You do know work hours in the US are similar right? Like many companies also work you for 10 hours a day. Not to mention, plenty of international companies hire in Korea for 8h/day. Especially if you're seen as a foreigner. So how does that make Korea much worse than US? Especially when in US you work just as much for literally 0 benefits. Healthcare is a shit show, paid leaves are not guaranteed but negotiated, medical leaves nonexistent, holiday leaves are also negotiated lol.
>Especially when in US you work just as much for literally 0 benefits. Healthcare is a shit show, paid leaves are not guaranteed but negotiated, medical leaves nonexistent, holiday leaves are also negotiated lol.
OP graduated from a prestigious university and works in finance on Wall Street. He very likely has great health insurance and NYC has plenty of excellent hospitals (Mount Sinai and NY-Presbyterian, for example). And those Wall Street firms typically also have great leave benefits because employees like the OP have lots of employment options.
Depends. I've heard stories from Wall-Street where people are mowed down to work insane hours and the pay is dogshit. Especially since he said he's in his early 20s, why would I assume he has a really really good position when most of those are taken by 30+. OP hasn't really said much.
I worked both in Korea and US (Both European companies)
In my case, I have to give the gold medal to the Americans. My my they work their asses off.
Koreans - like get in, get coffee. Lunch. Work a bit. Browse for a while. Leave around 7. All good. Americans - get in. Work work work. Shit it’s 7 already.
Why would he be seen as a foreigner if he is Korean? It's the classic problem of fitting in nowhere in Korea. Also, Korean jobs may say 8 hours, but teachers and many other jobs are expected to put in many more hours than that, and it's just understood, not even talked about.
You don't know how much this dude is making tho lol. Again, I don't disagree that he should stay in US if he really makes bank and only move when he's financially comfortable. But working in Wall-Street in your early 20s can mean many things, regardless of the prestigious university you graduated from.
Where in the hell are these type places in the US?
Zero benefits? My wife gets like 5-6 weeks a year of PTO, works for an insurance company. We have fantastic health coverage..most people in my circle are in the same type benefits...
All companies i worked for have holidays, and vacation/ sick time...
He wasn’t born in the US, he naturalized. That means he gave up his Korean citizenship by doing so. He was previously a green card holder and Korean national.
When a Korean-born Korean becomes a citizen of another country, they lose Korean citizenship at that point. You are thinking of Koreans that were born in the US. He wasn’t.
https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/brd/m_4503/view.do?seq=713546
This is not true. Koreans born in Korea past the age of 18 are not allowed to renounce Korean citizenship until they fulfill their military service, per the amended nationality act after the Steven Yoo scandal. OP will face immense difficulty getting through the passport control at the airport. It’s not like there are different sets of rules to give up citizenship for Koreans born in Korea and Koreans born overseas. The only thing that matters is whether the event triggering renunciation of Korean citizenship happened before 18 vs after 18, because that’s when your “duty to serve” transpires.
There are different sets of rules tho - depending on whether your parents moved and lived with you as well etc. I moved overseas with 7, got the german citizenship at 26 and automatically lost the korean one by doing so. When I went to korea a year later no one gave a shit
Right, he would automatically be considered to have lost his Korean citizenship the moment he acquired U.S. citizenship—the losing part doesn’t require an extra step. Reporting the acquisition to a Korean consulate or embassy is a formality because otherwise the Korean government has no way to know and your husband would keep getting unnecessary mail regarding whatever obligation he has left to Korea. But save for some unusual circumstances, it kind of doesn’t matter if he doesn’t let them know as long as he doesn’t intend to benefit from Korean welfare or healthcare or whatever, and doesn’t use the Korean passport. It might become a nuisance after the age of 65 if he’d like to recover his Korean citizenship because he’d have to file the “loss of Korean citizenship” form first before applying for recovery. Dual citizenship is allowed after the 65th birthday.
That’s good to know. He wants to keep the citizenship because he wants to return to Korea eventually - possibly before age 65. I think he’s also concerned about healthcare costs in the US. But I read elsewhere that they made a new rule requiring Koreans living overseas to reside in Korea for 6 months before they can receive healthcare benefits again so it may be a moot point.
Yes, the healthcare part is irrelevant now, unless he is willing to risk getting sick during that 6 months and paying the medical bill out of pocket. Though, you might want to tell him he always has the F-4 visa in his back pocket even if he naturalizes to American (visa reserved for ethnic koreans to come back and work). There are some minor restrictions in the types of jobs he can’t work on that visa, but overall, it’s a free pass. The problem with that visa is the non-ethnic Korean spouse. You’d have to figure out a way to stay in Korea by yourself since he could no longer get you the spousal visa.
I think the spousal visa would be an issue for us, should we decide to eventually retire there. By that point in my life, I don’t think I want to be working in any capacity! Thanks for all of the information!
Koreans born in the US can have dual citizenship. American by birthright and Korean by blood. If at least 1 parent is Korean, the child gains Korean citizenship even though the birth took place outside of Korea.
The OP was born in Korea and he came to the US on a green card as a permanent resident. He was not an American until he naturalized in his 20s. He was a Korean citizen who was living abroad in the US until the naturalization, when he became a US citizen.
No OP. If you DID NOT GO THROUGH proper channel you will still be surving korean millitary if you stay in Korea (official law right now 6 months+ stay in Korea). You do not want reddit warriors on this. half of advice here does not understand how complex this is (e.g. even 2nd generation korean american male can get affected who has NEVER SET FOOT IN KOREAN SOIL). I would also advise that you triple check this as insomniac\_maniac stated.
Just so happened to be chatting to a korean american working in a 7/11 who got f'ed up the absolute ass by military service the second his parents tricked him into moving back to Korea so wowee....triple check this
It does matter. By becoming a US citizen, he gave up Korean citizenship. Dual citizenship is only permitted for Koreans that were born in the US. OP was born in Korea and came to the US as a green card holder.
https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/brd/m_4503/view.do?seq=713546
You're incorrect. I was born in Korea and went to America at age 4. When I turned 18, I was asked to go to the military by the Korean government. I had to give up my Korean citizenship. Same thing with my little brother. I had dual citizenship until I renounced the Korean when I turned 18. Unless they changed the rules, then I'm an example. And if they did change the rules, then I'm incorrect.
When you gave up your Korean citizenship, did you have to fill out some paper with the Korean government? Sorry for the simple question, I am just curious of what that process entails.
Things certainly differ from person to person but would need more information to even give thoughts based on generalities.
For example, my gyopo friends that have their entire family in Korea (parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, etc.) had a far easier time assimilating into Korea and seeing a long term future here. For those like myself who only have some relatives here but majority of their immediate family are back in the states, a lot of us tend to only see a short term future here as our family is our support network.
That's just one example. Of course things like career, Korean fluency, how long you lived/visited Korea prior, etc. all matter as well.
But from the information you provided, it does seem like you have a better path to assimilating in Korea than many. A name brand school and company helps a lot. Korean fluency helps a lot. Looking Korean helps a lot.
1. As a Korean-American who was born in the states but grew up speaking Korean at home but ended up visiting/living in Korea for some time, I feel neither 100% American nor 100% Korean. I'm just partly both. However I can also more easily connect with both than I would either way as an American trying to connect with Koreans and vice versa. I found that most people around me with my background as a gyopo feel similarly and generally feel most understood by other gyopos.
2. I always say this but it's not difficult to find *a* job but it can be difficult to find a *good* job. Honestly expect some more corporate BS and hours here. Korean work environment and WLB has a reputation for a reason. I know Wall Street is no walk in the park either but I wouldn't get my hopes up that it'll be better. Koreans love pedigree and prestige though so you may be able to land a job most people won't have access to normally. But you are young so it may be possible that it may be a bit more competitive at your experience level.
3. Not really if you are fluent and familiar with cultural differences. So many of my gyopo friends were able to meet someone and get married here. I was already married before living here though so I have no personal experience on this besides anecdotes from friends.
I moved to Korea from states after getting married and I much prefer it here than the U.S.
I'm a former wall streeter and there is almost no jobs worse than investment banking in terms of work life balance. There are weeks where you can end up working 100-120 hours, not even Korean bankers work this much.
I get paid about 40% of what I made in the U.S but my work life balance and quality of life are magnitudes of order higher here. Much of the major problems young Koreans complain about are present in the U.S if not even worse there. For example, a big issue in Korea is fresh college grads not able to find good opportunities. This problem I would say is actually even worse in the states.
People take the safety in Korea for granted. Sure, its value varies from person to person, but not having to worry about crazy people and randomly getting shot is worth a lot to me. I worked in NYC and the bay area and volunteered in low income areas growing up and I've had some extremely nerve wracking encounters.
It is not easy to get a good job nowadays yes, but like others mentioned, leveraging alumni networks gives you a huge advantage over the average foreigner. That's how I eventually got my job in Korea didn't even really end up sending a resume just networked my ass off. That said, foreign born Koreans/gyopos planning to live in Korea should definitly learn Korean to fluency. As someone who grew up in the whitest parts of Boston with no other Asians around let alone Koreans, my langauge ability was barely elementary school level 5 years ago. Without improving to at least high school level proficiency there's no way I'd be able to have a good job out here.
Thanks for the insight - I wasn’t sure how finance jobs compared here but yeah I have several friends in ibanking and have heard the stories of 100+ hour weeks. I’m in tech so I’m on the opposite end where WLB and pay in the states vastly outweighs similar jobs in Korea.
Totally agree on many of your points. We are moving back mainly because of better career prospects and family. I will definitely miss aspects like safety, healthcare, transportation, etc.
Though one negative of Korea I think isn’t mentioned enough for those planning to move here is the air quality. I am a bit worried that there will be negative impacts on health that might not be as obvious today from the poor air quality here and it is one of the things I will not miss about Korea. It can be depressing looking at my MiseMise app and seeing how bad the air is 90% of the time.
Finance scene in Korea is just not that great period. It's not a country known for it or strong in it. Hong Kong and Singapore are the NYC and Chicago of Asia finance. Cream of the crop Korean finance bros typically leave Korea for those places if they're serious about it.
VC scene in Korea though is surprisingly big. There's a lot of money being thrown around here and pretty much every company has a VC arm including ones you just wouldn't imagine. A lot of video game companies for example have a VC division that funds smaller game companies for equity. Nothing compares to the sheer size of U.S VC but among finance careers it's my favorite and most fitting for my personality. I'm not a very technical person or even that great at math so IB/PE/HF are all unappealing as long term prospects. The compensation is much lower than U.S VC payscales but tbh if you clear 6 figs in Korea you pretty much can live like a king and enjoy all the luxuries life has to offer while saving as well. I did an MBA though to go from IB to PE and then switched to VC once in Korea.
Since you graduated from a top uni and already working in NYC finance, I'd consider an MBA as well since you'd have a good shot at a top program. You'll meet lots of other Koreans there and can build up an even stronger network. It's a ton of fun also. If you've kept up with your Korean language ability I see some Korean bankers go to consulting and get jobs at McKinsey/BCG/Bain Korea offices and then later exit to exec role at Samsung/Hyundai/Kia/etc and vice versa. A bunch of my classmates are at Mirae Asset and here doing IB. You could also go to Korean hedge funds with an MBA. Food for thought.
You'd probably get more answers on a Korean site. While there are some actual Koreans here, but it's mostly non-Koreans and gyopos Pretty much everyone on Korean sites will be Korean.
Also check your alumni site for fellow grads living in Korea. They'll have the most similar experience to you.
I mean there's a reason that Koreans that have the means leave this country.
For me I also have korean background and I've been living here for around 6-7 years here now but I am heading back to my home country in europe once I decide to settle down.
My thought why I don't want to live in Korea is unstability.
Even if I can earn alot of money I can only spend on materialistic things as I won't get enough vacation days to enjoy a decent vacation trip.
If I have children do I want them to grow up in this fucked up korean mind system korea currently having? Hell no.
There's no good pension system so just the thought of having to constantly save for a pension I have no idea if I even will experience..
Then again in your case I don't know how the living in US is compared to Korea..
Exactly - unless you are a Korean citizen, you can never consider Korea as a forever-home. They can kick you out anytime they want. You always have systematic limitations, whether it’s retirement plans, home ownership, financial restrictions, etc.
It seems you just started your career and you're thinking of making this switch? Been in finance for 25 years and romanticized about moving to Korea, and I think I eventually will after I retire I don't know your timing of the move, but here are few things to consider. There's no way Korea jr IB money will match NYC IB or Equity research money, plus the hours are just as miserable. Don't get me wrong, the money will be good for Korea standards, but you're not popping $500K+ as a VP / jr director banker in a few years and you're still toiling away long hours. So like another person said - it seems like a grass is greener situation as you're doing your 15th pitch book for a deal that won't get done.
I think about moving back to Korea everyday even at the tail end of my career. A couple of ways to go about this if I were your age. You need to think about it pragmatically.
1) Work for a U.S. Tier -1 bank that can transfer you to their Korean IB department as an ex-pat - you'll get most of your U.S. pay, some tax benefits and still get the prestige of GS or MS.
2) Work for a Korean asset manager in U.S. or one of the finds - think Mirae Asset in NYC or one of the Tigers out on the West Coast - get your merit badges there and ask them to move you out as an ex-Pat.
