33 Years in Korea: Q&A #1

You have an open invitation to email me any questions you have about Korea and what it's like to live here as an expat. Several of you have taken me up on it. I've responded to those who emailed me, and now I have enough for a Q&A video. So here it is.
I'd love to do more Q&As, so don't be shy. Keep the questions coming!
If you enjoyed this video, please consider buying a coffee for me!
ko-fi.com/mikefromkorea
Here are the links to the pages on my website that I mentioned in the video:
Busan
mikefromkorea.com/places/citi...
Jazz Bars
mikefromkorea.com/places/nigh...
Vegetarian/Vegan Options
mikefromkorea.com/places/food...
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
03:05 Question 1
06:36 Question 2
07:56 Question 3
10:11 Question 4
13:21 Question 5
16:43 Question 6
18:47 Question 7
22:36 Question 8
32:37 Question 9
34:51 Question 10
#vlog #qna #koreanlife

[@sandihunter1260]

Your last answer really got to me. My son has been in Korea for 9 years, now a Headmaster at an International School. I am landing in Seoul on May 8th to finally see his life there, after having not seen him for 5 years. He is never coming back to Canada. He loves Korea, the people, the culture, but like you can read the language but doesn't really speak it. His girlfriend is Korean and speaks, Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese so again he doesn't really have to speak Korean. There must be something about the country that you and him have been so attracted to. I guess I will find out for my 3 weeks in May and I'm so excited to see it.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you for sharing. My parents worried about me for quite a while. It's a foreign country, so it must be dangerous, right? And every time North Korea was in the news I had to call them to let them know we weren't running for the hills. And, of course, back in the 90s people just didn't know much about Korea. But even as their worry lessened with time, they were certain that my life would be better in the States than it could ever possibly be here. Even so, they were supportive and never pushed me to come back. Maybe a slight nudge here and there. Like your son, I had a period of a few years without visiting. In my case, it was my father who hopped on a plane. That was in 2005, and I'd been here 14 years. I showed him as much as I could. He visited my in-laws' house, met some of my friends, and experienced some of my favorite things about life here. When he got back to the States, he reported to my mother that everything was fine, there was nothing to worry about, and he was certain I was better off here. Then again, given the nature of my adolescence, he was probably just relieved to see I was alive and walking free!

[@brian1lee]

한국의 좋은 점 부족한 점 모두 포용하고 한국을 사랑하고 한국에 살기로 하신 Mike 씨 존경하고 감사합니다.

[@MikeFromKorea]

너무 감사합니다.

[@jihooncha-vs4om]

해외에 살아보면 알게되죠... 한국이 얼마나 안전하고 살기좋고 편리한 나라인지...

[@fjord38]

@@jihooncha-vs4om적당히를 모르시네😅

[@user-qk2tp3vc3e]

@@fjord38 맞는말했구먼유😅

[@coffeetocoffee]

나는 알아들을 수 있는 님들이 부럽...

[@croco9238]

분명 한국에서의 생활이 힘드시기도 하셨을텐데 오랫동안 한국에 계셔 주신것에 감사를 드립니다!! 정말 멋진 남편이시고 진정한 남자이십니다!!! 영상 잘 봤습니다~ 좋은 하루 보내세요^^💖👏😄

[@MikeFromKorea]

정말 감사합니다! 한국에서의 삶이 가끔 힘들기도 했지만, 그래도 많은 것을 배웠고 성장할 수 있었습니다. 즐거운 하루 되세요!

[@jotteria79]

Buddhist temple food (절밥) is a pretty solid option for vegetarians in Korea. Monks have had several centuries worth of time putting together meals where nothing is killed (살생x) and still taste decent.

[@blackbelt2000]

This was a great video. When I think of a question to ask then I will definitely email you.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you!

[@user-wo7yv3sp7i]

한국인인 저보다 이 나라에서 오래 사셨네요 멋집니다!

[@BegaW]

거주하신지 33년 되신것 놀라워요. 👍🙏🍀

[@MikeFromKorea]

시간이 너무 빨리 지나갔어요.

[@luckyblue2758]

우연히 영상 보았는데 구독하고 가요! 늘 건강하고 행복하시길 바라고 앞으로 자주 영상 찾아 볼게요! 유투브 구독자 많이 늘어나길 응원합니다.👍🏻

[@MikeFromKorea]

너무 감사합니다

[@jamierudberg4843]

Just amazing Mike thanks so much for making this video! Im from Canada and moved to Gimhae city almost 3 months ago to pursue English teaching.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! I need to get down to Gimhae one of these days. Still haven't been there.

[@Yuri-ry1es]

Hello Mike, I am also an expat since 2004. I really enjoy your contents.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you!

[@usu336]

Hi this is the first time I watch your video. I noticed that you are a very good guy who explains well and makes people interested. Thank you so much for making such a terrific video. Please keep up the good work.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! That's very kind.

[@mementomori8685]

33년 이란데 놀라고 맙니다. 그렇다면 1991년 부터인데... 어찌 어찌 그렇게 흘러가는게 시간인데, 살다보면 세월의 흐름을 모르지만, 돌이켜보니 참 긴 세월 아니겠습니까. 33년이란 숫자에 놀라서, (별 의미 없지만) 이런 댓글을 남깁니다. 건강하시고 잘 지내기 바랍니다

[@MikeFromKorea]

영어에는 '청춘은 젊은이에게 헛되이 주어진다'는 말이 있습니다. 30년 전에는 시간을 소중히 여기지 않았습니다. 지금은 시각이 많이 달라졌습니다. 댓글 감사합니다. 좋은 하루 되세요.

