When I say that I live in the Netherlands, ninety-nine out of a hundred ask me about Amsterdam. When I say that I'm from Korea, nine out of ten people ask if I'm from Seoul. In a way, it's natural to ask such a question, but it is also a very strange question to ask. In an era when the borders between countries almost disappeared, it's no longer the fact that foreigners could only be seen in big cities. But it is also true that the majority of foreigners live in big cities for various reasons. Ines is studying in Gwangju, away from Seoul, and Seungyeon Choi lives in a small town called Den Bosch in the Netherlands. They are satisfied with their lives in smaller cities, enjoying relatively slow phases and relaxation. Let's take a peek at their lives and hear their thoughts on how their lives are a bit far from the streets full of cars, tourists, and many shops and cafes. 

1. Would you introduce yourself?

︎ Ines  
︎︎︎ My name is Ines, I am 34 years old (35 in Korean age) and I am from ‘Ubeda’, a small city in the south of Spain. I arrived in Korea 10 years ago to do a Master's degree and I have been living here ever since. I have lived in Seoul and the outskirts before moving to Gwangju. I am now doing a PhD at Chonnam University, researching international migration and diaspora. These days I am working -or.. better to say, I am struggling- on my dissertation, while also working part-time.

Photos by Ines

︎ Yeon  
︎︎︎ My name is Yeon Choi, aka Yellow Duck. I’m from South Korea, born in 1973, meaning I will be 50 within a couple of years. I worked as a stage designer before meeting my husband and taking off a world journey in 2009. We have been living as nomads since then. Due to the pandemic, we’ve now been based in the Netherlands for over a year. I am a painter, a writer and a mother of an 8-year-old girl. I try to express, communicate and share what I have experienced in my nomadic life through various art forms.


Photos by Yeon


2. Why or how did you come to live in that country? Is there a specific reason that you’ve chosen to live in that country?

︎ Ines  
︎︎︎I first came as an exchange student and I liked Korea. But it was more than that, I felt a connection. I felt like home. I decided to learn more about it, so I started a degree in Korean Studies. Since then, every decision I took, ended up extending my stay here in one way or another. After 10 years, it is hard for me to see myself anywhere else. Korea is not perfect and comes with challenges but I like it as a place to settle down. I appreciate its sense of community and people’s wish to be better as a country.



Photos by Ines


︎Yeon
︎︎︎ Well, my husband is Dutch. We’ve been on the road for quite a long time but the pandemic changed everything. We couldn’t travel any longer (we even got stuck in Thailand for 5 months!) and the Netherlands was the easiest country for us to stay together. We also thought, why not experiment with our artistic careers here in the Netherlands?


Photos by Yeon


3. How long do you plan to stay in that country?

︎ Ines
︎︎︎I haven’t decided how long I will stay here. I would like to finish the PhD and find a full-time job here. When I first came, I was planning to stay for 2 year to complete my Master’s degree. I didn’t know I would end up still here, 10 years later. Now, it is really hard for me to imagine myself starting a new life in a different country, even in Spain. I would like to stay here in the long term but when you are a migrant it is hard to know and even plan.


Photos by Ines


︎Yeon
︎︎︎ No specific plan yet. We can always pack up and leave once this crazy pandemic saga ends!



4. Name one thing you love & hate about the country you live in currently.

︎ Ines
︎︎︎I love how fast and efficient everything is. In Spain, doing any administrative task can be very frustrating while everything in Korea is very convenient and efficient. You can do many things online without having to go anywhere. On the other hand, I do not like to see the pressure and stress that Koreans suffer in their academic and work lives. I think the excessive stress doesn’t allow them to enjoy the small things in life.


Photos by Ines


︎Yeon
︎︎︎What I like about living in the Netherlands is that there are many outdoor spaces for children. Playgrounds, parks, lots of green spaces. It may not be as entertaining as ‘kids cafés’ in Korea, but I find open spaces much nicer than artificial indoor ones. What I don’t like about the Netherlands is the erratic weather (of course!) and having to cycle. (I’m so not used to it and it’s hard to find the right bike because I’m very short!)