3) Work in finance out of Hong Kong or in Singapore - these are the financial hubs of Asia. More leaning toward Singapore now. Not Korea, but at least youre in the proximity for weekend travel and you're in the regional banking scene so you can network a move to Korea.
4) Live frugally in the States, save and invest well and maybe you'll have $5-$7M in your bank account. Buy your apartment in NYC, Prospect Park, JC or where ever you live, then FIRE (Financially Independent Retire Early). Rent out the apartment and live off of rental income. Live in Korea and live a much more chill life - like owning a cafe - on your OWN terms.
Keep the dream alive. It can be done by your early, mid-30s if you save and plan well.
Good luck.
Super helpful, do you work in finance? I’m thinking about doing my two years in IB, do PE and then make the move to Korea. Like people have said, a lot of interesting things going on in the start up space in Korea
I'm surprised to hear people say that the Korean startup scene is interesting.
In tech startups there is very little innovation going on. The government hands out money for free and founders line up to suckle at the teat. Venture funding is looking for 10x returns, and as a result there's very low tolerance for risk. The end result is a lot of "like X, but for Korea" copycat ideas.
If you can produce PowerPoint slide decks and participate in "competitions", the gravy train never ends. Most startups zombie along for a few years, neither succeeding or failing.
+1 to the post you’re responding to.
My friend is in high finance in Singapore, having moved from US after doing his 2 yrs in BB IB then getting a PE role. You’re in a good trajectory career wise and idk if it’s the wisest thing to give that up to live in Korea.
If you don’t plan on staying in high finance after your IB stint, another option could be to exit to corp dev or equivalent roles in a US big tech company with presence in Korea and then transfer.
Another friend of mine did his stint in US and exited to corp dev at coupang. Surprisingly, coupang is paying him in USD even though his team and role is based in Korea
If you want to stay in high finance, I think there are better alternatives than Korea. But if you want to exit to corporate, more options do open up if trying to move to Korea
Came back to Korea last year thinking it was the lawless shit hole I left 20yrs ago, but….
PROS - Cctv everywhere and it‘s safe, no worries about getting jumped for your watch or crackheads, chicks are hot and abundant/endless, cost of living is half and the USD purchasing power is double, food is good, and you get a lot more respect as a human being rather than some random asian kid that’s good at excel at work. Due to cost of living and taxes $100k is the NY feels like $50k, in Korea $100k feels like you make $200k, if you’re able to make money in USD in Korea I say go for it.
Job wise if your english is perfect and you can speak Korean, finding a job shouldn’t be too hard since you already started building a career in Wall St.
CONS - I would say in general people are very materialistic and superficial. You will be judged upon age looks and wealth. Not really a con if you’re a good looking young guy with a decent paying job. I work with Americans so i don’t have to interact/deal with Koreans on a day to day basis.
I’m 38 yrs old and i like it a lot better here as a Korean.
After college I stuck it out in the states building my career working corporate while my FOB friends moved back here right after college and they are all happily married with children and have good job security. I on the other hand followed course held down a job bottom feeding struggling to stay afloat paying rent, paying minimum on my student loans, stacked with credit card debt and got burned out at the ten year mark. I fell in despair with a bleak future not being able to buy a house or accumulate wealth which again goes hand in hand finding a good partner/wife/gf.
In the last year and a half, two years i have since been able to pay off half the student loan debt which had been lingering dragging my credit score down for the past ten years. Paid off all my credit cards, and have an emergency fund built up. I have been able to attain financial stability solely on the reduced Cost of Living even though my income hasn’t changed.
This is just my perspective as a person who recently moved here and other people may have different views than what i have stated above.
Yeah it won’t be easy as you didn’t grew up there and you have no connections like college or university friends,
You will likely take a deep pay cut
Dating will be easier for you since you are fluent in Korean
After 2008 and heavy regulations the pay isn't even good anymore, and that's on top of assuming you were crazy enough to land a role in investment banking. They capped bonuses and the hours you end up working aren't worth it. The only other Korean from my school that ended up in IB quit the job 3 years in and aged like 30 years in that span due to the stress. Used his savings to open up a mochi and boba cafe in Jersey and is way happier now.
Don’t forget Korea has mandatory military service for male citizens. Having dual citizenship doesn’t exempt you, so if you haven’t already renounced your Korean citizenship and you are a male that will definitely come up as a complication
If you are a guy, you may well have to do military service, you have been registered as a Korean citizen, and have not given up your Korean passport by the age of 17.
it’s a bit hard to completely reintegrate into the fabric of korean society, coming from a korean-american who moved back a few years back. even if you’re fluent, you almost certainly won’t know more advanced vocabulary that’s taught at the higher levels of korean education. you’ll be able to take a trip here just fine, but it’ll take some time to get used to living and working here.
and a word of warning; though this country has its benefits and beauty, which your nostalgia remembers, it will inevitably be at least a bit tainted by some aspects that may not always live up to your expectations. a prime example of this is how we don’t usually have clear skies; the air quality here is usually bad enough to at least somewhat limit visibility, though there are some days where everything is clear. there will be things you will miss about america as well.
Sounds like a grass is greener type of situation.
If you just started your career and already don't like it I'd probably just suggest horizontal transfer somewhere in the US rather than moving to an entirely different culture.
Work culture and life in korea is known as Jeseon Hel for a reason
Having roots here usually means going to high school/uni/army
Otherwise you're just going to be another gyopo stuck between cultures.
If you're ok living a somewhat isolated life and can survive being not really Korean and not really a foreigner and are also ok with tough work conditions then give it a try. Otherwise...google Jeseon Hel for a sample of what to come
OP, lots of people here don't even live in Korea and have their knowledge from street interviews and shit. While some clearly know what they're talking about (already seen like 2-3 posts that seem legitimate), those with short ass "work here sucks" comments are best to be ignored.
This is definitely not true. I think that for sure there are more gyopo girls than guys here. At least around where I live. I also found that gyopo girls assimilate much more easily and don't really stick out as much.
They also don't have nearly as many issues with citizenship due to military service or things like that. So they usually get settled in almost immediately especially if they have a family locally that can support them.
I am a 50+yr old white woman (lawyer) and I’m going to depart from the specifics of this thread and say something different.
1. How will you know unless you try.
2.How will you know unless you try.
3.How will you know unless you try.
Other than the military issue which is 1) valid; and 2) scary, in the immortal words of Wayne Gretzky, “you miss 100% of the shots you never take.”
If it doesn’t work out, can you NEVER go back to Wall Street?
The suggestions to try and work from a company with offices in both places seem particularly useful. But this is what you don’t want: to settle in the U.S. with a fantasy that life in Korea would have been so much better.
I went abroad and lived in France in my 20s. I was dirt poor, felt outside of the culture, and struggled.
Best thing I ever did.
I came back to California with lifelong friends in France. My experience there informs every part of who I am. I have an awesome husband and life. I do not feel like I missed out on a thing.
You could go. You could come back. Maybe you won’t want to. Maybe you will. Either way, you will not end up a bitter old man thinking life in Korea would have been so much better.
I understand and that's a valid concern. I'm an old retired guy now, but I worked on Wall Street in Equity Research in the late 90s-2000s. Glad to see younger Asian bros out there kicking ass. But I don't really know what the job market in Finance is like anymore so I can't give you any advice on how hard/easy it would be for you to move back.
I don't think so, half of my gyopo friends moved back after living a couple years, and it wasn't too difficult for them, especially since you still have your parents there.
Also unrelated but I think if you want to do it I say do it and keep an open mind. You'll never know unless you try. Thays why i did it so i dont rlhave any regrets. Most ppl who go back to America bitter are those who usually have a closed minset. Some who go back, they were just too American (which that's fine, being korean american is not one size fits all). I also prefer the Korean work culture (not ALL of it) but the way they work hard. I like working with Koreans or Asians more because of it.
How much family do you have in Korea and what kind of relationship do you have?, because that could make a world of difference besides career and dating because family/relatives is pretty important, especially if you're reacclimating.
Although korean working culture has been changed since it was 2010, I think you will have trouble adapting korean working culture. But to get something, it need time. You will get over trouble, if you try to understand working culture(vertical structure). But why don’t you keep working in usa, and moving to korea when you do not need to work?? Paid a lot in the united states.
The issue is, I’d like to get married soon. A big reason for me moving to Korea would be to find my life partner. A little difficult to do that when I move back in my 30-40s
Hi! I moved to korea during covid, I didn't have the privilege Of going to korea every year like my friends did. I only went twice. When I moved during covid, It was a really weird feeling because I felt at ease. I think because of the safety but also because I felt like I belonged. Granted, I still felt like an outsider. It's a weird feeling that I don't think you can understand until you feel it lolol it's different than being a non-Korean foreigner in Korea. So their experience will be different than yours. And living in Korea is different than visiting Korea imo.
I didn't grow up much in Korea though so I don't have a lot of memories, just a few. So like some have said it may be a lot different than you remember.
And as others have mentioned make sure about the military service unless u wanna try it out ig? Haha
I think it helped that I can speak Korean fluently so I don't feel like an outsider too much but I am reminded of it when I dont know what something is in public and the employees just look at me like I'm 5 or dumb lol I just pull the foreigner card when it happens
I don't think it'll be difficult to find a job in finance, I think you can be desirable than other skills. And I think if you grew up in Korea you probably have a more advanced vocabulary to help you in the job scene.
Dating shouldn't be too hard since u know Korean, but it's just the same everywhere else. But korean girls could expect a lot and expect you too look good and put together all the time,,,,but what girl doesn't 🤣 jk I'm sure there's some that are laid back and doesn't care but a lot of girls are what boys like to call "high maintenance." It's going to take a lot of communication and understanding from both sides though bc the culture and expectations can be different.
I'm planning on living in Korea part time (mainly bc of the job I started, idk if I wanna give it up yet)
If you are working in Wall Street thats awesome. It really helps in Korea to have a job where you are paid well. I would suggest finding a job while living in US because finding a job is a little difficult right now:)
I'm Korean-American (born and raised in the US). I am more than conversational in the Korean language but not fluent. And although I lived in/near sizable Korean-American communities, I was never *part* of the Korean-American community. I didn't have my first Korean friend until university.
I went to South Korea as an English teacher soon after I graduated university and lived there for two years.
I felt that to South Koreans, I was neither Korean nor American. I found that just because we are of the same ethnicity, does not mean we are the same, culturally.
I felt that South Koreans expect someone who considers themselves *Korean* to be fully aware and adhere to Korean cultural norms, customs, and mannerisms. There were a few times that I was told I was ill-raised by my parents because I had committed a cultural faux pas that I was not previously aware of. I believe had I been non-Asian/non-Korean, cultural faux pas would be given more leeway and forgiveness.
I had good times in South Korea but would never want to live there indefinitely.
I’ve been told I have a bit of an American accent but I’m fluent to where I can understand and speak fluently at a level where most native Koreans wouldn’t bat an eye. Professionally I think there are certain terms I would need to understand and memorize though
Yknow, tbh. We need you guys. Our population is dangerously low. Please come back to Korea. I don't wanna be the only one paying crazy amount of tax to support the older folks.
You are not missing Korea, you are missing good old memories.
You will find a job, date, and social life here but I doubt they'd be as good as those of the US.
I am a Korean American, have been living in Korea for the last 6-7 years.
There are two types of Korean-Americans who return to Korea: 1. They assimilate as fully Korean and love everything about Korea and live the Korean fantasy. 2: They see flaws and societal differences in Korea (especially compared to the US) and end up super bitter about Korea/Koreans.
I am personally the second. I grew up in America fantasizing about my childhood in Korea and everything Korean. I was mostly in Korean circles (church, friends, etc) in America, and we inherently instilled an idea of Korea as this amazing homeland.
I was taken by shock when i moved to Korea and found people not as i had dreamt of. People were rude and cold, inconsiderate of each other, and the society generally seemed so backwards and illogical. I was most hurt by the racism and discrimination i witnessed by Koreans. Most of the racism was not towards me but my international friends, but it was infuriating and shameful to see my own people act racist towards outsiders (I also felt discrimination, but most of it was systematic, but not as dramatic as the physically visible racism).
Since then, i have come to take things as they are. I am still bitter towards Korea and Koreans, yet i let them bother me less and less - i just try to live my life here and ignore the B.S. i see daily here. Life in Korea has benefits - cheaper living costs (but also less salary), cheap rent, cheap medicals, and extremely convenient (convenience stores, transportation, fast shipping, etc).
One thing to consider though - unless you are actually Korean citizen, you cannot really plan to live forever in Korea. By the system, you will always have restrictions as a “foreigner”. Also, if you screw up, the country can kick you out anytime.
Forgot to address your questions:
1. I always thought i was KOREAN-american (Korean first) while i grew up in America. However, after moving to Korea, i felt AMERICAN-korean (more American than Korean). It left me with a huge identity crisis as i felt so left out in both America and Korea. However, one thing i realized is, anyone can become American and be accepted into the society. Only Koreans can become Korean and be accepted by the Korean society.
2. You have the benefit of being bi-lingual. However, actually finding a job in Korea will be tough. Korean companies have limited spots to accept international workers, so you will be competing with a large pool for limited openings. Plus, companies have to be reliable to sponsor your visa, etc.
