Korea. How people live in South Korea - the story of a Russian student from Seoul
Hello!
Sometimes people who come here wonder if there are our compatriots in Korea, and where are they mostly located? Do they have their own neighborhoods in Seoul or Busan where they are most concentrated? And who do they work for? This and much more will be discussed today.
How many?
Roughly speaking, there are less than 10,000 Russians. Some time ago I saw statistics in the online newspaper koreatimes (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/) and looked for information about this on the website of the Migration Service of the Republic of Korea.
On average, 1,000-2,000 Russians enter Korea per month, and about half of them consistently leave, that is, there is a certain balance that keeps the number of Russians in relatively small quantities. With the Uzbeks, the situation is approximately the same, but few Kazakhs come, according to statistics. Well, I don’t know about the number of Kazakhs, considering how often I meet with them, it seems to me that the statistics are lying.
In my opinion, it’s a little wrong to talk only about Russians in Korea, because I will still start from people who speak great and mighty. "Therefore, other nationalities are also mentioned, for example, Kazakhs and Uzbeks.
What are they doing?
Russians
Someone works as an engineer in various firms like Samsung, someone as a programmer, and someone as a teacher. Of course, people teach Russian in various schools, but there are also those who teach in English. For 2 and a half years I knew a man who taught physics to Koreans, in English, of course.
If the visitor is a student, then he works part-time in a cafe or restaurant as a waiter, or “freelance” as a translator, if he allows nervous system and knowledge of languages. In general, I know people who have worked in various fields. Moreover, everyone has their own choice of sphere, and to some extent unusual. One person worked as a bartender, another as a dancer in clubs, a third as a model, a fourth as a builder, and a fifth was generally in a hotel and stood at the reception. Less often I met people who worked in factories, but there is such work too. I have listed those who I immediately remembered, there are others.
Kazakhs
I have many acquaintances from Kazakhstan, but for some reason their type of work does not come up in my memory, because most of them are trying to learn. A smaller part works mainly as cleaning in hotels, sellers or translators. Not by night it will be said that they will speak the language better, this applies primarily to grammatical terms and pronunciation. As they told me, the Kazakh and Korean languages are a bit similar to each other.
Uzbeks
There are few acquaintances among Uzbeks, but when I asked where they work, I basically received the answer “many places”. Basically, this is something that is associated with hard physical work.
Russian places in Korea
I will only mention Seoul and Busan, because in others major cities I have not been yet, and besides, I doubt that, say, there is a Russian quarter in Gyeongju or Gwadzhon.
seoul
동대문역사문화공원 Station (Exit 4)
For some reason, it is believed that at this station there is only a street in which only Russians live, but walking along it, I saw very few people with a stern expression on their faces. Uzbeks and Mongols? Yes, there are many of them, but there are few Russians. I talked with people who have been living here for a long time, and they said that there were a lot of Russians 5-7 years ago, but now they left and Mongols with Uzbeks arrived, speaking Russian.
By the way, this street is referred to among us as “drunken street”, why is that? I don't know, but the name is funny.
Here you can go to a hairdresser, buy a phone and a SIM card, send a package, go to a Russian store or go to a cafe and eat native Russian cuisine. However, prices in shops and restaurants are relatively high in Korea.
Busan
Not far from the railway station is a Russian street called Texas. I do not know what this is connected with, but the fact remains. Here the situation is about the same as in Seoul, the only difference is that in Busan you can see your native Slavic face without any emotions.
Of course, it is worth mentioning the city of Ansan, which is located near Seoul, but rumors differ about it. Someone says that there are “carts and a small cart” of Russians there, and someone says that there are Chinese. I myself was in this city only 1 time and then for work, so I could not take a walk there.
About a year and a half ago, the book 사바틴에서-푸쉬킨까지 (from Sabatin to Pushkin) was published about the development of Russian and Korean cultures. I was advised to read it, but there was no copy in Korean in bookstores, and I don’t want to read Russian.
The book is available in Korean
Same in Russian
There are few people who came from Russia in Korea, and I have no more than 5 acquaintances. In my opinion, most often you will meet with a Kazakh or an Uzbek.
That's all! Thank you for your attention.
By the way, one of these days I'm going to go shopping to find out the material for a new article, the topic of which made me think hard.
Thanks to all!
(aboutkorea.ru)
About 50 million people live in the Republic of Korea. Various sources indicate that Koreans make up from 99 to 99.9 (!)% of the population. This homogeneity is unprecedented in countries with large populations and advanced economies. The guidebooks do not indicate the ethnic composition of the population at all.