5. What’s the best thing about living outside the big city (capital city)?

︎ Ines
︎︎︎I love almost everything about life in Gwangju. Living in Seoul was too stressful but I didn’t really notice until I moved. Life is peaceful here. There are maybe fewer things to do, but you can enjoy life in a more relaxed way. People are also kinder, probably because the life rhythm is more relaxed so people have more room to be caring.


Photos by Ines


︎Yeon
︎︎︎Small enough but lively enough. People seem to be much more relaxed and warmer than people in the big city. Maybe it’s just all in my mind, but I certainly don’t have to be tense and look around my surroundings when I go out. Also, nature is more accessible, just a 10 minutes bicycle ride! People may say it’s boring to be in a small city, but I like its serenity. 


Photos by Yeon


6. When do you feel inconvenient or uncomfortable living in a small(er) city?

︎ Ines
︎︎︎ The transport connections with other cities can be inconvenient. Although Gwangju has a good connection with Seoul, it can be hard to reach other locations. Besides that… Well, Gwangju is not that small so I do not think of it as uncomfortable. Online shopping works very well here too.


Photos by Ines


︎Yeon
︎︎︎It’s a bit of a shame that most of the exciting and interesting artistic events are condensed in the big city. But it’s not a big deal because I love train rides, so even travelling to a big city to attend an event becomes a joyful experience.


Photos by Yeon


7. Have you ever discovered a gem or hidden spot in your city that isn’t so well-known to foreigners?

︎ Ines
︎︎︎ I went to a place called Dongga-ri Valley (동가리계곡), next to a river stream, where people can swim. When I went there with friends, there were no foreigners. There’s space to sit, have a picnic and there is even a restaurant where people can order Beaksuk (백숙), a korean dish made of boiled chicken with different types of kimchi and rice porridge.



Photos by Ines


︎Yeon
︎︎︎Costa Del Silo. It’s a city beach pavilion that has been renovated from an old silo. The silo has a giant graffiti that grabs people’s attention. The factory next to it is now a venue for artistic events and also has cool bars. It’s a ‘hip’ place these days.   



8. If you have to move, to which city do you like to move?

︎ Ines
︎︎︎ If I had to move, I would like to live near the seaside. Maybe Yeosu, Jeju, Ulsan, or Seokcho. I like the sea. I have lived by the coast in Spain for many years, going for walks by the beach, enjoying the breeze. Sometimes I miss that. People may think, “well you can travel, Korea isn’t big'', and while that is true, it is not easy to make the time for it, I end up having to run errands during most of my free time!


Photos by Ines


︎Yeon
︎︎︎This summer, we’ve been to other Dutch cities like Haarlem, Leiden, Deventer, Maastricht, Arnhem, Gouda. They were all beautiful and interesting, but each time I came back home, I thought ‘well, Den Bosch is the best.’ So…no, I don’t want to move to another city. But if I had to, I would pick Deventer. That’s the city my daughter loved the most.


Photos by Yeon

When you have a job, you spend a third of your day with your co-workers. Each country has a different culture, so each individual thinks differently. At work, you have to work on many things together with your colleagues. Maybe that's why you can feel the cultural difference the most when working in a foreign country. Hansung Kim left Korea and came to the Netherlands to work as a barber in Netherlands. Mike from the US works in the Korean branch of an American company. Through the eyes of the two people, we hear about the life that they experience while working as foreigners.

1. Please introduce yourself!

︎ Hansung   
︎︎︎ Hello, my name is  Hansung Kim, and I’m currently working as a barber specialising in men’s haircuts in the Netherlands. Before I came to the Netherlands, I was born in Korea and raised in Ansan, a small city near Seoul. So it’s my first time living abroad after living in Korea for 26 years. Somehow, it’s already been 2 years since I started working, learning, and enjoying here.

Photo by Hansung


︎ Mike
︎︎︎ My name is Mike, I am from the USA, and I am 28 years old. I have been living in Korea for about 7 months, working with my American company as an expatriate.