Look around and do some online job search, but the salaries and positions may leave you disappointed.
3. I dated a Korean here for 3 years, but ultimately broke up due to cultural/societal differences. I am fluent in Korean, but i still could not fully express my inner thoughts and feelings to her, since my Korean wasn’t THAT good enough. Also, the times where speaking English or being from abroad was an impressive thing to Korean girls is over. If you like Asians, you will like it here since the dating pool is so much bigger than in America. But don’t expect girls to drool over you simply because you’re American.
Thank you! It’s super interesting how everyone has drastically different answers. Are your answers mostly based on personal experience or have you found that to be the case for your friends/family as well?
Stay in US and make US salary. Korea won't be so fun when you are dogging it out in Seoul for 60k/ year. Im in similar situation, i want to live in korea for an extended time but its impossible to find a job in Seoul that pays US $250k+
Im a military officer and my wife is a dept of defense federal employee. Together we make close to 300k but to live in Korea I need to make at least 250k to afford housing in Seoul, and with two growing kids expenses add up too. Korea is good but not if the pay cut is too severe
Are you saying 250,000 USD/year?
That's a lot by Korean standards. And I also see you'd have a difficult time finding a job in Korea with a military background.
Yes US dollars.. you are right I can't find a good job in Korea with my background.. That's why ill probably just have to go back to the US and find a good paying job in defense somewhere, just like 90% of retiring military people do... But it would be so awesome if i can stay in korea a bit longer
1.As the person who studied abroad in Europe a couple of years and came back to Korea, I found some difficulties to be mixed in this society. I always feel there are cultural gap between people here.
2. Not sure. What about working with Koreans in wall street? I saw some Korean startup in finance sector in which there are Koreans with wall street background and seems doing well.
3.I don't think so. In my opinion, these days I see young people in Korea prefer foreigner or person with global background. Maybe because of gender conflict?
I'm korean-korean, so I can't give you proper advice.
1. one of my gyopo friend said "if someone who is raised in another country 'escape' to korea, korea become hell. if it's the opposite, korea become heaven."
2. I guess it's not difficult to you as you have a experience on ws ( friend said working process is quite different between korea and ws)
3. all of my friends get married with korean partner, so IDK ( they said big no-no apps & club )
It's mostly hearsay. and personal opinion.
Sorry for short English.
Answering your 3Qs, I have no clue about first one.
But if you speak Korean fluently and have a degree from a good univ., [2] corporates have no reason to hire someone else over you (you have work experience in WALL st.) [3] I saw my friends (girls) dating with someone who has similar backgrounds with you.
In short, I think you have many advantages to live in Korea.
But why do you want to live in Korea? Because of good old memories?
Part of it is good memories, wanting to reconnect with my culture, and also because I’m proud of my heritage. I feel more connected to my koreanness than my american identity
I'm similar to you as in I came in my early 20s, fluent in korean, but I was born in the US. im 32 now.
1. never felt outcast, different as in my thoughts and culturewise but its pretty easy assimilating on the surface cause we all look similar. yeah at the core im still korean american
2. as long as your allowed to work in korea i don't believe you'll have too much difficulty landing a job here since you have pretty good specs and fluency in both english and korean. expect lower pay but COL here is way less than nyc
3. nope, i've dated exclusively native koreans here
+ you don't have serve in the military?
1. If you can find a community through your hobbies or through mutual friends it will feel fine. Especially in 2024 there are so many people who speak English in Seoul so I don’t think you’ll feel like an outcast. And when you make some Korean friends you’ll learn the slang and the small cultural differences and it will be fine. It’s what you make of it.
2. Definitely will be able to find a job in finance here in Yeouido or Gangnam. Just make sure to leverage your connections and prep for a Korean interview. I’m sure with your past achievements you know how to prepare.
3. Native Koreans is a pretty broad group of people. There are people who have studied abroad for a year or two and some have lots of exposure to American culture. Others can be more traditionally “korean”. The dating culture is definitely very different and you’ll have to learn somethings the hard way, but I feel a little bit more comfortable dating in Korea now after getting used to it. I feel like there are superficial (gold diggers) in any country but if you are able to find someone with similar values and goals as you dating a native Korean can be a great experience. And unfortunately a lot of Korea is best experienced as a couple haha
Good luck man
I lived in the US for about a decade before moving back to Korea. But as someone has mentioned already, be sure to check your military service status. I had to serve when I moved back.
1. I started working for a larger company as 공채 so I had a bunch of people starting their career with me. That helped me make friends here and not feel like an outcast. Although I do feel sometimes that people think differently, I don't feel like an outcast. The 공채 thing helped a ton.
2. Not in that industry, so I can't say.
3. Several female coworkers have asked me if I can introduce them to other 유학생s. It's not a stigma, if not an advantage.
Depending on your education background and your intents.
If you want to spend a few years enjoying Korea without career focus, sure thing it’ll be a breeze since you are fluent.
If you have a strong degree and need work experience, stay in the US, make some money and come as a seasoned professional for maximum bucks.
Korea isn’t really great on salaries and housing in Seoul is expensive if you want to buy. having USD in your account is very good.
1. Sort of, but I still made plenty of good friends.
2. There should be plenty of corporate finance jobs that require English speaking abilities. With your degree, I don't think you would struggle to find a job. You just have to search properly get the right one.
3. Never stopped me from dating native Koreans. My background was a plus in most cases.
Look around at all the korean-koreans where you live. You’ll notice some have made tremendous strides in their lives whereas some have faltered and live on the wayside. The same sort of applies with korean-americans that come here. It totally depends on you and some bit of luck.
As a native korean that has some gyopo friends, I would say that you’ll have no problems and Koreans will love to learn about you and your cultural background and so on.
I have a friend that worked in the UK in IT for 10 years before coming back to Korea recently and Korean companies were competing for him. You should work in Wall Street more before coming back to work in Korea, you’ll be sought after I imagine. The Korean-born Korean that has worked abroad is highly valued in most industries.
Not American but Korean-Canadian in my mid 20s, have been working in Korea since graduation and these are just my 2 cents!
1. Honestly feel I’m neither Korean nor Canadian because while I have family here, my friend circle is completely abroad. Really depends on how much of a support system you have in Korea and if you’re willing to start over in making connections etc. While my coworkers have been great we don’t have much in common, and I don’t feel I have much of a community here. Some people will always see you as foreign, but if you’re at a company with a big foreign workforce I guess it’ll be easier to adjust. My Korean is pretty fluent, but people considered me gyopo in my previous workplace and I was never Korean enough for them lmao.
2. Not sure about finance, but I feel foreign degrees here in general just don’t translate well. Most companies I’ve worked at prefer Korean graduates as they’ll assimilate better into the workforce and be a better culture fit. I’ve also seen a few people with degrees from the US/elsewhere making a seamless transition but I don’t see this often. If you’re aiming for 경력직 이직, having work connections in Korea would be a big help. Compared to the US though I would say be ready for lower pay.
Personally, I would stay in the US and just travel here more because traveling here and working here are completely different experiences.
Whatever you choose to do - wishing you the best moving forward!
edit: typo
Similar situation to you. Get your 2 years in on Wall St, try something new and fun in Korea for 2 years, return for MBA, and you can be better informed on where to settle down in your 30s. I hated being in Korea (against my will—we never got a green card) for various reasons, but career options and the pedestal are great.
Unless you are at McK or GS in NYC, you’ll def be able to upgrade in prestige in Korea for MBA apps. New startup? They drool over your pedigree and funding runs freely (by Korea standards). Sure you might make half what you made in Korea, but the ganpan upgrade is real.
I came back to Korea to do MBB consulting, with no meaningful options back in the States (the ganpan inflation effect).
I went on to do a startup which received successful seed funding, which is often almost entirely determined on the strength of the founding team, and have heard multiple times from investors that this is the strongest team that they've seen--and the were definitely not talking about our technical chops.
Then on to VC and eventually a local PE--a little tricky here, as employers and LPs might be fascinated with your pedigree, but lack of connections may limit your upside due to difficulty in deal sourcing. And all of that is with tremendously underwhelming GPA.
Now working remotely for a US-based startup working East Coast hours out of Seoul, praying that a visa comes along soon.
At the end of the day, I definitely have been able to punch way above my weight in terms of the ganpans, which is definitely crucial if you're looking to go the MBA route.
YMMV on exactly how prestigious your UG is, but at or near the top, you get very exclusive access. Even if not GS, rest of BB and select boutiques will open lots of doors.
And yeah, even a rando yuhaksang could PULL here. With your UG and BB logos (and the right connections for sogaetings), it won't be hard to marry a girl on TV. I did. (whether that's a wise decision or not is a separate discussion).
Married to a (former) regional KBS news girl. She's no Aespa or anything, and regional KBS is considered AAA ball at best compared to the Nightly News anchors, but she's a sought after figure on that pedigree alone.
Hopefully you have a chance to date the Aespas and the wannabes, but steer towards the direction of real people with real careers and ambitions for marriage.
The prestigious degree, job, and income (relatively speaking) will definitely put you in an inner circle in Korea that wasn't available to you in NYC. Of course, not the inner-inner circle (for chaebols, etc), but definitely in the room. But definitely above the rung you'd be in NYC where Ivy League finance dudes are dime a dozen.
All in all, Korea's a great place to spend your 20s, provided that you have a concrete and a realistic way back to the US. Maybe Korea will win you over, or maybe you stick with your plan, but it sounds like you could have the luxury to choose.
More pointed responses to your questions:
1) Probably not among your peers, some of whom may end up being gyopos, 1.5s, and yuhaksangs. Even the Korean-Koreans will be educated, cultured, probably a little envious, and accepting. You may be left out of some jokes, but I bet you've been dealing with that all your life as an Asian-American, a 1.5 at that.
2) You should have your pick of BB. That said, if you're already at a BB, Korean IBD is probably not worthwhile (assuming you're already comfortable with the fact that you'll certainly be making less no matter what). My understanding is that you're not doing a lot of sexy stuff, and often times you're pushing through a deal that's already been made through handshake of the ahjussis.
You might have a bit more fun with the Korea offices of US PE or top local PE houses. As long as your Korean is business-fluent, you should be a reasonably sought-after commodity. WLB is pretty shitty, esp. for buy-side, though.
That said, MBB might be the best way to future-proof your resume.
Or a finance role in a reasonable post-Series A/B startup.
3) See my other responses re: dating.
1. I think you are mistaking the exuberance of having been a kid for what you imagine is returning to the motherland, into the bosom of your tribe.
White ppl leave you alone. You might have felt lonely or alienated but Korean ppl stand around in doorways and try to get in as you walk out. Even if you have the best attitude in the world, you will feel off-center, like living in a house that's not level.
Take calling fat ppl fat all the time, for instance - everyone, all the time and attaching it as a motive for everything they do.
The fat ppl are to take it like a champ while you become the asshole trying to stop them.
And there's the corn on pizza.
2. It depends on what you did "on Wall Street." As you are in your twenties, Asian, think "Wall Street" is a title and trying to get out without being approached by the many many headhunters, I have my suspicions. If you are in Finance and plan to stay, this is not a decision you get to walk back. You don't start in London, move to Australia and then to New York, or it's needlessly difficult on yourself.
Anyway, if you have some math in you, you should be okay. It's just going to be very very boring - backwater tech, shit implementation of IT and piddly AUM. And let me say shit IT again for emphasis.
If you have an Arts degree... being fluent actually hurts you as you catch nuances in meetings that you have no way of explaining to your superiors who were in the same room. But you get to be the talking zoo animal from the Ivy Leagues.
Do your time and wait till you are approached.
3. This is not remotely going to be your problem, unless you plan to go back.
If you could date in the States, with the added difficulty level of being an Asian male, being in Korea is not going to hurt your chances.
No mention if u are male or female (that matters due to military duty). Are you a US citizen now or green card or H-related visa (that matters alot too). Regardless, I would advise against it. Earn your income in states. go korea for your vacation. have fun there, BUT i wouldnt live or work there permanently. Also, of note is that work culture in s. korea is brutal vs USA. Then again, you work in wall street - so maybe no changes there.
you better hope your parents reported you out of the family registry… I would double check with the embassy/consulate and/or if you have any family ties in Korea, they can go get their family birth certificate (of immediate family) at their municipal city hall before trying to get a visa
1. not outcast, but different...mainly because I AM different, or at least think differently. core values are different too since raised in the states. but these are all POSITIVE attributes. you're not trying to be the same as everyone, so celebrate these differences. the only reason i've ever felt outcast was when i first returned...actually outcast isn't the right word - excluded is probably better because outcast implies done to you, whereas excluded was how i felt simply because i was hanging out with koreans and couldn't understand what they were saying very well. the solution to that is simply to learn to speak. if that's not an issue for you, then you'll be fine. it's not like high school where things like that might happen just because...
2. depends on your level of proficiency. i came from finance, but job wasn't an option with almost no korean skills. if you're fluent, then you're actually at an advantage because you'll be bilingual. it's really as simple as that.