[@ozskzkizz]

Thank you, Mike! This was another great video. So cool to see the honesty system at the sweets shop. I'm sure we could think of plenty of places where that unfortunately wouldn't work. We can see why you love Korea, long may it be the case! We showed our daughter the video (she's the other vegetarian in the house) and she was so excited to see you'd answered. Haha you've become an interactive channel! Fantastic content and good point about Trip Advisor, we also put your website in our list of resources and will keep checking back. I've got another q, hopefully it doesn't get lost here but let me know if you prefer email: What would be your suggestion/a good way to do the entire city walk in sections (but eventually complete it all over a couple of weeks)? We kinda had the plan to base ourselves in a few different areas of Seoul so we can get a good feel for the city and thought we could do the city wall walk in a few different sections that way. Are we being too ambitious? Or would that work? We've seen other KZbinrs do it and stay in little overnight hostels keeping their hotel base but we don't really need to try and get it done all in one go. We are sort of on a bit of a mission/family challenge, anyway, to attempt as much of it as we can and the duration of our trip is dependent on how long we spend in Seoul.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! I'm glad you asked the earlier question, actually, as it's set me on a path I wouldn't have taken on my own initiative. I've got some exploring to do! Regarding your new question, the Seoul City Wall Trail isn't all that long, really. The old Joseon era capital was small. Pretty much anywhere you stay on the north side of the river is going to be within a 15-20 minute radius of most of the starting points by subway, excluding the extreme east and west of the city limits. As to how to tackle it... Generally speaking, I think most people would have no trouble finishing the whole thing in two days. A serious hiker can do it in one. The Inwangsan and Baegaksan sections are the most challenging. Start early and knock those two sections out, then the rest will be a cake walk. So if hiking the trail is the main goal, then I'd say aim for two or three days. I'd suggest hitting the sections in this order: Two-Day Plan -- Day 1: Inwangsan, Baegaksan, Naksan; Day 2: Heunginjimun (Dongdaemun), Namsan, Seungnyemun (Namdaemun) Three-Day Plan -- Day 1: Inwangsan, Baegaksan; Day 2: Naksan, Heunginjimun; Day 3: Namsan, Seungnyemun The three-day plan lets you take a more leisurely pace and gives you time to explore some of the areas around the trail on days 2 and 3. And if exploring is your goal, then I'd break it up into five days, with Inwangsan and Baegaksan on Day 1, and one day each for the other sections. In case you aren't already familiar with this site, you may find it helpful: seoulcitywall.seoul.go.kr/en/content/72.do That site lists the distance and an estimated time to complete each trail. Those times are a little on the high side for me. For example, it lists the Naksan and Huenginjimun trails at an hour each. Together, they cover around 4km. I sometimes include them in my daily walk, and it takes me about an hour to do both. There's absolutely nothing to slow you down on the Naksan section. So if you and your family are regular walkers, you might consider those estimates high.

[@ozskzkizz]

@@MikeFromKorea wow that website was just the kind of thing we’ve been searching for but couldn’t find. Thankyou! Ok, so that’s good info and interesting to note Re the sections. We definitely want to take our time and explore. But knocking it over in days instead of a week or more is great to help us have a loose plan. So awesome to hear my q about food unlocked a new avenue of exploring for you! We love Korean food and have found some great places locally (we are in Australia), if our daughter goes to Seoul to study as she’s planning, and when we come to holiday and visit, I want to know she will eat well and not make every meal from convenience stores! But that’s student life too, really, I guess 🤔

[@Delicate-Sound-of-Thunder]

I arrived in Korea in 1991, in-processed at Yongsan then shipped to Camp Casey Turtle Farm. I have been in Korea off and on for almost 30 years. I love Korea, great food, very safe and a lot to see if you get out and travel the country! I'll be following your videos...

[@surekhapisal2077]

Hi Mike, this is a great presentation, well spoken and very beneficial for people wanting to settle in Korea. Your genuine personality shines through, the kind of friend everyone wants. Keep up the good work 😊.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! That's very kind.

[@surekhapisal2077]

Hi Mike, I am into financial investments, I am looking forward to expand my business in Korea, let me know if you would be interested in helping me. I don't know Korean and I do know life in Korea is expensive, so just trying to make things easier for them.

[@calgaryrockies8537]

Great talk and storytelling!! Nice to hear things from another angle.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Much appreciated!

[@user-mp3pl7dz9b]

We're going to Busan in a few hours! It's been a few months, but I'm looking forward to it. Even though it's just 1 night and 2 days.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Awesome! I know a lot of people go there for the beaches, but I've always liked it better in the winter. I'm thinking of going at the end of this year or early next to spend a few days filming. Have a great time!

[@SeoulForeigner]

What a lovely video and thank you for sharing your experience of living in South Korea. I also like the 'pig bar' ice cream! 🐷🍦

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thanks! Yeah, that's a popular one.

[@paz80917]

Great video, Mike! Learned a lot from you as always :). Q&A question for a future video: What is the relationship between Seoul and the surrounding "cities"? My feeling is that no one really mentions the surrounding cities and most of the focus is on central Seoul. How does Seoul compare to NYC and Tokyo?