Photo by Mike


2. How did you come to live in the Netherlands or in Korea? Is there a specific reason that you have chosen to live in that country?

︎ Hansung   
︎︎︎ When I was in Korea, I wanted to be a composer making music. I started learning music when I was 20 and tried for 6 years to be a composer, and yet there was very little progress to be recognised. I decided to go to Australia to study. But I met a dream girl in the Philippines, where I went for the last trip with my friends just two weeks before my departure. She was also on a trip with her friends. Fate led us to continue our contact even after returning to Korea. As she meant more than my dream, I cancelled my flight to Australia and stayed in Korea. But soon, I felt that my personal growth was standing still the more I stayed in Korea. After a deep conversation, we came to understand each other's situation and decided to leave our relationship behind and follow our dreams again. I like dealing with appearance and doing things with my hands, so I came up with the idea of learning male haircuts and becoming a professional barber. To become a barber, in particular, it's important where you start learning, and the Netherlands is the hometown for Barber culture and the best place to learn the technique. This is how I came to the Netherlands, a country with the best barbershop in the world.
 

Photo by Hansung

︎ Mike
︎︎︎ I live in Korea because of an opportunity to work here with our partner company. We have a few different options for working abroad at my company; however, I prefer East Asia to Europe or Latin America, so Korea was my top choice.


3. How long do you plan to stay in that country?

︎ Hansung
︎︎︎ At first, I only planned to stay for a year. I couldn't even think of working as a barber here. One day, my dutch friend showed me a barbershop and said, "you should apply for this. They are hiring a new barber, and you're so bad at cutting my hair. You should go and learn there." There was nothing to lose on my end, so I applied for the job. Apparently, I must have given a strong impression during the job interview. I got the job and have been working till now. I've been living in the Netherlands for 2 years now, but I plan to stay one more year and look forward to my future goals.

︎ Mike
︎︎︎ I am working under a 2-year contract, so I will most likely stay in Korea for about 2 years.


4. Name one thing you love & hate about the country you live in currently.

︎ Hansung
︎︎︎ Living in the western culture, the best thing I found out here is the people. The friendliness and comfort from local people is something that I couldn't feel in Korea. However, the weather in the Netherlands is very unpredictable, perhaps because it is a country surrounded by the sea. You can experience hail, rain, sunshine, and clouds, all in one day. This is the kind of weather that you will never be able to experience elsewhere.

︎ Mike
︎︎︎ In Korea, I really enjoy how much cleaner public areas are, how much safer it is, and how much better and respectful everyone is with concerns about Covid-19. Besides the winter weather, there isn’t much I dislike, but I feel some sympathy for things other people dislike in Korea, such as income inequality and pressure to look and act a certain way. As a foreigner and company worker, these issues do not apply to me, but I understand it is difficult for many Korean people.


5. Is there a difference in the relationship between you and your colleagues compared to when you were working in your home country? How’s the working environment compared to your own country?

︎ Hansung
︎︎︎ There's a strict hierarchy between the owner and employee in Korea, whereas a 100% horizontal relationship applies here. There is no clear concept of an owner, and we treat each other as if they were just friends, so you can easily discuss with each other when you have personal concerns. Even when learning work, rather than scolding people for making mistakes or making mistakes, we discuss how it happened and how to improve it.

︎ Mike
︎︎︎ The working environment is a bit different, I think, mostly because of cultural differences. In meetings in my home country, many people sometimes speak at the same time, whereas in Korea, each person takes their turn to speak. We have many conference rooms with closed doors to have these meetings whereas this does not exist in the Korean office I work in.

︎ Hansung
︎︎︎ I don't have experience in the same field in Korea, but I'm sure that it's a lot different. The power that comes from language is very powerful. Since Korean culture is based on Confucianism, you respect people you meet for the first time and address them in an honorific.  However, when you speak Dutch or English with customers, you can keep the conversation going as if you were old friends and work in a more relaxed atmosphere.

︎ Mike
︎︎︎ In my home country, colleagues are more social during the workday, and the office is much louder. However, in Korea, it seems more than everyone focuses on work during the day and separates social life.


