Were we too open? What Korea taught us about friendship
Raised by a Korean family in Brazil, we have had our share of surprises and letdowns when visiting Korea. Of course, every society has its own norms, and adjusting to a different way of life is one thing. Building personal relationships, however, means navigating a whole new set of social dynamics and expectations, which we are still learning to do. Recently, we’ve come across several Instagram…
Raised by a Korean family in Brazil, the author has experienced their fair share of surprises and disappointments during visits to Korea. While adapting to a different society is one aspect, forming personal connections presents a unique set of challenges and expectations. In recent online discussions, many creators have expressed difficulties in building close friendships with Koreans, often stating they only have a few close Korean friends.
Reddit conversations highlight that developing a genuine friendship can take up to a year or even longer to establish. A recurring theme among these discussions is that building meaningful relationships requires time, patience, and consistency. The author has also observed that Korean society is highly context-driven, with numerous unspoken rules and intricacies that Koreans learn through experience rather than explicit instruction.
This realization has proven particularly intriguing for the author as they navigate the complexities of Korean society.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Were we too open? What Korea taught us about friendship koreatimes.co.kr