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thanks! My quick-brain answer is that they're basically just suburbs where many of the residents commute to work in the city everyday. There's more to it than that, though. I think each satellite city has its own story. I know that Seongnam was developed as a manufacturing center in the Park Chung Hee era, but it was also intended to take some pressure off the explosion of the population of Seoul. Today, it's basically just an extension of Seoul. I mean, it's still a separate city, but many Seoul workers live in Seongnam's Bundang District, it's tightly integrated with the public transportation network, and people go back and forth between them on a regular basis. It might as well be Seongnam-gu instead of Seongnam-si (a district of Seoul rather than a separate city). I'll explore this some more and see what I can come up with for the next Q&A video.

[@wizard4you]

30년을 사셨으면 그곳이 고향인거죠.. 안그래요 이웃 아저씨?..^^ 구독 누르고 가요.. 늘 건강하고 행복하세요..^^

[@MikeFromKorea]

맞아요! 감사합니다.

[@bartandpocca1774]

I keep jumping back in to this Q&A video to ask questions since it is your latest video, but I don't want to watch this one yet because I'm trying to watch the videos in the order they came out. I'm stuck down here in Sejong and haven't been to Seoul in about 4-5 years. I would be interested in the Western part of Seoul, not 강서구 but north of the river. That is if you have time and are in the area. Seoul is great because you can feel the history in the air. Let me take YOU down memory lane for a bit. In 1997-98 I was stationed at Camp Essayons in 의정부, but we spent a lot of time at Camp Casey for various exercises. My platoon sergeant would take me to the PX (I think it was) to buy a large cup of beer and head right over to this old style video racing game where two people could sit inside and race cars, something like Grand Theft Auto. We would end up drunk driving. When I moved back to Korea in 2017 for the first time,, I made a virtual bee line for 의정부 and 동두천 just to re-live the memories, and it broke my heart to see that nothing was the same. I'm pretty sure Casey may still be there somewhere, but I toured the area on my bike and couldn't find anything. Oh crap! I just realized that you were at Casey when Markle was there! Gruesome story.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thanks for your comment. Wow, I haven't heard the name 'Camp Essayons' in quite a long time. I just looked it up to see what's been done with it. There's a hospital there now and a park is supposed to open at the end of next year. The first time I went back to Dongducheon was around 96 or maybe 97. I spent the night, saw some old friends. They'd done some work on the highway near there, expanded it or something, I can't recall. I just remember it being different. The next time I went was after they'd expanded the subway line. And yeah, so much of it was unrecognizable. I did, however, find an area that still looked the same. But it was an island in a sea of unfamiliarity. And yeah, I was there when Markle did his thing. We were locked down for over two weeks. Big protest outside Gate 1, smaller one outside Gate 2, every day. They threw molotov cocktails made from soju bottles, spray painted "YANKEE GO HOME" all over the walls. The post bus service kept running, though. I remember taking a trip to Seoul during that period. The bus went through the back gate and through the little training area that was there, into the Camp Hovey back gate and out its main gate. The protesters completely ignored it. The only thing that was over there was that tiny little village I've done one video in northwestern Seoul looking for old restaurants near Bulgwang and Yeonsinnae Stations. I'm planning to put out a few more around Eungam station, DMC, World Cup Stadium, etc. No promises as to when, though.

[@sn350channel]

You basically came to Korea when me and my family left Korea to the US around the same time. I was only 5 yrs old.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Do you remember anything from that time? I once had a Korean American coworker whose family had emigrated to the States when she was 7. They never brought her back here growing up, so she came back in her late 20s to connect with her roots. I drove her to her birthplace a little outside of Seoul. She didn't remember much about it until we got there, and then several memories came back. It was a strong experience for her.

[@sn350channel]

@@MikeFromKorea I remember there were so many new experiences I’ve had from that time. What stuck out most was I remember I really enjoyed going to blockbuster, movie theaters, and toys R us.

[@soohyeonkim8823]

I relate to you.

[@Running555ni_ght]

Thank you for sharing these insights Mike. Specially the last question was very interesting to me, because I am an expat myself with 30+ years living away from my home country. And it seems to me that we have a similar story. I also thought I would stay just one year and then go back home, but as well as it is your case, I met my wife and yes there was also a point in which I thought seriously go back home, but as it happened those thoughts faded away as life went on and I built my life around my wife and in this country which I call home now. And as well as in your case I have no thoughts of going back to my home country. Though I have to ask you " Did Korean society integrated you or do they let you feel, that you are a visitor?" I am asking because a family member of mine moved to Korea 5 years ago and it is pretty hard for that member to be integrated into Korean society in spite of this person being fluent in Korean.

[@MikeFromKorea]