According to unverified data, the largest diaspora can be considered the Chinese (about 100 thousand people), and the next largest “non-Koreans” in the country are the US military (28 thousand people). A fairly large stratum is now made up of foreign businessmen, and, due to the rapid development of the Korean economy, there are more and more of them, as well as students receiving education in Korea.
Russian forums in South Korea
Hamkke.Borda.ru - forum "Hamkke" - Russian emigrants living in Korea communicate here
Job offers. Contract workers and illegal immigrants in South Korea. Korean. Search for friends and relatives. Cultural leisure
KoreanSpace.ru - Russian-speaking Korean forum
RussianKorea.com - Russian forum in Korea
Jobs in South Korea. Buy, sell, give. Leisure. Common topics
Immigration to South Korea
South Korea: Visa policy and regulation of labor immigration (rospersonal.ru)
In the regulation of entry, stay and employment foreign citizens great importance has a visa policy. The main documents for the entry of foreigners into South Korea are a passport and a visa. At the same time, 32 types of visas are established by the immigration legislation of the Republic of Korea.
Theoretically, transit passengers or sightseeing tourists can stay in Korea without a visa for 30 days if they have a return ticket with a fixed date. However, this rule does not apply to stateless persons and to representatives of sufficient a large number countries including Russia.
Our hero's name is Samuel. He is 23. He was born in Korea. He spent 6 years in Russia, receiving a musical education at one of the universities in Vladivostok. The guy met his beloved Christina at a local water park. Further - from the words of Samuel.
Russian women are not friendly
Russian women are unfriendly strangers. When I approached Chris with a proposal to get acquainted, I instantly caught her displeased look on myself. Before meeting Christina, I met other Russian girls, and for the first five minutes they answered me “with a chill” in their voice. I noticed that Korean women are more willing to engage in dialogue with the opposite sex and smile a lot, unlike Russians, because behavior among Korean girls is popular " aegyo ».
Russians speak directly about what they want, while Koreans try to explain their desires with half hints
Korean girls like to use "aegyo" when talking to guys. This phenomenon refers to the cute, childlike behavior that most Korean women tend to have, especially when they want something from their significant other. A Korean woman will never say directly: “Buy me this,” rather, a Russian woman will do so. And the Korean beauty will subtly hint, roll her eyes innocently, smile languidly, but will never openly tell the guy what she wants.
Russian women cannot be called kind
Once you ask for something, they will do it. Another time they will be indignant and refuse: they say, I did it last time - now it's your turn! And Korean women are more loyal to requests, they are always ready to meet halfway.
There are a lot of lazy girls in Russia
In the university group, I was surrounded only by girls, and most of them studied with reluctance. Sometimes students skipped classes and did not do their homework: they were lazy. In Korea, it is customary to study hard - we highly value higher education. It's just that the likelihood that you will be hired without a diploma is very small.
Russians -excellent housewives
I have many female friends in Vladivostok. When I came to visit them after classes, they often treated me to something delicious - cakes and pies of their own preparation. In the house of my girlfriends, I have never seen dirt - all rooms are clean and tidy. In addition, Chris proved to be a wonderful hostess. For several days we lived together, she often cooked for me and kept order in the house. Koreans in this regard are no worse than Russians, which cannot be said about Chinese women. I spent my childhood in China and I know that a man does almost all the housework there.
Russians are prettier than Koreans
Russian women are attracted by European appearance - big eyes and "curvy forms", which Korean women strive for, resorting to the help of plastic surgeons. As for clothes, Russians on the street attract attention with their sexy outfits. Korean women dress simply and not at all frankly - in Korea, by the way, it is not customary to wear things with an open neckline. Simplicity is also characteristic of “Korean-style” makeup – Korean women prefer natural makeup, unlike Russian women, who put an indecent amount of makeup on their faces.
Russians look older than their years
Russians eat a lot of bread, which is probably why their skin ages quickly. Twenty-year-old girls look twenty-five, and thirty-year-olds look thirty-eight. Koreans regularly eat protein foods - this allows them to prolong their youth and maintain their visual appeal for many years.
Russians love to go out, and Koreans, like Russians, often drink
Korea has a very developed "alcohol culture". Almost daily, Koreans drink beer or soju - Korean vodka. Young Korean girls often drink in a friendly company. Like Russians, Koreans do not like to stay at home and love to have fun in local clubs, but still, Korean girls are more at home - they do not go out as often as Russians.
Russian girls demonstrate their independence in every possible way
In Korea, during a date, a woman’s bag is most often carried by a man; in Russia, girls reject such help from their companion. Russian women like to demonstrate independence: “I go to the store myself, I will do it myself, and this.” Maybe the reason for their emancipation lies in divorces, which are not uncommon in Russia?
In a nutshell
It’s easier to get in touch with Koreans because we are similar – we share the same culture and the same language. Russians are different. Russian girls are like unread books for me: it takes time to study them. But the more interesting it is to communicate with them.