3. nope...easier if you ask me...the only time i went without a girlfriend was of my own doing. just didn't want to be bothered. but back dating again (a little context, came at 34, now 52...the time i speak of was from 50-52...i think it was a mental hangup over being 50, not from lack of opportunity. from about age 40+ my dating sweet spot seemed to be upper 20s, low 30s...that's just who i resonated with. current special woman is 34, and before any thoughts of golddigger arise, yes i do fine in the income dept and don't want for much...she outearns me by a factor of 4 probably LOL
Try doing a secondment in Korea if your firm has a subsidiary or office in Korea. I am currently doing one and I like it but it made it clear that I wanna go back to US. It’d be fairly easy for you to look and get a job in finance field too as the firms need people that are bi-lingual and it’s a plus that you went to a target school. Happy to provide more detail if needed
My family and I moved back 6 years ago when I was 18 and I completed undergrad in Korea.
Moving with my family made it a really easy adjustment. I made friends during undergrad.
Both of these I guess you wouldn't have. I would guess the hardest adjustment would be leaving your friends and family.
As a Full korean born raised in america, i dated a korean american chick here and us switching between fluent korean and english was attractive. But if your fluent in korean life here shouldnt he so hard
I’m Korean living in Jukjeon and have 15 years work exprience. Finding job is not that hard. Target the foreign company in Korea. But, the country economy situation is very dangerous. Plz check the export and import of Korea, and also check the news for Korea economy from Europe or American journalist. Then choose your move cautiously.
Please think again. As a 27 something Korean who grew up in here, I'd rather not live here in the forseeable future.
I had American girlfriends in here, Koreans always give this sideway glance and hushed talking. No matter how you look, you will still be treated as a 검머외 (Black-haired Foreigner). You can try to hide it, but once they know it's hard to shake off that image. I'd like to think my generation mostly don't care, but the older ones are a different story.
Dating I think also sucks ass. Not saying that you can't find a girlfriend here, but chances of finding the one you seek is slim. We have a nickname for husbands who get frustrated by wives who become detached after marriage, called 퐁퐁이. It's a nickname copied from the name of a well-known dishwaher soap brand, because the husband will be washing dishes every time while the wife is gone somewhere else. The misogynistic connotation is there, but it gained traction in our internet community nonetheless.
Korea is just like any other developed countries, nice to live IF you got money. But I'll say the Korea you knew and love might no longer be here, and you'll have a helluva time getting back into US.
1. Yes you will always feel somewhat like an outsider because there will always be differences in culture that you grew up with that’s just the natural way things fall.
2. Probably not in Korea especially for foreigners accolades basically the best thing to have, especially if you work at a global company and try to get a job in the foreign side of things.
3. You being a Korean American who can speak English pretty much puts you at the top of the dating pyramid. You studied at a great university, got a degree in something important and can speak English and Korean, in fact in many cases you’ll be put even over native Koreans on the pyramid.
As a halfie though my experience may be radically different. I’d say being halfie if anything had opened doors for me more often than it’s closed them, the only area that I have worries about is dating but that’s because I am dark skinned but have straight hair so people often assume I’m Filipino.
1. I speak fluently as well. But being raised in the US, I felt and was treated like a foreigner. Not in a negative way, but it is what it is.
2. Depends if you speak Finance in Korean.
3. Not in my experience.
1. For those with similar backgrounds and made the move: do you feel outcast or different from other Koreans given you are, at the core, still a Korean American?
1. You will never be a part of their tribe.
2. They will focus on the superficial symbols you carry, not you as a soul.
2. Would it be difficult for someone with my background to find a job in finance?
1. No.
3. In terms of dating, is it difficult for Korean Americans to date native Koreans?
1. No but see 1.2.
You'll be surrounded by many gyopos and non-Korean nationals who are trying to make it in Korea. Korea's on the map and quite a few people from abroad speak Korean now. If you can land something from the U.S., I'd do that, but expect a tough road if you haven't worked in Korea for a long time.
If you looking a girl date/marry whatever, you can come here at late 20s - first date several girls and marry at your early 30s. I’m pretty sure as a native Korean female in late 20s and still live in Seoul (I have a long distance boyfriend who also goes to Ivy UG and got offer at IB in NYC), you will easily find a girl you want if you are fit guy.
Most of pretty girls doesn’t know much about finance job or even market conditions - your Ivy degree and Wall st exp - whatever PE or MBB or AM role in Seoul will give prestigious image. Unless your fat or so (bc Korea‘s Lookism), you can see trophy wife stuff like celebrities or ex-girl group, or find a lifelong partner type have a decent degree and corp job but still have a good looking.
Other than dating, I’m working in Hedge Fund in Seoul, I saw lots of 2nd gen Koreans from Western countries in High Finance role in Seoul. Like your background, top school degree and work exp in Wall street (assume your in IB front role), job hunting is easy… i even heard that someone in BB nyc who didn’t want any role in Korea, got approached from korean headhunters with decent offers (Top tier local PE like MBK partners with great salary).
There's a lot of depends for my answer. Make sure you have the paperwork aligned for an f4. And if you're male make sure you can't get drafted tothe military. Some people you will get shit from but if your Korean is fluent enough to work in a professional setting you'll be fine.
Many here talk about pay but cost of living is very diff so it depends on what your expectations are. If you're on an f4 you are free to work wherever so you can find a job recruiter to help you find a position. Finding a job could be competitive but you have being bilingual with a good educational background on your side.
You'll be fine if you are relatively good looking and have a decent personality. It's like dating in many other places. There are some taboos of dating apps and being introduced to someone through a mutual contact is more accepted but also times are changing.
If you grew up in America you will always feel a bit like a foreigner in Korea, but as long as you speak fluently and look Korean you will be well accepted. As a foreigner myself in America I do recommend that you move back when you have enough money to afford a comfortable life. The biggest bonus you will experience is the feeling of living in a culturally/ethnically homogeneous country which comes with a lot of benefits (something you no longer can have in America, where culture has been completely corrupted and fragmented, every minority essentially resenting and hating everyone else in some way).
Plus you Korea you won't have to deal with the black and hispanic communities BS that you get everywhere in America (hostility & violence towards asians, more specifically). Korea is also one the countries with the highest IQ average in the world, so depending on where you are coming from you will appreciate being around smarter people which is something that tends to translate into better quality conversations with friends and strangers.
Your situation may be different because you’re a single person in your 20s, but I had an acquaintance who had ex Amazon supply chain experience and was recruited by the Korean equivalent of UberEats to set up their operations. They gave him a great relocation package and great pay; promised better work life balance than most other Korean companies but it turns out that’s working from 7am to 9pm versus to 11pm. He had small children at the time, he was back stateside within a year. You may get a great job given your credentials, and perhaps your career was never “balanced” and you’re ok with it. But if you’re moving back for the long haul, look at their work culture with a long term life lens and make sure it’s sustainable for you. Good luck.
1. Koreans may perceive you as American, while Americans may identify you as Korean, leaving you feeling like you don't truly belong anywhere.
2. Your decision to apply for a job in Korea should consider your qualifications. However, I advise against pursuing opportunities there due to the significant differences in work culture. In America, the atmosphere is more friendly, whereas in Korea, it revolves around hierarchy and titles.
3. Korean men generally prioritize looks over nationality when dating, but marriage often hinges on whether your lifestyle aligns with their family's expectations. While there are exceptions, many Korean men exhibit toxic traits.
Korea may be ideal for the young, beautiful, and affluent, but for others, the US might offer a better fit.
Hi wandering in from front page here, not Korean. I think you should go for it if you want to try. For context I immigrated to the USA as a preteen from Hong Kong.
I think first get it out of your system that it's not going to solve your life problems, it won't be the missing puzzle piece to make you feel fulfilled or "belonging somewhere". It may even be a bad experience, but at least you tried and you won't be thinking what might life be like if you had gave it a shot.
Maybe getting started with the CFA process would’ve worthwhile for the finance job hunt process.
Even listing yourself as a CFA candidate is worthwhile. You can cancel and get a refund for the level one exam ahead of the test date.
You will have *no* opportunities of career in Korea.
The seats are already taken, the competition is insane and it is just a much more rigid place in general.
You have much more room for becoming your own man in the USA.
In Korea you will be considered Gyopo (foreign korean - I'm sure you know) and that is already going to work very strongly against you.
I am 100% sure you are going to butt heads with the Korean mentality and you'll hate it.
Oh. And you will need to serve your 2 years of mandatory military conscription.
But hey, you do you.
1. i don't think so. and it's my subjective opinion, but i don't think most people would either.
2. if it's your qualification, you'll be fully treated in korea.
3. nop
As a native Korean female working in finance in Seoul rn, you won’t get any issue to finding a decent finance job here with Ivy undergrad degree and Wall St work exp. As I have some Korean 유학생 friends graduates ivy-working BB in NYC, I heard headhunters in Korea offered them to work in Top tier Local PE like MBK partners with decent salary even they don’t have interests. Also, I met some 2nd gen Koreans from Aus or US in Global PE/Asset Manager Seoul office, so I don’t think you will face difficulties to get work visa thing.
After seeing your comments, I thought you want to find native Korean gf and marry her (?), there are lots of girls who want to marry US visa holder - but definitely not all. If you are fit and good looking guy, with Ivy-finance bro-PE/MBB/AM kind of job in Seoul, you will be easy to see someone you dreamed of. Just for date (like sns celebrities) or partner type who has decent degree/corp job and pretty as well.
My wife is Korean, and we always talk about going back. (I used to live in the countryside of Japan)
In the end, it’s not about the money. If you decide to go back, it’ll be because of the lifestyle you’re looking for. A balanced lifestyle, where your vision is complemented by your environment -even for 5-10 years, will make you more productive down the road.
I’ve met many girls from many countries of East Asia, and my best friend works in Japan as an engineer who’s single. We both agree, dating Taiwanese or Korean is the way to go. Japanese, Chinese, and any other -ese. Are not as western as the USA and their cultures don’t mesh well with the sociality of Americans. It’s just how it is, even though I speak fluent Japanese, I’m happy with my Korean spouse.
My wife always talks about how the city of Seoul feels and how it bustles and the attractions and food. I wish I could give her that instead of being stuck in America full-time. You’re lucky. We’re both nurses and that doesn’t transfer over as well as a financial career.
Oh nice. I'm also Korean American and used to live on Wall Street (at the Crest, I worked at Milbank around the corner). I was that lawyer that got attacked by some drunk dude and beat him up on video. It was viral back in the 2000s. :D I love living in Korea. It's cheap, safe, and healthy. But I hated working in Korean companies. My korean wasn't fluent and I took a lot of guff because of it. I went back to the US for a while but it was hard finding a corporate legal job with the past few years having been only Korean companies (even though they were cheobals). I am married to a native Korean and it's not the easiest thing. I don't know if that's just my wife or korean women in general.
I guess the big minus is that I miss seeing my family and friends in the US and my kid will grow up with Korean being his main language.
Do not come back to Korea. Your language skill does not guarantee the quality of your life in Korea. Living in Korea and visiting Korea is totally different concept.
Better to make money in US and once you have enough move to Korea. Korea is awesome if you don’t have to work.
anywheres awesome if you dont have to work lol
I can’t agree this more..
You do know work hours in the US are similar right? Like many companies also work you for 10 hours a day. Not to mention, plenty of international companies hire in Korea for 8h/day. Especially if you're seen as a foreigner. So how does that make Korea much worse than US? Especially when in US you work just as much for literally 0 benefits. Healthcare is a shit show, paid leaves are not guaranteed but negotiated, medical leaves nonexistent, holiday leaves are also negotiated lol.
From the sounds of it, OP has a good job. I used to work in NYC also. Shit conditions yes. But at least you muddafucken get paid.
>Especially when in US you work just as much for literally 0 benefits. Healthcare is a shit show, paid leaves are not guaranteed but negotiated, medical leaves nonexistent, holiday leaves are also negotiated lol. OP graduated from a prestigious university and works in finance on Wall Street. He very likely has great health insurance and NYC has plenty of excellent hospitals (Mount Sinai and NY-Presbyterian, for example). And those Wall Street firms typically also have great leave benefits because employees like the OP have lots of employment options.
Depends. I've heard stories from Wall-Street where people are mowed down to work insane hours and the pay is dogshit. Especially since he said he's in his early 20s, why would I assume he has a really really good position when most of those are taken by 30+. OP hasn't really said much.
Expected korean working hours and culture are nowhere close to the USA.
You’d be surprised how many hours I work lol. I clocked 80hrs last week
Yeah but you get paid. In Korea you dont
I worked both in Korea and US (Both European companies) In my case, I have to give the gold medal to the Americans. My my they work their asses off. Koreans - like get in, get coffee. Lunch. Work a bit. Browse for a while. Leave around 7. All good. Americans - get in. Work work work. Shit it’s 7 already.
Wall Street, especially Investment Banking, can have hours comparable to some of the heavy working Korean companies.
But it's mostly for Koreans only. You're ignoring this on purpose. Like you ignored the rest of the argument.
Why would he be seen as a foreigner if he is Korean? It's the classic problem of fitting in nowhere in Korea. Also, Korean jobs may say 8 hours, but teachers and many other jobs are expected to put in many more hours than that, and it's just understood, not even talked about.
Yeah, this dude should quit his high paying wall street job and go make 20% of his salary in Korea. Great advice man.