6. How do you feel, as a foreigner, at your workplace? When do you feel the most like a foreigner? 

︎ Hansung
︎︎︎ As the Netherlands is one of the countries where many nationalities and cultures are mixed up, most of the barbershop employees are foreigners. So I don't particularly feel "foreigner" among my colleagues from different countries, such as the US, Morocco, Italy, Colombia, Greece, and the Netherlands. Occasionally, when I have a Korean customer, I usually bow to greet them. My colleague once saw it and asked, "Han, do you indeed greet everyone like that in Korea?" 


Photo by Hansung

︎ Mike
︎︎︎ In my case, there must be some people that are surprised to see a foreigner at my office, but mostly nobody acts differently. Given we have meetings in English and I work more closely with American colleagues, I do not feel too much like a foreigner most of the time.


7. What gives you the most stress?

︎ Hansung
︎︎︎ Missing Korea, I think. I miss my friends, and I miss Korean food. I think anyone living abroad must feel the same way. The job itself is more fun than in Korea. But to achieve something in a foreign country, you have to be patient. There's nothing to gain without pain.

︎ Mike
︎︎︎ The most stressful part of work is trying to be a representative of my American company in a country with a different company and work culture. It can be quite difficult to bridge the gap between what my American bosses ask for and what my Korean colleagues can accept. There can be a lot of pressure from my American bosses to move faster when we are not able to do so.


8. How do you spend your free time?

︎ Hansung
︎︎︎ I used to make music in my free time. But after I became a professional barber, I either travelled, exercised, or got relaxed at home. When I was making music, I worked without even taking a day off. It felt like a waste of time to rest, and I did not know how to take a rest. Back then, I couldn't understand my friends who watched TV without doing anything on their days off. Now I understand that resting in one or another way is necessary. So nowadays, I try to take a rest on my own as much as I can.

︎ Mike
︎︎︎ I occasionally enjoy biking or hiking because there are many trails and paths in Korea. I like to watch football (soccer) and baseball, so I hope to see some games when Covid-19 restrictions allow. More than anything, I enjoy travelling, so I also hope to visit more cities in Korea.

Art and music communicate differently than language and establish sympathy for the soul in their unique way. Maybe that's why being a foreigner doesn't really matter to musicians. However, since the cultural backgrounds from each person's history influence the outcome naturally,   such an outcome appeals to the local public in a foreign country. Sun-mi Hong and Zaky Wael live in countries on the other side of the world, performing their own music. Sun-mi Hong is a jazz musician in the Netherlands, leading the Sun-mi Hong quintet. Wael from Egypt is participating in the band [Omar and Eastern Power] as a percussionist.  Through the stories of two musicians pioneering each of their own fields, you can feel that their music has become the universal language in every corner of the world.

1. Would you introduce yourself?

︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ My name is Sun-Mi Hong from South Korea. I am a drummer. I’ve been living in the Netherlands for 10 years, and I am currently working as a freelancer.  


Photo by Sun-Mi

︎ Wael
︎︎︎ My name is Zaky Wael. I am 33 years old and have been living in Korea for 11 years. I first came to Korea from Egypt to study. Now I am working as a translator and as a Musician.


2. Why or how did you come to live in that country? How long do you plan to stay?

︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ I came to the Netherlands to learn jazz. Back then, there wasn’t much jazz education in Korea. I switched from studying pop music at Howon University in Seoul to Jazz at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. I don’t have much of a plan regarding how much longer I’ll stay here. My life goes by with many surprises as a jazz musician.

︎ Wael
︎︎︎ I first came to Korea in 2010 through a Korean government scholarship program. I studied here for both my undergraduate and graduate studies. After graduating, I started working. Regarding how long I plan to stay here, I don’t really plan for anything in my life.


3. Name one thing you love & hate about the country you live in currently.

︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ I can’t get used to Dutch food culture. What I love is that the Dutch seem able to accept differences, such as personalities and nationalities.

︎ Wael
︎︎︎ One thing I love is the Mountains in Korea. One thing I hate is the weather.


