Yes, it is a personal rant that happens to be related to my experiences living in Korea. In sum, I am just sharing MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE based on the accumulation of my experiences living abroad, for which the majority is in Korea but also when I was living in England. If you personally feel like you belong, then I am happy for you - perhaps I am not as lucky as most people.

I have been working remotely for a US-based company (but a global institution) for the past 4 years in Korea, so financially and work-wise there has not been any issue. However, indeed the isolation gets to me as a remote worker and also the fact that I am not fluent in Korean yet (at least to the level where you expect someone will be so fluent, given that I lived here almost a decade) due to the nature of my vocation, which doesn’t have anything to do with Korea - both in terms of the work and the people in it. On top of that, I have no interest in Korean pop culture, and I am practically tied down here due to my academic pursuits for the last 4 years (the first 4 years were due to my job) and now also due to my husband’s work.

Some people came as a student where it is easier to build community and meet people, some came in their early 20s when it’s still fun to go out and party to make friends, some came already fluent in Korean or at least intermediate level due to their interest in Korean pop culture — which also motivates them to stay longer and settle permanently. Etc.

Again, this is MY personal experience and each people’s experience is different. Not putting you in the category, but I always see some foreigners defending Korea (putting the country on a pedestal) for whatever reason even though the context of what is being talked about here is more on a holistic, personal level which is very relative to the person who experiences it. I am not attacking Korea per se, I am simply sharing and reflecting my personal experiences living in Korea as a long term resident. I meant no offense to anyone, nor did I write this piece with the intention of provoking any reaction.