I came to Korea in a time when the Korean people were learning how to adapt to the influx of foreigners. The foreign population in Korea up until the late 80s was relatively small. I've read that it was around 40,000 at its peak. I don't know if that includes American military personnel, but if it doesn't, it only goes up to a little over 70,000. By 2019 there were over 2 million of us here. On top of that, Koreans didn't have the opportunity to travel abroad until the late 80s. It was prohibited without special permission for many years, then gradually started opening up (people with a certain income, then people over 50, etc) until it became completely unrestricted. So the 90s was a time of massive transition as the world started to have more influence on Korea both culturally and socially. I would say that for my first decade here, I was treated as a visitor by most people. Many had never met a foreigner in person. Many people were hesitant to speak English because of a lack of confidence, but would always assume I didn't speak Korean and make the effort anyway. They'd frequently try to teach me things about Korean culture and history, assuming I didn't know anything about either. Random people would wave and say "Welcome to Korea" as they passed me on the sidewalk. That kind of thing. There were also practical difficulties in daily life, like trying to get a telephone or internet contract, and especially mobile phones when they came around. No problem if you had a job on a US military base, as they had a deal with Korea Telecom to set that up. But if you were out on your own, it was a nightmare. Every telecom had their own system for dealing with foreigners, but even then it was inconsistent. The same telecom might require you to get a Korean to cosign or maybe make a ridiculously large deposit, both steps intended to ensure they still get their money if you left the country. Name any consumer-facing or government system that required paperwork and it was a massive PITA for foreigners. I could go on and on, but that should give you an idea. All of that started to change in the early 2000s, and by the 2010s it was a distant memory. For me, anyway. The only time I get treated like a visitor now is when I go to a tourist-heavy area like Myeongdong. A lot of the vendors and shop staff assume I'm a tourist, which is understandable given how many they deal with on a daily basis. I can't speak to your relative's experience. I have no idea what it's like for someone coming to Korea today. Anything I say would be pure speculation and most likely inaccurate from their perspective. What I can say is that the main thing that prevents me from feeling fully integrated at this point is my abysmal Korean vocabulary and grammar. But I've had over 30 years to adapt to living here. There are probably things newcomers are affected by that I don't even notice anymore.

[@Running555ni_ght]

@@MikeFromKorea Thank you for taking your time to answer. I think you are right. Korea has undergone many changes in the last 3 decades, so from your perspective probably it is a bit harder to tell how it is for newly arrived foreigners. But I am glad that you could develop your life in Korea. I like Korea very much, it’s culture, food, etc. Stay save. Thanks again.

[@dwightlee4908]

이 분 저랑 입맛이 같네요! 돼지바, 엔초 ㅎ

[@Mudskipper9876]

I've really enjoyed your thoughtful commentary. Q: What off the beaten path places should a tourist visit for good street food without the crowded tourist trap of Myeongdong?

[@MikeFromKorea]

For the record, one of my favorite egg bread vendors is in Myeongdong, and most of the other egg bread vendors aren't bad. Two of my favorite dongaseu restaurants are located there as well. I wouldn't write it off completely as a tourist trap. Stay away from anything that looks gimmicky and you should be good. To your question, though, Namdaemun Market has some excellent street food vendors. There's a little old lady selling bungeoppang there that's just fantastic, and a couple selling heotteok that my wife sometimes asks me to pick up when I'm out on my walks. I think that's a great place to go for street food. You used to be able to find street food vendors on most of the major streets, but the times have changed. They aren't allowed now in many areas where they used to be. You'll usually find them in any university neighborhood (especially Hongdae) and you can find a few set up in local neighborhood markets. Other than that, there are a few areas around the city where the local government rents out sidewalk booths. You'll find street food vendors in some of those. One area that comes to mind is the stretch of Jong-ro between Dondaemun and Dongmyo Stations. There are also several in Insadong, but unfortunately that's more of a tourist trap these days. I haven't really liked anything I've bought there. I picked up some egg bread there today. It was too small and didn't taste very good. Now and then, someone will set up a cart somewhere unexpected. I saw an egg bread vendor yesterday set up in one of the little pedestrian triangles between crosswalks at an intersection. You can also find little shops now, often chain shops, selling what you used to only get from street vendors.

[@amorpaz6343]

우와~😍목소리도 좋으시고 (asmr같아요^^) 영어 잘못알아듣지만 느낌?으로🫣😆 넘 재밌게 봤어여.여긴 아르헨티나에요.35년차 교포에요. 앞으로 좋은영상 응원힙니다! 구독자 많아지실것같은 느낌이 드네요! 뽜이팅🎉🎉🎉❤

[@MikeFromKorea]

감사합니다! 아르헨티나에서도 제 영상을 즐겨 주셔서 정말 기쁩니다. 목소리가 마음에 드셨다니 영광이에요. 응원 정말 감사드리고, 좋은 하루 되세요!

[@__-wx8tj]

Wow, discovered this channel way too late! Looking forward to watching every video you have uploaded. I love 돼지바, too!

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you!

[@julianasilva6946]

I would like to see you talking about the biggest changes in Korea society that you experienced during all this time you have been living in Korea.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thanks for the suggestion! I touched on that a little bit in the video titled 'Everything's Changing'. Change, big and small, is an underlying theme of the channel, though I don't always deal with it directly. The video about my Itaewon memories, the one about Hannam New Town ('These Seoul Neighborhoods will Never be the Same Again'), the videos where I talk about hole-in-the-wall restaurants and how they used to be everywhere, but now they aren't, etc. I'm planning to talk about more things like that over time. For example, I've been working on something about the history of coffee in Korea. The coffee scene has changed dramatically since I've been here and I didn't even notice it was happening. I'm also thinking about something related to the major cultural changes I've seen, something on how general attitudes seem to have changed, and more.

[@julianasilva6946]

@@MikeFromKorea Thank you for your reply. I just subscribed to your channel. I'm going to watch your previous videos.

[@kyoungkim8823]

Enjoyed your video. I can relate to you as i have been living in the States, NJ, for now 32 years. No deliberate decision to live here just like you. I am, however, wondering.. what it would be like if i went back.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! I once assumed that everyone who emigrated actually intended to do so, especially those going to the States. It seems like it would be such a huge decision. It was a big surprise to learn otherwise.