4. What is the best thing about being a musician in the country you live in?

︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ In the Netherlands, they allow musicians to be musicians. There is still a lot to do in the cultural sector. I don’t necessarily need to do anything else other than making music and performing. People are open to new things, and the music scene is huge. The Netherlands is one of the best countries for Jazz in Europe.


Photo by Sun-Mi

︎ Wael
︎︎︎ In Korea, I can meet more musicians and explore a wider variety of music styles than in Egypt. There are many foreign artists living in Korea. This has enabled me to develop more. It’s also easier to find instruments here, and they’re cheaper. Studios are also better than in Egypt.


5. Since you have plenty of experience collaborating with local musicians, what was the biggest difference you’ve felt compared to collaborating in your home country (or with the same nationality)?

︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ Here in the Netherlands, I play a lot with Dutch and non-Dutch musicians. The Jazz scene here includes many foreign artists. In the Netherlands, we are all from different countries; we have many other interests and characteristics in music but also in languages and culture.


Photo by Sun-Mi

︎ Wael
︎︎︎ The biggest difference is that in Korea, they care more about technique, and they practice really hard to improve. In Egypt, they care more about the “feeling,” and not many musicians have the same technical skills as Koreans. I find more creativity and “groove” when I play with Egyptian artists and more technical skills when I play with Korean ones.


6. How does it affect your music that you have different cultural backgrounds?

︎ Sun-Mi
︎︎︎ Music is powerful because you don’t have to speak any language to understand it. It relates to memories and feelings. People here feel something different about my music. I had an opportunity to tell about my childhood stories, and the reaction was much stronger than I expected. The Dutch were so shocked by my stories that they got even a little famous!



︎ Wael
︎︎︎ My different cultural background and experiences mean that my music has no genre. I don’t know how the public receives my music in Korea; I should probably ask them! I simply play.

Regardless of nationality or age, everyone goes through a learning process. A student would be the one with the most passionate heart and open mind for learning new things. An international student often comes to a foreign country with a very open perspective more than anyone else and undergoes the process of discovering another value through learning and accepting the culture and customs of a new country. We have interviewed two international students, Marta and Ji-Youn. Marta is taking a master's course in film directing at the Korea National University of Arts among various majors and schools. Ji-Youn, on the other side of the globe, is doing a master's course in interaction design at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Two students talk about the differences in the university system or the difficulties of being a foreign student. We hope that the readers could look back on their own student days and feel like going back to that time.

1. Please introduce yourself!

︎ Marta 
︎︎︎ My name is Marta Irene Giotti, I am 28, I am from Florence and I have been living in Seoul for almost 5 years. I first attended a Korean Language Program and later on, I got accepted into Korean National University of Arts, where I am currently taking a Master’s course in Film Directing. I share a cute house around Itaewon neighborhood with a Korean Onni, a Brazilian Namtonsen and our cat Sekki.  

︎ Ji-Youn
︎︎︎ Hello! My name is Ji-Youn Jung, 26 years old from South Korea. I’m currently doing a Master’s in Design for Interaction at TU Delft. It’s now been one and a half years since I moved to Delft. Currently, I am living in an international student dorm with four roommates, dreaming about one day having a cat as a flatmate.

Photo by Ji-Youn


2. Why or how did you come to live in that country? Is there a specific reason that you’ve chosen to live in that country?

︎ Marta 
︎︎︎I had developed an interest in Korean Cinema. I thought it was an interesting industry because both independent and mainstream markets were big and flourishing, despite the country being quite small. K-pop and K-dramas were not a worldwide phenomenon yet, but I had the feeling that they would be. Korea smelled like the future so I thought, why not go there? I am happy to live in a country where arts, cinema, music are constantly blooming.

︎ Ji-Youn
︎︎︎ Water, air, work-life balance, and education are some of the reasons I chose to move to the Netherlands. I was always eager to see a world outside Korea and throw myself into a different environment. I had made a Dutch friend in Seoul, whom I kept in touch with and he invited me to come. Since then, I have fallen in love with an open culture and the taste of tap water.


