What Koreans Think About Westerners

Koreans have some interesting ideas about the Western world. 

With the proliferation of Western media, culture, entertainment, fashion, food, and ideas (as well as many other things) in Asia, it is no surprise that most Koreans have at least a passing familiarity with Westerners and their lifestyle. But as might be expected, Koreans also have some misconceptions about Westerners. As I am American, I will speak specifically about the ideas that pertain to the good ol’ US of A.

Here are a few of the misconceptions I’ve encountered:

1. Westerners can’t use chopsticks. More than one Korean has expressed shock when watching me eat with chopsticks. I’ve also had a fork put out specifically for me, just in case I needed it. I think some Koreans would be surprised to learn that I’ve known how to use chopsticks since I was a kid.
2. Westerners can’t read Korean. Korean is one of the easiest languages to learn to read. It was specifically designed (by King 새종 [sejong] in 1446) to be intuitive, comprehensive, and useful. Every symbol corresponds to a sound, and every symbol makes only one sound (unlike English). Therefore, reading was one of the first skills I gained in Korean. Yet some Koreans still seem surprised that I have taken the time to learn to read their language.
3. Westerners can’t speak Korean. Along the same lines as the point above, Koreans tend to think that Westerners (especially here on tourist-rich Jeju) have not bothered to learn any Korean. So they are pleasantly surprised when I use the few phrases I know.
4. Westerners can’t handle spicy food. Of all the misconceptions, this one is perhaps the most curious and most prevalent. I’ve had Korean friends, waitstaff, and even strangers fret over how spciy my food is. People at restaurants have tried to warn me away from certain foods because they are “too spicy”. Now, I’m not exactly a fan of flaming hot foods, but I can handle a bit of kick. And most Korean foods I’ve encountered so far have been quite palatable, even for someone who hesitates before ordering “medium” salsa. Many Koreans do not seem to be aware that in the States we often eat Mexican and Indian food, both of which tend to be spicy, as well as other kinds of spicy foods.
5. Americans eat McDonald’s a lot. It’s kind of funny, but several Koreans I’ve known have said that they were surprised upon their visit to the US to find that McDonald’s was not a hotspot for Americans. In fact, one Korean said, “Only homeless people go there.” A hilarious observation that illustrates the misconception about Mickey D’s.
6. Everyone in the United States is the same or very similar to each other. South Korea is not a very big country. Granted, due to the poor quality of some roads and the absence of a direct highway going north-south, it might take you quite a while to drive across the whole country. But even so, my home state of WA is still 1.85 times bigger than the entire country. Futhermore, Confucian ideas about community and family life are dominant here, which means most people focus on what’s best for the group. Conformity is the norm. Standing out from the crowd is a great way to get yourself ostracized (which is the opposite in the US, of course). Thus, as a natural extension of these two ideas, the people of South Korea tend to be relatively similar to one another. Jeju is a bit of an exception because it is so far removed from the mainland, but it’s still a pretty close match. Contrast this with the US (which is 81 times as large), a melting pot of world cultures and a nation whose citizens pride themselves on individualism. Every American knows that major differences exist between the people of each part of the country and even each state. But some Koreans think that everyone in the US is the same, because that most closely matches their own experience here in their home country. It’s a perfectly natural assumption to make.

That’s it for now. Until next time!

-Marc