The public perception of South Korea can vary from its popular song Gangnam style, the Kpop scene/idols, or maybe even its staple food kimchi. My heritage as a second generation Korean American has made me experience all sorts of comments and questions about my culture numerous times. Many of my Korean friends are also in the same position as me, or they were born in South Korea and moved to the U.S.A when they were children. Whenever someone in my group of Korean friends, talk about Korea we always ask my immigrant friends why they moved here. Especially if in that group, there is a native South Korean that just recently moved here or was born in Korea and immigrated here in his or her childhood. Even though they all have their different
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But this can also be a significant problem too. In Korea after working all day long, it is tradition to go out for a couple of drinks with the boss. No matter how tired one is, they are pressured to go because it is impossible to refuse, and to be seen as impolite or ill mannered is not a good impression, when one is aiming for a higher position. By attending these 회식 (hwasik) it shows one’s respect the boss and coworkers, it is also a time to displays one’s social skills earn the approval of other coworkers. Currently, Korea’s low economy is starting to affect the average South Korean now more than ever. For example, “South Koreans are among the world’s biggest workaholics, having put in an average of 2,092 work hours in 2012 – the third-longest in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.” (Song) The reason why they work so much is because their salary is also very low too. According to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) the average …show more content…
America is widely known for as the “land of opportunities”. Many people from all over the world come to the U.S.A to take advantage of its business, education, and freedom. “Koreans are entrepreneurs par excellence. Surveys conducted in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Atlanta confirm that about one-third of Korean immigrant households engage in a self-owned business.” (Chang) The first Koreans that ever came to the U.S.A sought work as plantation workers in Hawaii because of the expulsion of the Chinese laborers. As of now, many South Koreans are still moving into the U.S for the same reasons their ancestors did in the 1900’s. The U.S. Economic Census of 1997 confirmed, “The rate of Korean business ownership is 71 percent higher than their share of the population, highest of all the major Asian ethnic groups.” (Chang) But why do the Koreans only focus on creating their own small companies? It is mainly because of their money situation and pride. Most South Koreans immigrate to the U.S with their families and nearly all of these families have at least two to four kids. The parents need to find a way to support themselves and the language barrier also restricts them from going into better jobs that have a much more desirable paycheck. So, many choose the option of establishing their own company, which can be a risk but the earnings are
But this can also be a significant problem too. In Korea after working all day long, it is tradition to go out for a couple of drinks with the boss. No matter how tired one is, they are pressured to go because it is impossible to refuse, and to be seen as impolite or ill mannered is not a good impression, when one is aiming for a higher position. By attending these 회식 (hwasik) it shows one’s respect the boss and coworkers, it is also a time to displays one’s social skills earn the approval of other coworkers. Currently, Korea’s low economy is starting to affect the average South Korean now more than ever. For example, “South Koreans are among the world’s biggest workaholics, having put in an average of 2,092 work hours in 2012 – the third-longest in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.” (Song) The reason why they work so much is because their salary is also very low too. According to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) the average …show more content…
America is widely known for as the “land of opportunities”. Many people from all over the world come to the U.S.A to take advantage of its business, education, and freedom. “Koreans are entrepreneurs par excellence. Surveys conducted in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Atlanta confirm that about one-third of Korean immigrant households engage in a self-owned business.” (Chang) The first Koreans that ever came to the U.S.A sought work as plantation workers in Hawaii because of the expulsion of the Chinese laborers. As of now, many South Koreans are still moving into the U.S for the same reasons their ancestors did in the 1900’s. The U.S. Economic Census of 1997 confirmed, “The rate of Korean business ownership is 71 percent higher than their share of the population, highest of all the major Asian ethnic groups.” (Chang) But why do the Koreans only focus on creating their own small companies? It is mainly because of their money situation and pride. Most South Koreans immigrate to the U.S with their families and nearly all of these families have at least two to four kids. The parents need to find a way to support themselves and the language barrier also restricts them from going into better jobs that have a much more desirable paycheck. So, many choose the option of establishing their own company, which can be a risk but the earnings are