[@dbglodowski]

Another great video! Did you ever happen during your time to get involved in the Itaewon Pool League?

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thanks! I did play in the pool league briefly for Woodstock. I was visiting there one night to say hi to Mr. Woo and he convinced me to join, even though I hadn't played for years. That must have been around 2010 or so. I only played for a few weeks. I just wasn't up to being around so many drunk people so often anymore, or drinking so much myself.

[@user-yw9gm3cm3j]

반가워요

[@MikeFromKorea]

Nice to meet you!

[@SC-or2zb]

Hi Mike, for some reason, you remind me of myself. I am much younger than you, but I am also open minded, introspective, and very exploratory while being a mix of introvert/extrovert. I am a Korean American in my 30's living in California and kind of lost in terms of my career. I never found my place and never quite fit in anywhere. I've been in finance, in medicine, and I felt out of place in both fields. I'm wondering if you ever had a career after the army, and whether you felt uneasy about financial stability while spending so many years abroad.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you for sharing. Yes, financial stability has always been a concern. I bounced around between jobs for a few years after the Army. I could have pursued a stable career had I continued to work for the US government as a direct employee or with a contractor. I had good opportunities there, but I eventually realized that wasn't the life I wanted. And so I ended up as a freelance English teacher for quite a long time. There's the potential for good money in that, and I had some good years, but it was variable and unstable. Now my only job is with a small charitable foundation based in Seattle. They pay me all they can afford to, which is very little, but I'd do it for free if I could. It started as a side job, as it's not enough to live on if it's the only income my wife and I have. She used to have a stable income working for real estate agencies, but now she's a freelance agent working exclusively on commission. Her income depends on the state of the real estate market, and it's in a major slump right now. And so one of my motivations for giving KZbin a go is to supplement my income. I'm not trying to get rich here. I do have a specific target that will allow me to give up my salary and work on a volunteer basis with the foundation. Then they could pay someone else to get onto some of the work we need done that no one has time for, and I can cut back a bit on my responsibilities and make more videos. It would be fantastic if I can get there. And of course, KZbin is not exactly a stable source of income, but for now at least I can pursue it and see where it leads.

[@user-bg1bo9wq6g]

for vegetarian, I would recommend a lettuce wrap restaurant (쌈밥집)

[@MikeFromKorea]

Good advice.

[@user-yo1bs9np4h]

yes👍📌good chice~~ And 콩나물국밥 비지찌게 콩국수 . 두부전문점. 비빔국수. 찾아보면 더욱 많아요~

[@lostthenfound]

Hey Mike another great video and you really put a lot of time into it! It still blows me away that you've been here for 33 years. I was really curious about the answer to the last question (what kept you here year after year). As someone also planning on staying in Korea forever, you give me a lot of hope to continue living my life here, and hopefully to grow and become wiser at some point too! Hope you're enjoying the great weather, and I look forward to more videos!

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thanks, Matt! It all goes by so fast. I'll look forward to your "30 Years in Korea Q&A"!

[@lostthenfound]

@@MikeFromKorea haha only another 19.5 years left and I'm on it! By the way congrats on getting to 1k subscribers!

[@MikeFromKorea]

@@lostthenfound Thanks! Now I'm just waiting for YT to catch up on the watch hour count on the meter to 4,000. It's showing numbers from 5 days ago, inching up ever so slowly. Should be there in two or three more days.

[@user-zi2fw9hn1j]

오! 취향이 저랑 거의 비슷하시네요. 초콜렛 ~~~ 캬라멜~~~

[@MikeFromKorea]

우리 친척인가요?

[@yoga12842]

i found nice channel

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you!

[@Mission2Transition641]

Been looking forward to this video, Mike. Thanks for sharing my questions. By the way, my nickname from the wife is Dwaeji, especially eating ice cream. Off today to Seongnam (house/villa/appt hunting) When i was here in 85 the city was SONGNAM. Since Seoul basically grew and grew more south, they renamed it SEONGNAM. Near my old base K-16. Been here 10 months and loving it, coming back 37 years later. Great video and sites!

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! I didn't mention this in the email I sent you, but I knew a couple of people who were here in the early 90s and came back 20+ years later as government contractors. They were stunned by the changes they saw then. And that was a decade ago now. Based on what I've heard from you so far, it seems like it's pretty much disorienting in your case. 37 years is a lifetime.

[@jamielove179]

You've been in Korea as long as I've been alive 😅 Thanks for the great video. 😊

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thanks! The first time a Korean pointed out to me that I'd been in Korea longer than he had, it hit me in a weird way. Now I embrace it!

[@irmazandl]

Great video as always, Mike. One question I think you might want to address: how do people (esp. older ones) deal with all the stairs. I am coming to Seoul in a couple of weeks and I pack light (one carry-on and a small backpack) and I am staying in a hotel, so I am set. But having seen all the stairs in various videos, I don't think many Americans could schlep all their luggage up to some of those neighborhoods that you were mentioning. Thoughts?