3. How long do you plan to stay in that country?

︎ Marta
︎︎︎ I have never had a precise plan regarding how long I would stay in Korea or when I would leave. South Korea overall can offer a good life, so I wouldn’t mind staying here longer. But for me, it has always been about what I do, not where I do it. I wouldn't hesitate to leave if I could find something interesting to do somewhere else (could it be a job, a project, a person to love).

︎ Ji-Youn
︎︎︎ I am planning to stay as many years as I want! I might pursue my PhD in other countries but for now, the Netherlands is where I can see myself living most of my life. I am still figuring my life out and could be in a total random place next year. But so far, I am not planning to go back to Korea.


4. Name one thing you love & hate about the country you live in currently.

︎ Marta
︎︎︎ From Koreans I am learning the importance of community, humbleness, how to be respectful and think of others before yourself. Besides that, Seoul makes you feel like you can do everything you want, when you want it - it is fast and efficient. What I don’t like is the social pressure and fear of judgement that many Koreans go through. It can have terrible consequences on mental health. I wish they could break free more, dare more, rebel more. When they do, the results are amazing.

︎ Ji-Youn
︎︎︎What I love is that for me, it’s crazy how so many people in the Netherlands try their best to communicate with me by speaking English. I think they’re really open about other perspectives, including different cultures or opinions. What I hate is recycling and throwing garbage away.. it is so inconvenient!


5. Is there a difference in the relationship between you (student) and the professors compared to when you were studying in your home country?

︎ Marta
︎︎︎The Korean University system sometimes sounds too similar to highschool. For instance, attending classes is mandatory. In Italy, it is not, it’s more of your personal choice as an adult. In Korea, we get assignments every week, having to prepare a lot of presentations. In Italy, you can attend the lectures or just sit for the exam. I may be biased but I believe that University students should be free to decide for themselves.

︎ Ji-Youn
︎︎︎My experience comes from a design field. In the Netherlands, I sometimes feel like professors are co-workers instead of a coach or teacher. I think they are more likely to let students explore and get lost as much as they want. On the contrary, in Korea, professors tend to give more tangible and critical feedback and are more likely to be authoritative.


Photo by Ji-Youn


6. Have you felt any cultural difference to the local student? (e.g., while doing group assignments or after school.)

︎ Marta
︎︎︎ Koreans students seem more reluctant to share their personal opinions, it is harder to find someone ready to raise their hand. Obviously, they do have their own ideas but making them actively participate in class seems more difficult. They also care about form way more than Italian students, PowerPoint presentations often look like a graphic designer’s work!

︎ Ji-Youn
︎︎︎I still remember how shocked I was when my groupmate said they couldn’t work during the last weekend before our deadline. It was a difficult concept for me to understand. Now I know how they value individual time for themselves though. Students here love their personal projects outside their major and the academic work they’re pursuing.


Photo by Ji-Youn


7. What’s your plan after graduation? Do you plan to get a job in the country you’re currently living in?

︎ Marta
︎︎︎I have no clear plan yet. I decided not to stress too much about it, but instead focus on shorter-term goals. The pandemic taught us that all our perfectly-made plans can be blown off in a blink of an eye, isn’t it? For now it’s more realistic to think I might work here, which, of course, would be great.

︎ Ji-Youn
︎︎︎I think if I can find a nice job that aligns with my interest and passion, I would love to get a job here for sure. And which is most likely to be the case in the Netherlands.


Photo by Ji-Youn


8. Would you recommend your friends in your home country to come to the country you’re living in?

︎ Marta
︎︎︎ Yes, why not? But in order to live comfortably, you have to speak the language and this is not easy. It requires time and effort. Studying Korean only in your spare time will make it challenging to learn. I studied 4 hours at school and then every day by myself at home, for more than a year; it was hard and time-consuming. Yet, once you know the basics, you become independent.

︎ Ji-Youn
︎︎︎I am already recommending coming to the Netherlands! If you love having a good work and life balance -and you’re ready to make a daring move!- the Netherlands is a sensible choice to pursue. It is also very welcoming.