The Russian community in Korea includes not only full-blooded Russians, but also members of other ethnic groups of the population of Russia - Tatars, Poles, and, for some time, Koryo-saram (ethnic Koreans whose ancestors immigrated to Russia at the end of the 19th century), and also Sakhalin Koreans.
Early history
It is assumed that the first Russian subject in Korea was Afanasy Ivanovich Seredin-Sabatin, an architect. He was invited to Korea from Tianjin by the Korean Emperor Gojong. Karl Ivanovich Weber became the first official representative Russian Empire in Seoul, April 1885. With the establishment of formal relations, more Russians came to Korea in the 1890s, mostly via Manchuria. During those years, the Russian community was organized around the Russian diplomatic mission, opened in 1890, and the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, opened in 1903, both located in the Chon-dong area of Seoul. The Russian community consisted mainly of church missionaries, diplomats and merchants. Russia played an important role in Korean politics in those years, at one time Gojong himself lived in the Russian embassy out of fear for his life after the assassination of his wife, Empress Ming, in 1895. However, after Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, Russian influence in Korea waned.
Post-colonial era
In 1956 the Russian Orthodox Church in Seoul teamed up with
Strictly speaking, this girl shares what she doesn't like about Korea. But overall, I liked the story. To be honest, I have no idea how Koreans live. It is in the south, not in the DPRK.
What I don't like about Korea
1. No buckwheat. I'm not a particular fan, but you unconsciously begin to miss her. I found it only in the Russian quarter near the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park station. Of course, overprice, but who cares - you can buy. Red caviar too;)
2. Nowhere to swim. The rivers are dirty, the sea is dirty, swimming is prohibited everywhere. Everyone swims only in the pool:`(In the summer during the day it was under 33 degrees, at night 28 ... In Tver, I would go to my career in the evening, in Moscow - to Serbor, but here - what? Nothing: (((You can jump into the Khan River and brace flee across the river from the police.Well, as an option.
3. You can't go to barbecues. In general, making a fire in the forest is strictly prohibited. There is only one camping site, but the time on it is booked well in advance and flies in a matter of seconds after the opening of the reservation. There are special houses that can be rented and where you can barbecue in a specially designated space, but this is not at all, not that :(
4. Terribly expensive to skydive. In Russia, this pleasure costs about 6,000 rubles, in Korea - about 500,000 won (at the current exchange rate - 23,000 rubles!). Horse riding is also expensive, surfing is also expensive, snowboarding is also expensive. It remains only to go to karaoke and drink soju :(
5. My shoe size is missing. Generally find women's shoes larger than size 39 is unrealistic if you only buy multisex: (Everyone tells me that somewhere in Itaewon you can find big shoes, but I didn’t succeed. Mb you will be more successful, big-footed brothers :)
6. There are a lot of markets in Korea with cheap beautiful clothes, but it cannot be applied. Infuriates. Arrrrr.
7. Nobody jogs down the street - only in gyms. Sucks: (And you have to pay for the gym. Already closer to the middle of my stay in Korea, I found special running zones: along the rivers. In principle, it’s cool. There’s even a special base for running so as not to injure my knees.
8. Terrible stressful job in the office, which takes a lot of time and effort. How does this affect me? It’s just a couple of Korean friends who are office workers, and sometimes it’s simply impossible to get them somewhere, because at 6 they go to work, and at 12 at night they leave work. But they get a lot. In Russia, the average salary is 20,000 rubles. In Korea, the average salary is 2000 bucks...
9. Koreans drink very often, almost every day. And this applies not only to young people, but to everyone. Alcohol is considered effective way stress relief. After work, going to drink with colleagues is a must. Everyone hates, but everyone goes. Because everyone wants a raise. Well, weekends with friends are also a nice thing. And with a girl to go for a drink - it would also be necessary :)
10. Expensive fruits. It is a fact. Are you going to Korea? Take vitamins and ascorbic acid with you, but more.
11. Yes, in general, collect more medicines, what the hell can you buy at a pharmacy. I say, give me something to wash my throat, and in return - just eat these pills after a meal: (In the pharmacy you can’t choose what you want to buy, everyone has to take only what the pharmacist gives. buy medicines in advance in Russia.
12. And about a sore subject. Although it’s easy to get to the hospital (it’s not necessary to have medical insurance), doctors are usually very expensive: ((By the way, another life hack. When you apply for an ID card at the immigration embassy (and I recommend that all students STRONGLY do it immediately upon arrival, so as not to carry with you are abroad everywhere and so that the experience of your stay in Korea accumulates), you will be asked to either have medical insurance or, if not, to do a health check.