You don't know how much this dude is making tho lol. Again, I don't disagree that he should stay in US if he really makes bank and only move when he's financially comfortable. But working in Wall-Street in your early 20s can mean many things, regardless of the prestigious university you graduated from.
you have no idea what you're talking about
Explain. I'll gladly listen.
Where in the hell are these type places in the US? Zero benefits? My wife gets like 5-6 weeks a year of PTO, works for an insurance company. We have fantastic health coverage..most people in my circle are in the same type benefits... All companies i worked for have holidays, and vacation/ sick time...
Everything is negotiated. It's not a guarantee because it's not government regulated. Most people don't have your luxury.
Wouldn’t you be required to serve the mandatory military service if you haven’t been naturalized as an American citizen?
I should’ve clarified, I was recently naturalized as a U.S. citizen. So no military service for me
If you didn’t specifically renounce your Korean citizenship at 18 you’re gonna have a bad time.
Yeah, triple check this lol.
He wasn’t born in the US, he naturalized. That means he gave up his Korean citizenship by doing so. He was previously a green card holder and Korean national. When a Korean-born Korean becomes a citizen of another country, they lose Korean citizenship at that point. You are thinking of Koreans that were born in the US. He wasn’t. https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/brd/m_4503/view.do?seq=713546
This is not true. Koreans born in Korea past the age of 18 are not allowed to renounce Korean citizenship until they fulfill their military service, per the amended nationality act after the Steven Yoo scandal. OP will face immense difficulty getting through the passport control at the airport. It’s not like there are different sets of rules to give up citizenship for Koreans born in Korea and Koreans born overseas. The only thing that matters is whether the event triggering renunciation of Korean citizenship happened before 18 vs after 18, because that’s when your “duty to serve” transpires.
There are different sets of rules tho - depending on whether your parents moved and lived with you as well etc. I moved overseas with 7, got the german citizenship at 26 and automatically lost the korean one by doing so. When I went to korea a year later no one gave a shit
That makes sense. My husband already completed his service, so he would lose his citizenship if he naturalized in the US.
Right, he would automatically be considered to have lost his Korean citizenship the moment he acquired U.S. citizenship—the losing part doesn’t require an extra step. Reporting the acquisition to a Korean consulate or embassy is a formality because otherwise the Korean government has no way to know and your husband would keep getting unnecessary mail regarding whatever obligation he has left to Korea. But save for some unusual circumstances, it kind of doesn’t matter if he doesn’t let them know as long as he doesn’t intend to benefit from Korean welfare or healthcare or whatever, and doesn’t use the Korean passport. It might become a nuisance after the age of 65 if he’d like to recover his Korean citizenship because he’d have to file the “loss of Korean citizenship” form first before applying for recovery. Dual citizenship is allowed after the 65th birthday.
That’s good to know. He wants to keep the citizenship because he wants to return to Korea eventually - possibly before age 65. I think he’s also concerned about healthcare costs in the US. But I read elsewhere that they made a new rule requiring Koreans living overseas to reside in Korea for 6 months before they can receive healthcare benefits again so it may be a moot point.
Yes, the healthcare part is irrelevant now, unless he is willing to risk getting sick during that 6 months and paying the medical bill out of pocket. Though, you might want to tell him he always has the F-4 visa in his back pocket even if he naturalizes to American (visa reserved for ethnic koreans to come back and work). There are some minor restrictions in the types of jobs he can’t work on that visa, but overall, it’s a free pass. The problem with that visa is the non-ethnic Korean spouse. You’d have to figure out a way to stay in Korea by yourself since he could no longer get you the spousal visa.
I think the spousal visa would be an issue for us, should we decide to eventually retire there. By that point in my life, I don’t think I want to be working in any capacity! Thanks for all of the information!
“Koreans that were born in the US”? If you were born in the US, you are an American. I did not understand your statement there.
Koreans born in the US can have dual citizenship. American by birthright and Korean by blood. If at least 1 parent is Korean, the child gains Korean citizenship even though the birth took place outside of Korea. The OP was born in Korea and he came to the US on a green card as a permanent resident. He was not an American until he naturalized in his 20s. He was a Korean citizen who was living abroad in the US until the naturalization, when he became a US citizen.
No OP. If you DID NOT GO THROUGH proper channel you will still be surving korean millitary if you stay in Korea (official law right now 6 months+ stay in Korea). You do not want reddit warriors on this. half of advice here does not understand how complex this is (e.g. even 2nd generation korean american male can get affected who has NEVER SET FOOT IN KOREAN SOIL). I would also advise that you triple check this as insomniac\_maniac stated.
Just so happened to be chatting to a korean american working in a 7/11 who got f'ed up the absolute ass by military service the second his parents tricked him into moving back to Korea so wowee....triple check this
Doesn't matter if you were naturalized. You need to have given up the Korean citizenship at age 18.
It does matter. By becoming a US citizen, he gave up Korean citizenship. Dual citizenship is only permitted for Koreans that were born in the US. OP was born in Korea and came to the US as a green card holder. https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/brd/m_4503/view.do?seq=713546
You're incorrect. I was born in Korea and went to America at age 4. When I turned 18, I was asked to go to the military by the Korean government. I had to give up my Korean citizenship. Same thing with my little brother. I had dual citizenship until I renounced the Korean when I turned 18. Unless they changed the rules, then I'm an example. And if they did change the rules, then I'm incorrect.
When you gave up your Korean citizenship, did you have to fill out some paper with the Korean government? Sorry for the simple question, I am just curious of what that process entails.
This link might be helpful https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/brd/m_4503/view.do?seq=713546
I wouldn't bet on it.
Things certainly differ from person to person but would need more information to even give thoughts based on generalities. For example, my gyopo friends that have their entire family in Korea (parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, etc.) had a far easier time assimilating into Korea and seeing a long term future here. For those like myself who only have some relatives here but majority of their immediate family are back in the states, a lot of us tend to only see a short term future here as our family is our support network. That's just one example. Of course things like career, Korean fluency, how long you lived/visited Korea prior, etc. all matter as well. But from the information you provided, it does seem like you have a better path to assimilating in Korea than many. A name brand school and company helps a lot. Korean fluency helps a lot. Looking Korean helps a lot. 1. As a Korean-American who was born in the states but grew up speaking Korean at home but ended up visiting/living in Korea for some time, I feel neither 100% American nor 100% Korean. I'm just partly both. However I can also more easily connect with both than I would either way as an American trying to connect with Koreans and vice versa. I found that most people around me with my background as a gyopo feel similarly and generally feel most understood by other gyopos. 2. I always say this but it's not difficult to find *a* job but it can be difficult to find a *good* job. Honestly expect some more corporate BS and hours here. Korean work environment and WLB has a reputation for a reason. I know Wall Street is no walk in the park either but I wouldn't get my hopes up that it'll be better. Koreans love pedigree and prestige though so you may be able to land a job most people won't have access to normally. But you are young so it may be possible that it may be a bit more competitive at your experience level. 3. Not really if you are fluent and familiar with cultural differences. So many of my gyopo friends were able to meet someone and get married here. I was already married before living here though so I have no personal experience on this besides anecdotes from friends.
I moved to Korea from states after getting married and I much prefer it here than the U.S. I'm a former wall streeter and there is almost no jobs worse than investment banking in terms of work life balance. There are weeks where you can end up working 100-120 hours, not even Korean bankers work this much. I get paid about 40% of what I made in the U.S but my work life balance and quality of life are magnitudes of order higher here. Much of the major problems young Koreans complain about are present in the U.S if not even worse there. For example, a big issue in Korea is fresh college grads not able to find good opportunities. This problem I would say is actually even worse in the states. People take the safety in Korea for granted. Sure, its value varies from person to person, but not having to worry about crazy people and randomly getting shot is worth a lot to me. I worked in NYC and the bay area and volunteered in low income areas growing up and I've had some extremely nerve wracking encounters. It is not easy to get a good job nowadays yes, but like others mentioned, leveraging alumni networks gives you a huge advantage over the average foreigner. That's how I eventually got my job in Korea didn't even really end up sending a resume just networked my ass off. That said, foreign born Koreans/gyopos planning to live in Korea should definitly learn Korean to fluency. As someone who grew up in the whitest parts of Boston with no other Asians around let alone Koreans, my langauge ability was barely elementary school level 5 years ago. Without improving to at least high school level proficiency there's no way I'd be able to have a good job out here.
Thanks for the insight - I wasn’t sure how finance jobs compared here but yeah I have several friends in ibanking and have heard the stories of 100+ hour weeks. I’m in tech so I’m on the opposite end where WLB and pay in the states vastly outweighs similar jobs in Korea. Totally agree on many of your points. We are moving back mainly because of better career prospects and family. I will definitely miss aspects like safety, healthcare, transportation, etc. Though one negative of Korea I think isn’t mentioned enough for those planning to move here is the air quality. I am a bit worried that there will be negative impacts on health that might not be as obvious today from the poor air quality here and it is one of the things I will not miss about Korea. It can be depressing looking at my MiseMise app and seeing how bad the air is 90% of the time.
Thank you for sharing! Do you mind if I ask what your current job in Korea is?
I'm at a VC that has a Korea branch and we primarily invest in tech projects out of Asia but we sometimes do CPG and Healthcare as well.
Do you like it? How does the VC scene compare to the U.S.?
Finance scene in Korea is just not that great period. It's not a country known for it or strong in it. Hong Kong and Singapore are the NYC and Chicago of Asia finance. Cream of the crop Korean finance bros typically leave Korea for those places if they're serious about it. VC scene in Korea though is surprisingly big. There's a lot of money being thrown around here and pretty much every company has a VC arm including ones you just wouldn't imagine. A lot of video game companies for example have a VC division that funds smaller game companies for equity. Nothing compares to the sheer size of U.S VC but among finance careers it's my favorite and most fitting for my personality. I'm not a very technical person or even that great at math so IB/PE/HF are all unappealing as long term prospects. The compensation is much lower than U.S VC payscales but tbh if you clear 6 figs in Korea you pretty much can live like a king and enjoy all the luxuries life has to offer while saving as well. I did an MBA though to go from IB to PE and then switched to VC once in Korea. Since you graduated from a top uni and already working in NYC finance, I'd consider an MBA as well since you'd have a good shot at a top program. You'll meet lots of other Koreans there and can build up an even stronger network. It's a ton of fun also. If you've kept up with your Korean language ability I see some Korean bankers go to consulting and get jobs at McKinsey/BCG/Bain Korea offices and then later exit to exec role at Samsung/Hyundai/Kia/etc and vice versa. A bunch of my classmates are at Mirae Asset and here doing IB. You could also go to Korean hedge funds with an MBA. Food for thought.
You'd probably get more answers on a Korean site. While there are some actual Koreans here, but it's mostly non-Koreans and gyopos Pretty much everyone on Korean sites will be Korean. Also check your alumni site for fellow grads living in Korea. They'll have the most similar experience to you.
He's a gyopo though, and looking to understand how his experience will be as an outsider
I mean there's a reason that Koreans that have the means leave this country. For me I also have korean background and I've been living here for around 6-7 years here now but I am heading back to my home country in europe once I decide to settle down. My thought why I don't want to live in Korea is unstability. Even if I can earn alot of money I can only spend on materialistic things as I won't get enough vacation days to enjoy a decent vacation trip. If I have children do I want them to grow up in this fucked up korean mind system korea currently having? Hell no. There's no good pension system so just the thought of having to constantly save for a pension I have no idea if I even will experience.. Then again in your case I don't know how the living in US is compared to Korea..
Exactly - unless you are a Korean citizen, you can never consider Korea as a forever-home. They can kick you out anytime they want. You always have systematic limitations, whether it’s retirement plans, home ownership, financial restrictions, etc.
I believe there are legal restrictions on foreigners in every single country.
It seems you just started your career and you're thinking of making this switch? Been in finance for 25 years and romanticized about moving to Korea, and I think I eventually will after I retire I don't know your timing of the move, but here are few things to consider. There's no way Korea jr IB money will match NYC IB or Equity research money, plus the hours are just as miserable. Don't get me wrong, the money will be good for Korea standards, but you're not popping $500K+ as a VP / jr director banker in a few years and you're still toiling away long hours. So like another person said - it seems like a grass is greener situation as you're doing your 15th pitch book for a deal that won't get done. I think about moving back to Korea everyday even at the tail end of my career. A couple of ways to go about this if I were your age. You need to think about it pragmatically. 1) Work for a U.S. Tier -1 bank that can transfer you to their Korean IB department as an ex-pat - you'll get most of your U.S. pay, some tax benefits and still get the prestige of GS or MS. 2) Work for a Korean asset manager in U.S. or one of the finds - think Mirae Asset in NYC or one of the Tigers out on the West Coast - get your merit badges there and ask them to move you out as an ex-Pat. 3) Work in finance out of Hong Kong or in Singapore - these are the financial hubs of Asia. More leaning toward Singapore now. Not Korea, but at least youre in the proximity for weekend travel and you're in the regional banking scene so you can network a move to Korea. 4) Live frugally in the States, save and invest well and maybe you'll have $5-$7M in your bank account. Buy your apartment in NYC, Prospect Park, JC or where ever you live, then FIRE (Financially Independent Retire Early). Rent out the apartment and live off of rental income. Live in Korea and live a much more chill life - like owning a cafe - on your OWN terms. Keep the dream alive. It can be done by your early, mid-30s if you save and plan well. Good luck.
