Have you ever wished that you were born in South Korea or lived there?

No. I understand, and I guess most people do, that the image you get when watching dramas and stuff is not how it is to live in South Korean in real life, or at least it paint a bit too romantic image of it. I would guess it's pretty hard growing up in SK wiht the pressure from school and all that, even it it's hard to know how much is true about all the stories about how tough it is or if it's an exaggeration.

At the end of the day it's probably similar growing up in Europe, North America or South Korea.

But I sometimes can think it would be cool to live in Japan or South Korea for a period of time, but it also have a lot of pratical problems.

did a 6 month assignment in Seoul for work...it's nice to visit for vacation but living there gets boring pretty quickly.

Not really. School life seems pretty hard and I don't want to imagine working there.

If anything Kdramas made me not want to live there.

Yes. I wish I lived in South Korea, but to do that, I must learn the language and renounce my American citizenship (I don't want to renounce my American citizenship).

Heck no, too many try hards in school. I'd be bottom of the barrel with work ethic 😂

No. As someone who has moved often and lived over 2 years in 4 countries in NA, Europe, and East Asia - there is no “perfect” country.

Many people really do believe the grass is greener elsewhere and it’s because they see what they want to see and not the reality.

South Korea is a lovely country and I will def visit again. It has issues just as in any country.

What people also don’t consider enough is the language and cultural integration aspect of living in a new country. It’s not going to work well if you are in the Expat bubble or never learned the local language beyond basics.

But another weird dynamic I see is “this wishing I was born in X country” instead comes from admiration but also some self hating or fetish or growing up phase of learning to love yourself etc.

It's natural to idealize places like South Korea or Japan, especially when you're into K-pop, K-dramas, or anime. These cultures can make those countries seem like paradises. However, no place is perfect, and reality is often more complex than what media portrays. High expectations can lead to disappointment when you realize a country isn't exactly like you imagined. The students who found Tokyo "village-like" probably had unrealistic expectations shaped by media, highlighting the importance of keeping an open mind when experiencing new places.

I bet 98% of kpop fans wish they were born here in Korea. But after they learn about how flawed our nation is suddenly it's a " I would visit for 5 minutes and never come back" thing😂😂😂

Quote from xx-jenn-xx

no, their culture and the way they act towards women, not only from what I see in kpop but from my father a retired veteran experienced while stationed in Korea, makes me not ever want to live there. Visit sure, but I don't ever wish i was born or lived there. I think japan seems more of a place I'd like to live, but I don't know a lick of the language, and trying to learn it has proven to be much too complicated for me.

Pay attention to Japan as much as you do Korea and you might have second thoughts. Asia as a whole ia nowhere near the West in those cultural aspects

Quote from xx-jenn-xx

I don't need your advice.

You should take it, or else you wouldn't have suggested Japan was better than Korea on that issue 😂

It's natural to romanticize places like South Korea or Japan, especially when influenced by K-pop, K-dramas, or anime. Many people imagine these countries as paradises, but reality can be different, often leading to disappointment if expectations are too high. Every country has its pros and cons, and it's important to have a balanced perspective when thinking about living abroad.

no

hell nahhhhh