[@alpineboy3288]

It’s not bad accessibility because there are small green-bus or subway around slums with lots of stairs but yes, they can't completely avoid going up and down stairs if you mean 25:04.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you! Quite often, there are alternatives to the stairs, usually a more roundabout way along a road. And when there aren't, there's probably nothing at the top of the stairs that anyone would need to lug their bags to anyway. Most guesthouses are going to be in an accessible location, even if it's up a hill. I expect those that aren't accessible wouldn't last very long. I could have avoided most of the stairs you saw in this video to get to the same places. The only exception was the gate. There are three ways up to it, and they all have stairs. But the rest weren't necessary. That said, I'm constantly amazed by all the elderly people here who don't turn away from the stairs. I hope I'm still able to do the same in 20 years!

[@MikeFromKorea]

Ah! Even at 25:04 you can avoid the stairs. It just means a longer walk :-)

[@bartandpocca1774]

Mike, I'm not sure if you'll see my questions, but I'll give it a try. I just finished watching the Achasan video, and it took me back to 2017 when I last climbed Achasan. My questions are: 1) how do you get the subtitles to come out so well? Do you have to do them yourself? And 2), where do you get the music from? Do you have to request permission for each song? Keep up the good work, the videos are great.

[@MikeFromKorea]

I ignored Achasan for years, but I fell in love with it the first time I hiked it. Thanks for your questions. 1) I use Davinci Resolve Studio to edit my videos. It has a built-in AI-based subtitle generator. It does make mistakes, so I have to make a pass through the whole video to correct errors and ensure the timings aren't too far off, but overall it does a great job. I edited the Q&A with the latest beta version and it seems they've made some improvements that have decreased the error rate. I'll have to see if that holds or if it was just this video. 2) There are multiple music licensing services out there that provide stock music. Typically, you pay a subscription fee and can download any song from their catalog subject to specific terms based on the nature of your subscription (useable only on a limited number of KZbin channels--like 1 or 3---monetization allowed or not, usable in TV/Movies/Games or not, etc). Several of them offer more than music, like sound effects, video templates, visual effects, etc. For my other channel, I've used one called Artlist.io in the past. Right now I have a lifetime membership with Audiio.com and a monthly subscription with Lickd.co. A $15/mo Lickd subscription gives access to a massive stock music catalog, but they also have a huge selection of mainstream commercial music across several genres, both old and new: John Denver, Jim Croce, The Kinks, Green Day, Due Lipa, Justin Bieber, Toby Keith, all kinds of stuff. With a subscription, the mainstream songs can be licensed for $8 each. Without a subscription, they're $32 each and you don't have access to the stock music. Had I known about them sooner, I never would have paid a lifetime membership to Audiio. I did get it at a significantly reduced rate, so it's not as painful as it could have been.

[@lizl8997]

Chocolate must be your favorite ice cream flavor! What do you think of the present day United States having lived in Korea for so long? It must feel like a foreign country. Thanks for the video.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Chocolate and vanilla are pretty much all I eat. The exception is when I'm at a gelato shop in Europe. I go for it all in one of those places. Every time I go back to the States, I have this weird mix of feeling at home while feeling like a stranger. It's both familiar and foreign. I do enjoy my visits, but my life is so different from what my friends and relatives experience that we may as well be on different planets. One cool thing about that is I get to explore my own hometown like a tourist! But after two or three weeks, that starts to wear off and I'm always ready to get back to Korea.

[@4ce5bf154]

For vegetarians, i recommend going for lunch at a Buddhist temple, it's a cool experience but you may need the help of a korean or some korean language.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Great suggestion! I didn't think of that. I know a temple on Ungilsan that serves free green tea, but I'd forgotten all about the "temple food" thing. Thanks!

[@CamKrazy2000]

You've been in Seoul more than twice as long as I have. Left there when I was 15 and have been in the US since. Question #8 sounds like my old neighborhood in Seoul, 역촌동. When I lived there, Gangnam didn't even exist yet.

[@MikeFromKorea]

So you've been gone for a while then. I passed very near Yeokcheon-dong in my video about Eunpyeong-gu. When was the last time you were there? I expect it's very, very different from when you lived there.

[@CamKrazy2000]

@@MikeFromKorea I was there when my brother got married in the early '90's so it's been a while. Yes, that was my neighborhood, graduated from Yale Kindergarten and Elementary school.

[@user-jc1bn8ni3n]

경기도민으로서 서울 산성과 주변 지역을 산책?하시며 여러 곳을 소개해주셔 감사합니다. 그리고 재한국 미국인(Expatriate /former G.I)이 한국을 사랑하시는 거에 또한 감사드립니다.

[@MikeFromKorea]

감사합니다! 영상을 즐겨 주셔서 기쁩니다.

[@normalcynormalcy2338]

아따 성님 지도 5살때 한국 떠나서 평생 미국식 교육만 받다가 들어와서 인쟈 20년찬데 third culture kid로서 어딜 가도 외국같고 그렇더라고요. 영상 잘 보겠습니다.

[@MikeFromKorea]

저도 예전에는 두 나라 사이에서 난감하게 느껴졌었는데, 요즘은 한국에서 더 자연스럽게 지내고 있어요. 이제 한국이 외국 같지 않게 되었답니다.

[@joyyyy777]

Greetings from South Korea. You have been living in SK more than my entire life haha. Hope you enjoy and be satisfied while living here. Have a wonderful weekend.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Thank you!

[@gdfhh-vk9ug]

It's nice to see your neighborhood! You live in a neighborhood like Daldongne (It means a neighborhood of poor people in Seoul that lives on the wall of a castle) in Rio de Janeiro, but isn't it uncomfortable because the land is so high?