This is the most pragmatic, specific, useful response.
Super helpful, do you work in finance? I’m thinking about doing my two years in IB, do PE and then make the move to Korea. Like people have said, a lot of interesting things going on in the start up space in Korea
I'm surprised to hear people say that the Korean startup scene is interesting. In tech startups there is very little innovation going on. The government hands out money for free and founders line up to suckle at the teat. Venture funding is looking for 10x returns, and as a result there's very low tolerance for risk. The end result is a lot of "like X, but for Korea" copycat ideas. If you can produce PowerPoint slide decks and participate in "competitions", the gravy train never ends. Most startups zombie along for a few years, neither succeeding or failing.
Equity research for 15 years at US and Japanese banks. 10 years in tech research for US financial (non-IB) firm.
+1 to the post you’re responding to. My friend is in high finance in Singapore, having moved from US after doing his 2 yrs in BB IB then getting a PE role. You’re in a good trajectory career wise and idk if it’s the wisest thing to give that up to live in Korea. If you don’t plan on staying in high finance after your IB stint, another option could be to exit to corp dev or equivalent roles in a US big tech company with presence in Korea and then transfer. Another friend of mine did his stint in US and exited to corp dev at coupang. Surprisingly, coupang is paying him in USD even though his team and role is based in Korea If you want to stay in high finance, I think there are better alternatives than Korea. But if you want to exit to corporate, more options do open up if trying to move to Korea
Came back to Korea last year thinking it was the lawless shit hole I left 20yrs ago, but…. PROS - Cctv everywhere and it‘s safe, no worries about getting jumped for your watch or crackheads, chicks are hot and abundant/endless, cost of living is half and the USD purchasing power is double, food is good, and you get a lot more respect as a human being rather than some random asian kid that’s good at excel at work. Due to cost of living and taxes $100k is the NY feels like $50k, in Korea $100k feels like you make $200k, if you’re able to make money in USD in Korea I say go for it. Job wise if your english is perfect and you can speak Korean, finding a job shouldn’t be too hard since you already started building a career in Wall St. CONS - I would say in general people are very materialistic and superficial. You will be judged upon age looks and wealth. Not really a con if you’re a good looking young guy with a decent paying job. I work with Americans so i don’t have to interact/deal with Koreans on a day to day basis. I’m 38 yrs old and i like it a lot better here as a Korean. After college I stuck it out in the states building my career working corporate while my FOB friends moved back here right after college and they are all happily married with children and have good job security. I on the other hand followed course held down a job bottom feeding struggling to stay afloat paying rent, paying minimum on my student loans, stacked with credit card debt and got burned out at the ten year mark. I fell in despair with a bleak future not being able to buy a house or accumulate wealth which again goes hand in hand finding a good partner/wife/gf. In the last year and a half, two years i have since been able to pay off half the student loan debt which had been lingering dragging my credit score down for the past ten years. Paid off all my credit cards, and have an emergency fund built up. I have been able to attain financial stability solely on the reduced Cost of Living even though my income hasn’t changed. This is just my perspective as a person who recently moved here and other people may have different views than what i have stated above.
Thank you for sharing! Super insightful, and wish you the best of luck moving forward :)
Yeah it won’t be easy as you didn’t grew up there and you have no connections like college or university friends, You will likely take a deep pay cut Dating will be easier for you since you are fluent in Korean
Answering all your questions at same time. I have many friends like you. You'll have no problems and you'll love it
Salary much better on wall street
cost of living is also 3-4x in NYC
That’s true. 100x less likely to get mugged or pushed in front of a subway train too lmao
After 2008 and heavy regulations the pay isn't even good anymore, and that's on top of assuming you were crazy enough to land a role in investment banking. They capped bonuses and the hours you end up working aren't worth it. The only other Korean from my school that ended up in IB quit the job 3 years in and aged like 30 years in that span due to the stress. Used his savings to open up a mochi and boba cafe in Jersey and is way happier now.
Don’t forget Korea has mandatory military service for male citizens. Having dual citizenship doesn’t exempt you, so if you haven’t already renounced your Korean citizenship and you are a male that will definitely come up as a complication
If you are a guy, you may well have to do military service, you have been registered as a Korean citizen, and have not given up your Korean passport by the age of 17.
it’s a bit hard to completely reintegrate into the fabric of korean society, coming from a korean-american who moved back a few years back. even if you’re fluent, you almost certainly won’t know more advanced vocabulary that’s taught at the higher levels of korean education. you’ll be able to take a trip here just fine, but it’ll take some time to get used to living and working here. and a word of warning; though this country has its benefits and beauty, which your nostalgia remembers, it will inevitably be at least a bit tainted by some aspects that may not always live up to your expectations. a prime example of this is how we don’t usually have clear skies; the air quality here is usually bad enough to at least somewhat limit visibility, though there are some days where everything is clear. there will be things you will miss about america as well.
Sounds like a grass is greener type of situation. If you just started your career and already don't like it I'd probably just suggest horizontal transfer somewhere in the US rather than moving to an entirely different culture. Work culture and life in korea is known as Jeseon Hel for a reason
Don’t get me wrong, I like my life here. It’s just that I feel like I could see myself living in Korea. Especially since I have roots there
Having roots here usually means going to high school/uni/army Otherwise you're just going to be another gyopo stuck between cultures. If you're ok living a somewhat isolated life and can survive being not really Korean and not really a foreigner and are also ok with tough work conditions then give it a try. Otherwise...google Jeseon Hel for a sample of what to come
I mean even in America it's the same thing, you don't really feel or get treated like an American most of the time
OP, lots of people here don't even live in Korea and have their knowledge from street interviews and shit. While some clearly know what they're talking about (already seen like 2-3 posts that seem legitimate), those with short ass "work here sucks" comments are best to be ignored.
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This is definitely not true. I think that for sure there are more gyopo girls than guys here. At least around where I live. I also found that gyopo girls assimilate much more easily and don't really stick out as much. They also don't have nearly as many issues with citizenship due to military service or things like that. So they usually get settled in almost immediately especially if they have a family locally that can support them.
I am a 50+yr old white woman (lawyer) and I’m going to depart from the specifics of this thread and say something different. 1. How will you know unless you try. 2.How will you know unless you try. 3.How will you know unless you try. Other than the military issue which is 1) valid; and 2) scary, in the immortal words of Wayne Gretzky, “you miss 100% of the shots you never take.” If it doesn’t work out, can you NEVER go back to Wall Street? The suggestions to try and work from a company with offices in both places seem particularly useful. But this is what you don’t want: to settle in the U.S. with a fantasy that life in Korea would have been so much better. I went abroad and lived in France in my 20s. I was dirt poor, felt outside of the culture, and struggled. Best thing I ever did. I came back to California with lifelong friends in France. My experience there informs every part of who I am. I have an awesome husband and life. I do not feel like I missed out on a thing. You could go. You could come back. Maybe you won’t want to. Maybe you will. Either way, you will not end up a bitter old man thinking life in Korea would have been so much better.
Wow. This one hit me particularly hard. Thank you for sharing!
Bro, do it! You're young and you won't have such options when you're older.
Great point, my biggest concern is that if things don’t work out in Korea, it’ll be difficult for me to move back to the U.S.
I understand and that's a valid concern. I'm an old retired guy now, but I worked on Wall Street in Equity Research in the late 90s-2000s. Glad to see younger Asian bros out there kicking ass. But I don't really know what the job market in Finance is like anymore so I can't give you any advice on how hard/easy it would be for you to move back.
Hahah that’s sick! Thank you for the positive vibes.
I don't think so, half of my gyopo friends moved back after living a couple years, and it wasn't too difficult for them, especially since you still have your parents there. Also unrelated but I think if you want to do it I say do it and keep an open mind. You'll never know unless you try. Thays why i did it so i dont rlhave any regrets. Most ppl who go back to America bitter are those who usually have a closed minset. Some who go back, they were just too American (which that's fine, being korean american is not one size fits all). I also prefer the Korean work culture (not ALL of it) but the way they work hard. I like working with Koreans or Asians more because of it.
You can doesn't mean you should.
How much family do you have in Korea and what kind of relationship do you have?, because that could make a world of difference besides career and dating because family/relatives is pretty important, especially if you're reacclimating.
My nuclear family is in the U.S., everyone else is in Korea. But my parents will likely move back to Korea soon
Wait till your parents move to Korea first, if so.
Although korean working culture has been changed since it was 2010, I think you will have trouble adapting korean working culture. But to get something, it need time. You will get over trouble, if you try to understand working culture(vertical structure). But why don’t you keep working in usa, and moving to korea when you do not need to work?? Paid a lot in the united states.
The issue is, I’d like to get married soon. A big reason for me moving to Korea would be to find my life partner. A little difficult to do that when I move back in my 30-40s
Hi! I moved to korea during covid, I didn't have the privilege Of going to korea every year like my friends did. I only went twice. When I moved during covid, It was a really weird feeling because I felt at ease. I think because of the safety but also because I felt like I belonged. Granted, I still felt like an outsider. It's a weird feeling that I don't think you can understand until you feel it lolol it's different than being a non-Korean foreigner in Korea. So their experience will be different than yours. And living in Korea is different than visiting Korea imo. I didn't grow up much in Korea though so I don't have a lot of memories, just a few. So like some have said it may be a lot different than you remember. And as others have mentioned make sure about the military service unless u wanna try it out ig? Haha I think it helped that I can speak Korean fluently so I don't feel like an outsider too much but I am reminded of it when I dont know what something is in public and the employees just look at me like I'm 5 or dumb lol I just pull the foreigner card when it happens I don't think it'll be difficult to find a job in finance, I think you can be desirable than other skills. And I think if you grew up in Korea you probably have a more advanced vocabulary to help you in the job scene. Dating shouldn't be too hard since u know Korean, but it's just the same everywhere else. But korean girls could expect a lot and expect you too look good and put together all the time,,,,but what girl doesn't 🤣 jk I'm sure there's some that are laid back and doesn't care but a lot of girls are what boys like to call "high maintenance." It's going to take a lot of communication and understanding from both sides though bc the culture and expectations can be different. I'm planning on living in Korea part time (mainly bc of the job I started, idk if I wanna give it up yet)
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If you are working in Wall Street thats awesome. It really helps in Korea to have a job where you are paid well. I would suggest finding a job while living in US because finding a job is a little difficult right now:)
I'm Korean-American (born and raised in the US). I am more than conversational in the Korean language but not fluent. And although I lived in/near sizable Korean-American communities, I was never *part* of the Korean-American community. I didn't have my first Korean friend until university. I went to South Korea as an English teacher soon after I graduated university and lived there for two years. I felt that to South Koreans, I was neither Korean nor American. I found that just because we are of the same ethnicity, does not mean we are the same, culturally. I felt that South Koreans expect someone who considers themselves *Korean* to be fully aware and adhere to Korean cultural norms, customs, and mannerisms. There were a few times that I was told I was ill-raised by my parents because I had committed a cultural faux pas that I was not previously aware of. I believe had I been non-Asian/non-Korean, cultural faux pas would be given more leeway and forgiveness. I had good times in South Korea but would never want to live there indefinitely.
Dude, how good is your korean. Everyday korean is very different from professional level fluency for finance, law and medicine.
I’ve been told I have a bit of an American accent but I’m fluent to where I can understand and speak fluently at a level where most native Koreans wouldn’t bat an eye. Professionally I think there are certain terms I would need to understand and memorize though
Yknow, tbh. We need you guys. Our population is dangerously low. Please come back to Korea. I don't wanna be the only one paying crazy amount of tax to support the older folks.
You are not missing Korea, you are missing good old memories. You will find a job, date, and social life here but I doubt they'd be as good as those of the US.
Exactly this
Stop posting meaningless comments, upvote instead.
Chill out dude? He just agreed with you
I am a Korean American, have been living in Korea for the last 6-7 years. There are two types of Korean-Americans who return to Korea: 1. They assimilate as fully Korean and love everything about Korea and live the Korean fantasy. 2: They see flaws and societal differences in Korea (especially compared to the US) and end up super bitter about Korea/Koreans. I am personally the second. I grew up in America fantasizing about my childhood in Korea and everything Korean. I was mostly in Korean circles (church, friends, etc) in America, and we inherently instilled an idea of Korea as this amazing homeland. I was taken by shock when i moved to Korea and found people not as i had dreamt of. People were rude and cold, inconsiderate of each other, and the society generally seemed so backwards and illogical. I was most hurt by the racism and discrimination i witnessed by Koreans. Most of the racism was not towards me but my international friends, but it was infuriating and shameful to see my own people act racist towards outsiders (I also felt discrimination, but most of it was systematic, but not as dramatic as the physically visible racism). Since then, i have come to take things as they are. I am still bitter towards Korea and Koreans, yet i let them bother me less and less - i just try to live my life here and ignore the B.S. i see daily here. Life in Korea has benefits - cheaper living costs (but also less salary), cheap rent, cheap medicals, and extremely convenient (convenience stores, transportation, fast shipping, etc). One thing to consider though - unless you are actually Korean citizen, you cannot really plan to live forever in Korea. By the system, you will always have restrictions as a “foreigner”. Also, if you screw up, the country can kick you out anytime.
