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I am ending a 2-week work week/vacation week in Seoul. My first time here. The culture is definitely different. The glimpse I have gotten into work life is that
by cjslep 10y ago
I am ending a 2-week work week/vacation week in Seoul. My first time here. The culture is definitely different. The glimpse I have gotten into work life is that it is industrious and punctual (for a white collar job), and long hours for a more manual job. But at night people seem to get along pretty well with coworkers or friends and go out. Even on a Monday night I stumbled into a Korean BBQ joint with mostly-drunken coworkers jovially making fun of their boss (who was present) and having a good time otherwise. To me, Seoul seems to have a ton of character. I've liked it so far, would like to visit again!
- Freak_NL 10y agoGoing out for food and drinks with co-workers is indeed a way to relieve stress and socialize; and it is indeed a place where the hierarchy is (seemingly and within certain bounds) relaxed a little. The shadow side in South Korea (and Japan) is that these outings are to some extent implicitly mandatory. It is a part of their traditional business culture, and during the work week you hardly spend any hours at leisure at home. This pattern is often criticized for its detrimental effect on family life and raising children; or even starting a relationship (in Japan in particular). Might not all be so bad if your wife is a bad cook though. Korean BBQ is delicious.