[@MikeFromKorea]

The area around the wall isn't my neighborhood. I do live near the city wall, but another section of it close to Namsan Town Apartments where I started the video. Seoul has hills all over the place, and I do live at the top of a hill now, but I've lived on steeper hills before. I'm used to it.

[@kyoungheephyo3320]

What about InSaDong or BookChon area for a stay? Thought those area appear to be more tidier than the places being recommended - also central location ??

[@MikeFromKorea]

Seoul is a tidy city overall. The street cleaners are out every morning. Unless you're referring to something else? The condition of the buildings? Insadong and Bukchon don't match the criteria given in the question I answered. They're the opposite really: quite busy, more commercial, and don't really represent what it feels like to live in Seoul. Aside from that, rooms there are quite expensive. If none of that matters to you, then sure, they could be good places to stay for the experience. As you say, they're centrally located. You can also find some guesthouses in traditional hanok. However, Hansung University Station, which I suggested in the video, is just 2km away. Easily walkable, and a short bus ride.

[@kyoungheephyo3320]

Thank you for the information. I am Korean but lived in Korea less than you have lived in Korea, so haha who's talking😝

[@Sidetracked_in_Macau]

I've been in Asia since 1996.....Macau the last 11 years with my own youtube channel. But I was in South Korea off and on from 1996-2008....I wonder if I ever would have come across you during those times. I remember a Mike who was working in a hogwan in the year 2000....near Shinchon Station (between Ehwa & HongDae). I wonder if you would have been in that area around 2000-ish....HongDae and such?

[@MikeFromKorea]

That wouldn't have been me. I did sometimes go out to Sinchon/Hongdae in the mid- to late 90s, but usually only at night. I never worked out that way. In 2000, I was working near Seolleung Station.

[@Sidetracked_in_Macau]

@@MikeFromKorea back in the days of hodge podge, joker red, Route 66, etc :)

[@pbj6606]

What are the chances and the kind of work foreigners can have in Korea? Seoul is so expensive, how do they get by? I was in Seoul in April and to pay 18,000 Won for 2 small coffees and bagels is crazy. They have NYC prices. What kind of jobs can you get in rural areas as a foreigner?

[@MikeFromKorea]

When you live here, you probably aren't going to spend 18,000 won on two small coffees and bagels on a regular basis. I know I don't. There are much cheaper options available. Cafe/bakery prices vary pretty widely, primarily influenced by location. A bagel in a local independent bakery in my neighborhood is 3,000. Just up the street is a Mega Coffee branch. As a major chain, their prices are consistent. And it's actually good. I've pretty much given up Starbucks. They sell a 2-shot Americano in one size equivalent to a Starbucks venti for 1500 won. I always add a shot, so it costs me 2,000. So two coffees + two bagels with my wife is 9,500 won (she doesn't get the extra shot). Any one place where you sit and get the same is probably going to run you anywhere between 10,000 and 20,000, and the quality doesn't always correlate with the price. Mercer ranks Seoul at #16 on their cost-of-living index for 2023 and NYC at #6. But they just measure major cities. Numbeo includes many more cities and has Seoul at #72 for 2024 and NYC at #7. Their data is crowd-sourced, so it doesn't go through the same rigor as other indices, but it's considered generally reliable. In the 30 years since I left the Army, I've never once felt that Seoul was unaffordable. My wife and I went through a financial crisis of our own making in the early 2000s, but even then we didn't really struggle. We were able to scale back on everything, including moving into a low-rent apartment, and a year later we had our heads above water again. We're far from being rich, but we've been able to live comfortably. There's no doubt we could have lived more cheaply had we moved out of Seoul, but then we wouldn't have had the same opportunities or the same income levels. Regarding jobs, I'm not the best person to ask.The last time I got a job without a marriage visa or permanent residency was in the late 90s. Back then, English teaching was the usual way in and pretty much anyone could do it, but the rules and regulations have changed significantly since then and they're more strictly enforced. However, I've seen videos here on YT from foreigners who came here to work in Korean firms as marketers, social media managers, and more, and I know a few people who were hired from abroad as software engineers. So there are multiple opportunities if you have the skillset that matches one of them. The Living in Korea subreddit would be a good place to search and ask: www.reddit.com/r/Living_in_Korea/.

[@shawnd.8498]

Have you ever been to Ulleung-do?

[@MikeFromKorea]

No, not yet. I'd like to go hiking there one day.

[@GiyoungBae-xi2sy]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@ameroz60]

Great video, how were you allowed to stay In Korea when you finished with the Military ? Did you have work promised to you so you could show the South Korean government?

[@MikeFromKorea]

I got a job on the Army base as soon as my enlistment officially ended. I had 90 days of terminal leave before that. I worked on base for most of the 90s.

[@MikeFromKorea]

To expand, that allowed me to maintain a SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) visa. All I had to do was take some paperwork out to the immigration office, get some stamps and signatures, and I was done. It was good for a year, easily renewed. The immigration office even sent an agent to the base once a month to handle renewals. Had I gone straight to work off base, the easiest way would have been to line up a teaching job, leave the country to apply for a teaching visa at a Korean embassy somewhere, and then come back. But the teaching industry was the Wild West back then. Most language schools maintained a small number of legal teachers and hired the rest locally. People on tourist visas who would hop over to Fukuoka Japan and back every 90 days. It was so common that the airlines had someone waiting to redirect people from the arrival area to the departure area so they could fly back on the same plane. It was very easy for anyone who wanted to stay to do so. But anyone working on a tourist visa always had the threat of deportation hanging over them. I knew several people who got caught.