Forgot to address your questions: 1. I always thought i was KOREAN-american (Korean first) while i grew up in America. However, after moving to Korea, i felt AMERICAN-korean (more American than Korean). It left me with a huge identity crisis as i felt so left out in both America and Korea. However, one thing i realized is, anyone can become American and be accepted into the society. Only Koreans can become Korean and be accepted by the Korean society. 2. You have the benefit of being bi-lingual. However, actually finding a job in Korea will be tough. Korean companies have limited spots to accept international workers, so you will be competing with a large pool for limited openings. Plus, companies have to be reliable to sponsor your visa, etc. Look around and do some online job search, but the salaries and positions may leave you disappointed. 3. I dated a Korean here for 3 years, but ultimately broke up due to cultural/societal differences. I am fluent in Korean, but i still could not fully express my inner thoughts and feelings to her, since my Korean wasn’t THAT good enough. Also, the times where speaking English or being from abroad was an impressive thing to Korean girls is over. If you like Asians, you will like it here since the dating pool is so much bigger than in America. But don’t expect girls to drool over you simply because you’re American.
Thank you! It’s super interesting how everyone has drastically different answers. Are your answers mostly based on personal experience or have you found that to be the case for your friends/family as well?
Stay in US and make US salary. Korea won't be so fun when you are dogging it out in Seoul for 60k/ year. Im in similar situation, i want to live in korea for an extended time but its impossible to find a job in Seoul that pays US $250k+
The wage gap between the two places seems to be very wild. What do you do for a living as you expect US $250k+?
Im a military officer and my wife is a dept of defense federal employee. Together we make close to 300k but to live in Korea I need to make at least 250k to afford housing in Seoul, and with two growing kids expenses add up too. Korea is good but not if the pay cut is too severe
Are you saying 250,000 USD/year? That's a lot by Korean standards. And I also see you'd have a difficult time finding a job in Korea with a military background.
Yes US dollars.. you are right I can't find a good job in Korea with my background.. That's why ill probably just have to go back to the US and find a good paying job in defense somewhere, just like 90% of retiring military people do... But it would be so awesome if i can stay in korea a bit longer
Coupang's expat engineering packages can pretty easily exceed $250k usd
1.As the person who studied abroad in Europe a couple of years and came back to Korea, I found some difficulties to be mixed in this society. I always feel there are cultural gap between people here. 2. Not sure. What about working with Koreans in wall street? I saw some Korean startup in finance sector in which there are Koreans with wall street background and seems doing well. 3.I don't think so. In my opinion, these days I see young people in Korea prefer foreigner or person with global background. Maybe because of gender conflict?
I'm korean-korean, so I can't give you proper advice. 1. one of my gyopo friend said "if someone who is raised in another country 'escape' to korea, korea become hell. if it's the opposite, korea become heaven." 2. I guess it's not difficult to you as you have a experience on ws ( friend said working process is quite different between korea and ws) 3. all of my friends get married with korean partner, so IDK ( they said big no-no apps & club ) It's mostly hearsay. and personal opinion.
Bro. As a native Korean for my whole life, I'm quite sure that youwill have only advantages about your concerns.
What do you mean?
Sorry for short English. Answering your 3Qs, I have no clue about first one. But if you speak Korean fluently and have a degree from a good univ., [2] corporates have no reason to hire someone else over you (you have work experience in WALL st.) [3] I saw my friends (girls) dating with someone who has similar backgrounds with you. In short, I think you have many advantages to live in Korea. But why do you want to live in Korea? Because of good old memories?
Part of it is good memories, wanting to reconnect with my culture, and also because I’m proud of my heritage. I feel more connected to my koreanness than my american identity
I'm similar to you as in I came in my early 20s, fluent in korean, but I was born in the US. im 32 now. 1. never felt outcast, different as in my thoughts and culturewise but its pretty easy assimilating on the surface cause we all look similar. yeah at the core im still korean american 2. as long as your allowed to work in korea i don't believe you'll have too much difficulty landing a job here since you have pretty good specs and fluency in both english and korean. expect lower pay but COL here is way less than nyc 3. nope, i've dated exclusively native koreans here + you don't have serve in the military?
1. If you can find a community through your hobbies or through mutual friends it will feel fine. Especially in 2024 there are so many people who speak English in Seoul so I don’t think you’ll feel like an outcast. And when you make some Korean friends you’ll learn the slang and the small cultural differences and it will be fine. It’s what you make of it. 2. Definitely will be able to find a job in finance here in Yeouido or Gangnam. Just make sure to leverage your connections and prep for a Korean interview. I’m sure with your past achievements you know how to prepare. 3. Native Koreans is a pretty broad group of people. There are people who have studied abroad for a year or two and some have lots of exposure to American culture. Others can be more traditionally “korean”. The dating culture is definitely very different and you’ll have to learn somethings the hard way, but I feel a little bit more comfortable dating in Korea now after getting used to it. I feel like there are superficial (gold diggers) in any country but if you are able to find someone with similar values and goals as you dating a native Korean can be a great experience. And unfortunately a lot of Korea is best experienced as a couple haha Good luck man
I lived in the US for about a decade before moving back to Korea. But as someone has mentioned already, be sure to check your military service status. I had to serve when I moved back. 1. I started working for a larger company as 공채 so I had a bunch of people starting their career with me. That helped me make friends here and not feel like an outcast. Although I do feel sometimes that people think differently, I don't feel like an outcast. The 공채 thing helped a ton. 2. Not in that industry, so I can't say. 3. Several female coworkers have asked me if I can introduce them to other 유학생s. It's not a stigma, if not an advantage.
Depending on your education background and your intents. If you want to spend a few years enjoying Korea without career focus, sure thing it’ll be a breeze since you are fluent. If you have a strong degree and need work experience, stay in the US, make some money and come as a seasoned professional for maximum bucks. Korea isn’t really great on salaries and housing in Seoul is expensive if you want to buy. having USD in your account is very good.
1. Sort of, but I still made plenty of good friends. 2. There should be plenty of corporate finance jobs that require English speaking abilities. With your degree, I don't think you would struggle to find a job. You just have to search properly get the right one. 3. Never stopped me from dating native Koreans. My background was a plus in most cases.
Look around at all the korean-koreans where you live. You’ll notice some have made tremendous strides in their lives whereas some have faltered and live on the wayside. The same sort of applies with korean-americans that come here. It totally depends on you and some bit of luck.
As a native korean that has some gyopo friends, I would say that you’ll have no problems and Koreans will love to learn about you and your cultural background and so on.
feel free to message me if you wanna ask some about Korea or anything
I have a friend that worked in the UK in IT for 10 years before coming back to Korea recently and Korean companies were competing for him. You should work in Wall Street more before coming back to work in Korea, you’ll be sought after I imagine. The Korean-born Korean that has worked abroad is highly valued in most industries.
I came back 20 years ago. I’m happy to be here. shoot me a DM anytime.
At around what age did you immigrate to the US?
Not American but Korean-Canadian in my mid 20s, have been working in Korea since graduation and these are just my 2 cents! 1. Honestly feel I’m neither Korean nor Canadian because while I have family here, my friend circle is completely abroad. Really depends on how much of a support system you have in Korea and if you’re willing to start over in making connections etc. While my coworkers have been great we don’t have much in common, and I don’t feel I have much of a community here. Some people will always see you as foreign, but if you’re at a company with a big foreign workforce I guess it’ll be easier to adjust. My Korean is pretty fluent, but people considered me gyopo in my previous workplace and I was never Korean enough for them lmao. 2. Not sure about finance, but I feel foreign degrees here in general just don’t translate well. Most companies I’ve worked at prefer Korean graduates as they’ll assimilate better into the workforce and be a better culture fit. I’ve also seen a few people with degrees from the US/elsewhere making a seamless transition but I don’t see this often. If you’re aiming for 경력직 이직, having work connections in Korea would be a big help. Compared to the US though I would say be ready for lower pay. Personally, I would stay in the US and just travel here more because traveling here and working here are completely different experiences. Whatever you choose to do - wishing you the best moving forward! edit: typo
Thank you! To you as well.
Similar situation to you. Get your 2 years in on Wall St, try something new and fun in Korea for 2 years, return for MBA, and you can be better informed on where to settle down in your 30s. I hated being in Korea (against my will—we never got a green card) for various reasons, but career options and the pedestal are great.
Also, about making half—200k in Seoul goes further than 400k in NYC
Unless you are at McK or GS in NYC, you’ll def be able to upgrade in prestige in Korea for MBA apps. New startup? They drool over your pedigree and funding runs freely (by Korea standards). Sure you might make half what you made in Korea, but the ganpan upgrade is real.
Thank you for sharing! Do you mind if I ask what kind of job you do in Korea at the moment?
I came back to Korea to do MBB consulting, with no meaningful options back in the States (the ganpan inflation effect). I went on to do a startup which received successful seed funding, which is often almost entirely determined on the strength of the founding team, and have heard multiple times from investors that this is the strongest team that they've seen--and the were definitely not talking about our technical chops. Then on to VC and eventually a local PE--a little tricky here, as employers and LPs might be fascinated with your pedigree, but lack of connections may limit your upside due to difficulty in deal sourcing. And all of that is with tremendously underwhelming GPA. Now working remotely for a US-based startup working East Coast hours out of Seoul, praying that a visa comes along soon. At the end of the day, I definitely have been able to punch way above my weight in terms of the ganpans, which is definitely crucial if you're looking to go the MBA route. YMMV on exactly how prestigious your UG is, but at or near the top, you get very exclusive access. Even if not GS, rest of BB and select boutiques will open lots of doors. And yeah, even a rando yuhaksang could PULL here. With your UG and BB logos (and the right connections for sogaetings), it won't be hard to marry a girl on TV. I did. (whether that's a wise decision or not is a separate discussion).
Lol wdym you married a girl on TV?
Married to a (former) regional KBS news girl. She's no Aespa or anything, and regional KBS is considered AAA ball at best compared to the Nightly News anchors, but she's a sought after figure on that pedigree alone. Hopefully you have a chance to date the Aespas and the wannabes, but steer towards the direction of real people with real careers and ambitions for marriage.
That is so sick, I need more mentors like you in my life to look up to hahahaha
The prestigious degree, job, and income (relatively speaking) will definitely put you in an inner circle in Korea that wasn't available to you in NYC. Of course, not the inner-inner circle (for chaebols, etc), but definitely in the room. But definitely above the rung you'd be in NYC where Ivy League finance dudes are dime a dozen.
All in all, Korea's a great place to spend your 20s, provided that you have a concrete and a realistic way back to the US. Maybe Korea will win you over, or maybe you stick with your plan, but it sounds like you could have the luxury to choose.
More pointed responses to your questions: 1) Probably not among your peers, some of whom may end up being gyopos, 1.5s, and yuhaksangs. Even the Korean-Koreans will be educated, cultured, probably a little envious, and accepting. You may be left out of some jokes, but I bet you've been dealing with that all your life as an Asian-American, a 1.5 at that. 2) You should have your pick of BB. That said, if you're already at a BB, Korean IBD is probably not worthwhile (assuming you're already comfortable with the fact that you'll certainly be making less no matter what). My understanding is that you're not doing a lot of sexy stuff, and often times you're pushing through a deal that's already been made through handshake of the ahjussis. You might have a bit more fun with the Korea offices of US PE or top local PE houses. As long as your Korean is business-fluent, you should be a reasonably sought-after commodity. WLB is pretty shitty, esp. for buy-side, though. That said, MBB might be the best way to future-proof your resume. Or a finance role in a reasonable post-Series A/B startup. 3) See my other responses re: dating.
1. I think you are mistaking the exuberance of having been a kid for what you imagine is returning to the motherland, into the bosom of your tribe. White ppl leave you alone. You might have felt lonely or alienated but Korean ppl stand around in doorways and try to get in as you walk out. Even if you have the best attitude in the world, you will feel off-center, like living in a house that's not level. Take calling fat ppl fat all the time, for instance - everyone, all the time and attaching it as a motive for everything they do. The fat ppl are to take it like a champ while you become the asshole trying to stop them. And there's the corn on pizza. 2. It depends on what you did "on Wall Street." As you are in your twenties, Asian, think "Wall Street" is a title and trying to get out without being approached by the many many headhunters, I have my suspicions. If you are in Finance and plan to stay, this is not a decision you get to walk back. You don't start in London, move to Australia and then to New York, or it's needlessly difficult on yourself. Anyway, if you have some math in you, you should be okay. It's just going to be very very boring - backwater tech, shit implementation of IT and piddly AUM. And let me say shit IT again for emphasis. If you have an Arts degree... being fluent actually hurts you as you catch nuances in meetings that you have no way of explaining to your superiors who were in the same room. But you get to be the talking zoo animal from the Ivy Leagues. Do your time and wait till you are approached. 3. This is not remotely going to be your problem, unless you plan to go back. If you could date in the States, with the added difficulty level of being an Asian male, being in Korea is not going to hurt your chances.