And if you are in Seoul immigration, do not be lazy, find out the way to the nearest hospital - it is very cheap there. About 500 won (yes, two zeros). We need a photo too! And there you can immediately do a health check for a part-time job in food places for 1500 won. About the path: you exit the door of the immigration, go straight through the gate outside to the road.
Turn right, cross the road, and still go straight. By right hand there will be a park from you (it will take about 10 minutes to walk, do not be afraid that it does not end quickly). Cross the road again and in front of you is a certain complex of buildings. Turn right in front of it, reach the end and turn left. And look for hospital signs. Find out further.
By the way, when you make an ID, immediately ask to write what documents you will need to renew it (there are 10 times more of these documents than just getting an ID) - then you will thank me. ID card establishment - 30,000, renewal - 60,000. This ID card is called alien registration card. It is like a visa, that is, you do not need to go to Russia every time to renew your visa if you study in Korea for a long time.
To establish an ID, you will need to take a document confirming the payment for your studies and enrolling you in it, a passport, 30,000, and another 10,000 - take a photo in a photo machine in an immigration office and make photocopies of your passport. When you take a photo, do not forget to remove the hair so that it does not cover the ears. Plus, you will need to fill out an application form. Everything seems to be ... Although check with friends.
I don’t remember if it was necessary for the institution, or is it already for renewal, a document-agreement for renting an apartment in Seoul. And for renewal, you will also need a Korean bank account and (mandatory!) a certificate of academic performance for the previous semester from the university. You can also call the immigration office and find out everything in more detail. :) Well, or ride a few times, as everyone does))))
Well let's continue the list :)
13. If you decide to sunbathe, for example, by the river, or just somewhere on the lawn in the park, as is often done in Moscow, people will start pointing fingers at you and maybe even taking pictures. Nobody is on fire here. Koreans have a cult of white skin. They even bathe in shorts and T-shirts (both girls and boys).
14. A little about the sore. There are few bins around -_- And if there are, you always have to think about where to throw the garbage - because they divide everything into plastic, glass, etc.
15. Girls don't wear open-chested clothes. For them, this is ... well, for us, gypsies breastfeeding their children on the train. They look at foreigners through their fingers, but if you have a slightly Asian appearance, then get ready for all the Korean grannies and grandfathers they meet to come up to you and scold you :) But this does not prevent Korean women from wearing super short skirts and shorts;) so there is some compensation.
16. Still, the average height of a Korean person is lower than that of a Russian. This does not mean that there are no tall ones, but there are fewer of them and for the most part tall guys, girls are short.
17. In the clubs on Hongdae, the guys turn into some kind of animals, trying to cuddle the girls for whatever they have to. In general, this item is negative for me, but, as they say, whoever likes what;) Lady, it’s better not to look at the Korean club at Hongig University - go to the club in Gangnam or Itaewon.
18. You can’t really ride a bike around the city - there are mountains everywhere. No, not hills - MOUNTAINS. If you have ever been to Ufa and climbed uphill from the railway station, then you will understand me. So, there the whole city is in such slopes!
19. Male Koreans are strange creatures. Usually they will not talk about the problem face to face, but will simply run away. As happened with my girlfriend - she went on a date with a Korean guy to the cinema, everything was fine, they laughed, ate popcorn, after the movie they went to the toilet, she goes out, waits, but the guy is not there. 40 minutes waiting. He ran away and then did not even let himself know about himself. But he's alive, he's changing his avu in a kakaotok :) This is a vivid example, so to speak. There are many more examples. For example, a friend of a friend was dating a guy, and he just disappeared after a month. Apparently not wanting to explain the breakup. Well, they don’t like unpleasant conversations, what to take from them ...
20. There is no cheese in Korea. There is only a melted type of squares ... No, of course, you can find it in supermarkets ... But it will cost its weight in gold. Cheese lovers - take it with you from Russia :) And there is no kefir either :(
21. Bicycles are super expensive. Even the principle “well, I’ll buy the cheapest one” won’t work. Tip: torture Korean friends who have an ownerless bike to ride.
22. I like the Korean mentality in general. With the exception of the mentality in study and work. Instead of making the most efficient use of time: rest-work-rest-work, they work constantly. They are in constant stress, do not give themselves a second to stop. Everything is built on the principle of cramming and monotonous work. Hence depression and suicide, already recognized as a national problem.
On that cheerful note, I end.
P.S. In general, of course, it is difficult to compare with America. By the way, there are quite a lot of Koreans in the USA. I already wrote somewhere that they are friendly, stubborn, persistent and very peaceful guys.
Why am I writing this? If you can't escape to the US, there are other options. Korea is not the worst, especially if you have an Asian appearance and origin. Join!