[@ameroz60]

@@MikeFromKorea I was going to do the same thing when i was in Germany ,I worked Military Customs inspector with house hold goods, we worked with the transportation office and there were several civilians working too, anyway i was getting all the paperwork done needed was to get ok from transportation office and be working as a quality control investigator to check on the moving companies packing up Military personnel's property being sent stateside. then got homesick and went back home . to this day wished i had stayed.

[@MikeFromKorea]

​@@ameroz60 Staying abroad when you're homesick can make for a miserable experience. It's difficult to overcome. I've seen it here a few times. Going back was probably the right move. I'd been eager to get away from home, so it wasn't something I ever had to deal with.

[@allencoffland1685]

beat you in country by about 8 years........landed in kimpo, caught a ride to osan.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Nice! We landed at Osan AB because we were on a chartered Federal Express plane (that's when I learned they even had passenger planes). There was a mass replacement going on due to the end of the stop-loss policy post Desert Storm. A lot of soldiers had been frozen in place here well beyond the end of their duty assignments. Half of my AIT graduating class at Fort Sam got shipped here, and half of that group were on the same plane with me. Three of us ended up in the same platoon at Camp Casey, which is just unheard of otherwise.

[@user-dy3vu1gz8q]

갠적으로 거주 환경은 서울보다 신도시들이 더 좋은거 같아요.

[@MikeFromKorea]

맞아요. 신도시들이 특히 가족들에게 더 나은 것 같아요. 하지만, 서울의 단점들에도 불구하고, 여기 사는 걸 정말 즐겨요.

[@user-de1wo3nl8h]

I think I'm a little surprised how many windows have bars them?

[@MikeFromKorea]

Yeah, you'll find those on the lower floors of lot of older villas. I don't think you see them so much on newer buildings, but I haven't paid much attention. The crime rate here is low compared to other industrialized nations, but it does happen.

[@allencoffland1685]

interesting how the population implosion and lack of workers can be attenuated if you have a society which keeps laws of basic morality like not stealing ( with some big brother tech assisting). wonder if hotels in korea are going self check-in like in japan?

[@MikeFromKorea]

That's an interesting question. I haven't been to a hotel here in a while and haven't heard anything about it. I'll have to look into it. It's pretty standard now to order from kiosks in cafes and restaurants, and there are more staff-less shops popping up all the time, like places that sell prepackaged meals or mini convenience stores. And recently I saw a new staff-less cafe chain. I'd bet there are at least some hotels with self check-in.

[@dennysun9051]

요즈음 쌍쌍바 찾기 진짜 어려운데...😮😮😂

[@MikeFromKorea]

제 영상에서 보여준 가게에는 보통 파는 편이에요. 그래도, 맞아요, 그 외에는 찾기가 정말 어려울 거예요.

[@gsgteycscgwh]

동북아시아인이 아닌 외국인이 한국에서 오래 살려면 넉살이랑 강한 멘탈이 필요하지 않나요. 그렇지 않으면 외로울건데요.

[@MikeFromKorea]

모든 사람들이 서로 다릅니다. 해외 생활에 적합하지 않은 사람도 있고, 적합한 사람도 있습니다. 요즘에는 90년대보다 한국에서 살기가 더 쉽습니다. 그럼에도 불구하고, 가장 중요한 것은 개방된 마음과 적응할 의지, 그리고 지지를 위해 외국인 커뮤니티에서 친구들을 사귀는 것이라고 생각해요.

[@user-vy6dn4oh5v]

파충류 소녀 디아나 아버지 이신가?

[@hkr3489]

No

[@MikeFromKorea]

아니요

[@bartandpocca1774]

Seems like its time for the kids to sit down and be quiet now that an adult is talking.

[@whereisjohnnow]

I didn't get "send money to the bank" comment.

[@MikeFromKorea]

Sorry. That was poor phrasing. "Send your payment to the bank" is what I should have said. It's pretty common in Korea for vendors to have their bank account info displayed somewhere as a payment option when you don't have cash or a credit card on hand. Everyone has electronic banking apps on their phones. So when the card reader was down that day, I scanned everything to get the total, then canceled it and transferred the total to their bank account.

[@whereisjohnnow]

@@MikeFromKorea now I get it. it’s not how you phrase it that I didn’t get it. here in the States I don’t believe there is such payment option. I just wasn’t familiar with that method of payment which is why I didn’t get it. thanks for the explanation.

[@s.y.6447]

@@whereisjohnnow It's similar to using venmo or zelle in the States.

[@alpineboy3288]

이 지옥같은 도시에서 33년이라니, 존경합니다 형님. ‘my wife’ 의 힘은 강하다👍

[@gdfhh-vk9ug]

너 삶이 지옥 같은데?

[@MikeFromKorea]

내 와이프 최고야!

[@brian1lee]

서울을 지옥이라고 하는 사람의 희망은 김정은이 지배하는 북조선 "인민의 천국"일것..

[@gsgteycscgwh]

저도 서울에서 살때는 몰랐는데, 이천이랑 청주에서 15년을 살아보니 서울 갈때마다 이게 사람이 살 곳인가 싶더군요.

[@user-to3ge8im2s]

​@@brian1lee응 자ㅅ률 1위 출산율 꼴찌ㅋㅋ 생명은 없고 죽음만 가득하노