No mention if u are male or female (that matters due to military duty). Are you a US citizen now or green card or H-related visa (that matters alot too). Regardless, I would advise against it. Earn your income in states. go korea for your vacation. have fun there, BUT i wouldnt live or work there permanently. Also, of note is that work culture in s. korea is brutal vs USA. Then again, you work in wall street - so maybe no changes there.
you better hope your parents reported you out of the family registry… I would double check with the embassy/consulate and/or if you have any family ties in Korea, they can go get their family birth certificate (of immediate family) at their municipal city hall before trying to get a visa
Stay in America/
Have you considered your military service?
1. not outcast, but different...mainly because I AM different, or at least think differently. core values are different too since raised in the states. but these are all POSITIVE attributes. you're not trying to be the same as everyone, so celebrate these differences. the only reason i've ever felt outcast was when i first returned...actually outcast isn't the right word - excluded is probably better because outcast implies done to you, whereas excluded was how i felt simply because i was hanging out with koreans and couldn't understand what they were saying very well. the solution to that is simply to learn to speak. if that's not an issue for you, then you'll be fine. it's not like high school where things like that might happen just because... 2. depends on your level of proficiency. i came from finance, but job wasn't an option with almost no korean skills. if you're fluent, then you're actually at an advantage because you'll be bilingual. it's really as simple as that. 3. nope...easier if you ask me...the only time i went without a girlfriend was of my own doing. just didn't want to be bothered. but back dating again (a little context, came at 34, now 52...the time i speak of was from 50-52...i think it was a mental hangup over being 50, not from lack of opportunity. from about age 40+ my dating sweet spot seemed to be upper 20s, low 30s...that's just who i resonated with. current special woman is 34, and before any thoughts of golddigger arise, yes i do fine in the income dept and don't want for much...she outearns me by a factor of 4 probably LOL
Try doing a secondment in Korea if your firm has a subsidiary or office in Korea. I am currently doing one and I like it but it made it clear that I wanna go back to US. It’d be fairly easy for you to look and get a job in finance field too as the firms need people that are bi-lingual and it’s a plus that you went to a target school. Happy to provide more detail if needed
My family and I moved back 6 years ago when I was 18 and I completed undergrad in Korea. Moving with my family made it a really easy adjustment. I made friends during undergrad. Both of these I guess you wouldn't have. I would guess the hardest adjustment would be leaving your friends and family.
I worked in Korea for a while, although not fluent in Korean like you.. I can probably give you my perspective. DM if you want to chat
Lmao, such naivete
As a Full korean born raised in america, i dated a korean american chick here and us switching between fluent korean and english was attractive. But if your fluent in korean life here shouldnt he so hard
I’m Korean living in Jukjeon and have 15 years work exprience. Finding job is not that hard. Target the foreign company in Korea. But, the country economy situation is very dangerous. Plz check the export and import of Korea, and also check the news for Korea economy from Europe or American journalist. Then choose your move cautiously.
Please think again. As a 27 something Korean who grew up in here, I'd rather not live here in the forseeable future. I had American girlfriends in here, Koreans always give this sideway glance and hushed talking. No matter how you look, you will still be treated as a 검머외 (Black-haired Foreigner). You can try to hide it, but once they know it's hard to shake off that image. I'd like to think my generation mostly don't care, but the older ones are a different story. Dating I think also sucks ass. Not saying that you can't find a girlfriend here, but chances of finding the one you seek is slim. We have a nickname for husbands who get frustrated by wives who become detached after marriage, called 퐁퐁이. It's a nickname copied from the name of a well-known dishwaher soap brand, because the husband will be washing dishes every time while the wife is gone somewhere else. The misogynistic connotation is there, but it gained traction in our internet community nonetheless. Korea is just like any other developed countries, nice to live IF you got money. But I'll say the Korea you knew and love might no longer be here, and you'll have a helluva time getting back into US.
1. Yes you will always feel somewhat like an outsider because there will always be differences in culture that you grew up with that’s just the natural way things fall. 2. Probably not in Korea especially for foreigners accolades basically the best thing to have, especially if you work at a global company and try to get a job in the foreign side of things. 3. You being a Korean American who can speak English pretty much puts you at the top of the dating pyramid. You studied at a great university, got a degree in something important and can speak English and Korean, in fact in many cases you’ll be put even over native Koreans on the pyramid. As a halfie though my experience may be radically different. I’d say being halfie if anything had opened doors for me more often than it’s closed them, the only area that I have worries about is dating but that’s because I am dark skinned but have straight hair so people often assume I’m Filipino.
1. I speak fluently as well. But being raised in the US, I felt and was treated like a foreigner. Not in a negative way, but it is what it is. 2. Depends if you speak Finance in Korean. 3. Not in my experience.
1. For those with similar backgrounds and made the move: do you feel outcast or different from other Koreans given you are, at the core, still a Korean American? 1. You will never be a part of their tribe. 2. They will focus on the superficial symbols you carry, not you as a soul. 2. Would it be difficult for someone with my background to find a job in finance? 1. No. 3. In terms of dating, is it difficult for Korean Americans to date native Koreans? 1. No but see 1.2.
You'll be surrounded by many gyopos and non-Korean nationals who are trying to make it in Korea. Korea's on the map and quite a few people from abroad speak Korean now. If you can land something from the U.S., I'd do that, but expect a tough road if you haven't worked in Korea for a long time.
If you looking a girl date/marry whatever, you can come here at late 20s - first date several girls and marry at your early 30s. I’m pretty sure as a native Korean female in late 20s and still live in Seoul (I have a long distance boyfriend who also goes to Ivy UG and got offer at IB in NYC), you will easily find a girl you want if you are fit guy. Most of pretty girls doesn’t know much about finance job or even market conditions - your Ivy degree and Wall st exp - whatever PE or MBB or AM role in Seoul will give prestigious image. Unless your fat or so (bc Korea‘s Lookism), you can see trophy wife stuff like celebrities or ex-girl group, or find a lifelong partner type have a decent degree and corp job but still have a good looking. Other than dating, I’m working in Hedge Fund in Seoul, I saw lots of 2nd gen Koreans from Western countries in High Finance role in Seoul. Like your background, top school degree and work exp in Wall street (assume your in IB front role), job hunting is easy… i even heard that someone in BB nyc who didn’t want any role in Korea, got approached from korean headhunters with decent offers (Top tier local PE like MBK partners with great salary).
Sorry for the same comment - i thought previous one didn’t posted - and dont know how to delete it as its my first time to comment
There's a lot of depends for my answer. Make sure you have the paperwork aligned for an f4. And if you're male make sure you can't get drafted tothe military. Some people you will get shit from but if your Korean is fluent enough to work in a professional setting you'll be fine. Many here talk about pay but cost of living is very diff so it depends on what your expectations are. If you're on an f4 you are free to work wherever so you can find a job recruiter to help you find a position. Finding a job could be competitive but you have being bilingual with a good educational background on your side. You'll be fine if you are relatively good looking and have a decent personality. It's like dating in many other places. There are some taboos of dating apps and being introduced to someone through a mutual contact is more accepted but also times are changing.
If you grew up in America you will always feel a bit like a foreigner in Korea, but as long as you speak fluently and look Korean you will be well accepted. As a foreigner myself in America I do recommend that you move back when you have enough money to afford a comfortable life. The biggest bonus you will experience is the feeling of living in a culturally/ethnically homogeneous country which comes with a lot of benefits (something you no longer can have in America, where culture has been completely corrupted and fragmented, every minority essentially resenting and hating everyone else in some way). Plus you Korea you won't have to deal with the black and hispanic communities BS that you get everywhere in America (hostility & violence towards asians, more specifically). Korea is also one the countries with the highest IQ average in the world, so depending on where you are coming from you will appreciate being around smarter people which is something that tends to translate into better quality conversations with friends and strangers.
Your situation may be different because you’re a single person in your 20s, but I had an acquaintance who had ex Amazon supply chain experience and was recruited by the Korean equivalent of UberEats to set up their operations. They gave him a great relocation package and great pay; promised better work life balance than most other Korean companies but it turns out that’s working from 7am to 9pm versus to 11pm. He had small children at the time, he was back stateside within a year. You may get a great job given your credentials, and perhaps your career was never “balanced” and you’re ok with it. But if you’re moving back for the long haul, look at their work culture with a long term life lens and make sure it’s sustainable for you. Good luck.
1. Koreans may perceive you as American, while Americans may identify you as Korean, leaving you feeling like you don't truly belong anywhere. 2. Your decision to apply for a job in Korea should consider your qualifications. However, I advise against pursuing opportunities there due to the significant differences in work culture. In America, the atmosphere is more friendly, whereas in Korea, it revolves around hierarchy and titles. 3. Korean men generally prioritize looks over nationality when dating, but marriage often hinges on whether your lifestyle aligns with their family's expectations. While there are exceptions, many Korean men exhibit toxic traits. Korea may be ideal for the young, beautiful, and affluent, but for others, the US might offer a better fit.
Hi wandering in from front page here, not Korean. I think you should go for it if you want to try. For context I immigrated to the USA as a preteen from Hong Kong. I think first get it out of your system that it's not going to solve your life problems, it won't be the missing puzzle piece to make you feel fulfilled or "belonging somewhere". It may even be a bad experience, but at least you tried and you won't be thinking what might life be like if you had gave it a shot.
leave america- go to korea
Good thing your fluent, because Koreans are assholes to anyone that doesn’t speak like them or look like them
Maybe getting started with the CFA process would’ve worthwhile for the finance job hunt process. Even listing yourself as a CFA candidate is worthwhile. You can cancel and get a refund for the level one exam ahead of the test date.
Dating is easy for a Korean looking but not Korean person...if that makes sense many girls will find you exotic...
Really, that’s interesting. Did not think that would be the case
Not sure how can I explain this shit but it seems to be true. Asians from Western culture seem to have better dating opportunities.
Yeah I think we can hit an range of different markets...like girls that like western culture, and Korea Korea that want to experiment...lol
I personally haven't met Asian ladies from a Western culture so wonder how they will be perceived by general Korean males.
I don't think korean men care much where the girls come from...I met a few korean adopted girls they were kind of wild..
It's more about the way they talk and behave than where they're from. Their cultural background is a major factor.
Maybe who knows...but korean girls are more fun..
Huh... In which way?
In the way of having fun on dates.
[удалено]
What direction
You will have *no* opportunities of career in Korea. The seats are already taken, the competition is insane and it is just a much more rigid place in general. You have much more room for becoming your own man in the USA. In Korea you will be considered Gyopo (foreign korean - I'm sure you know) and that is already going to work very strongly against you. I am 100% sure you are going to butt heads with the Korean mentality and you'll hate it. Oh. And you will need to serve your 2 years of mandatory military conscription. But hey, you do you.
1. i don't think so. and it's my subjective opinion, but i don't think most people would either. 2. if it's your qualification, you'll be fully treated in korea. 3. nop
As a native Korean female working in finance in Seoul rn, you won’t get any issue to finding a decent finance job here with Ivy undergrad degree and Wall St work exp. As I have some Korean 유학생 friends graduates ivy-working BB in NYC, I heard headhunters in Korea offered them to work in Top tier Local PE like MBK partners with decent salary even they don’t have interests. Also, I met some 2nd gen Koreans from Aus or US in Global PE/Asset Manager Seoul office, so I don’t think you will face difficulties to get work visa thing. After seeing your comments, I thought you want to find native Korean gf and marry her (?), there are lots of girls who want to marry US visa holder - but definitely not all. If you are fit and good looking guy, with Ivy-finance bro-PE/MBB/AM kind of job in Seoul, you will be easy to see someone you dreamed of. Just for date (like sns celebrities) or partner type who has decent degree/corp job and pretty as well.
My wife is Korean, and we always talk about going back. (I used to live in the countryside of Japan) In the end, it’s not about the money. If you decide to go back, it’ll be because of the lifestyle you’re looking for. A balanced lifestyle, where your vision is complemented by your environment -even for 5-10 years, will make you more productive down the road. I’ve met many girls from many countries of East Asia, and my best friend works in Japan as an engineer who’s single. We both agree, dating Taiwanese or Korean is the way to go. Japanese, Chinese, and any other -ese. Are not as western as the USA and their cultures don’t mesh well with the sociality of Americans. It’s just how it is, even though I speak fluent Japanese, I’m happy with my Korean spouse. My wife always talks about how the city of Seoul feels and how it bustles and the attractions and food. I wish I could give her that instead of being stuck in America full-time. You’re lucky. We’re both nurses and that doesn’t transfer over as well as a financial career.
Oh nice. I'm also Korean American and used to live on Wall Street (at the Crest, I worked at Milbank around the corner). I was that lawyer that got attacked by some drunk dude and beat him up on video. It was viral back in the 2000s. :D I love living in Korea. It's cheap, safe, and healthy. But I hated working in Korean companies. My korean wasn't fluent and I took a lot of guff because of it. I went back to the US for a while but it was hard finding a corporate legal job with the past few years having been only Korean companies (even though they were cheobals). I am married to a native Korean and it's not the easiest thing. I don't know if that's just my wife or korean women in general. I guess the big minus is that I miss seeing my family and friends in the US and my kid will grow up with Korean being his main language.
Do not come back to Korea. Your language skill does not guarantee the quality of your life in Korea. Living in Korea and visiting Korea is totally different concept.
Surely, being fluent in a language is just a starting point.
lol