Korean Work Culture: Lies, Ego, and Job Perception

Koreans abroad often lie about their jobs to manage perceptions and reflect societal pressure.

### The Culture of Pretense: Understanding Job Perception in Korea
* 🍻 While pouring drinks at the bar, the speaker reflects on the **prevalence of doctors in Korea** and the societal pressure that influences people to **lie about their professions**.
* 🤔 In Korean society, individuals often feel compelled to present themselves in a certain way, leading to a culture where many **refrain from discussing their jobs** unless they feel **proud of them**.
* 🌍 The speaker contrasts this with experiences abroad, particularly in Indonesia, where friendships were built on **shared activities** rather than superficial statements about careers.
* 🇯🇵 Observations in Japan highlight a dedication to craftsmanship, where even simple tasks are performed with **pride**, unlike the pretense seen in Korea regarding job identities.
* 💭 The speaker expresses a desire for a cultural shift in Korea, advocating for individuals to **find fulfillment in their work** and to **strive for excellence** in whatever they do.
* 🧑 Notably, the speaker questions the high number of doctors in Korea, suggesting that many may **exaggerate their professions due to inflated egos and societal expectations**, leading to what is termed the **"Ripley syndrome."**
* 📈 The discussion also touches on the challenges faced by the younger generation, who struggle to find **quality jobs**, with public service becoming an increasingly **sought-after goal**.
* 💪 Ultimately, the speaker encourages a mindset of **hard work and genuine engagement** with one’s profession as a means to foster **personal growth and satisfaction**.

Hello everyone, it's great to see you. Today’s discussion will feel a bit connected to yesterday’s talk. For those who watched yesterday, you might recall that I talked about the Kangaroo generation, specifically the most notable among them, the so-called Nodabi, which represents the typical Korean Kangaroo generation. However, I believe that the issue with this Kangaroo generation isn’t solely due to the younger generation not making an effort; I think the bigger problems lie with the previous generation and the educational issues at hand. 

One of the most surprising things I noticed is that people are not working and seem to have no will to work at all. They don't even think about looking for jobs because there aren't any quality jobs available. From my perspective, in terms of community standards, it seems that the most acceptable benchmark for these individuals is becoming a public servant. It feels like becoming a public servant has become the ultimate goal for them.

It seems that many people receive a lot of attention, including civil servants, and they often mock each other. I wonder how many of those who are so full of themselves actually have something to show for it. As I was reflecting on this, it connects to what I want to talk about today. I have traveled quite a bit and still go on trips occasionally. However, it's really strange that whenever I go abroad and meet other Korean men, I notice that they tend to lie a lot. I want to discuss what this is about. 

To skip the introduction and get straight to the conclusion, I believe that when Koreans go overseas, they have a tendency to want to present themselves in a certain way. Among the things they lie about the most, I think I've met a lot of people who lie about their jobs.

I used to lie about my job, and I would do it in a certain way. There are so many doctors; there are just so many doctors. You know, I’ve met so many doctors that I started to think, How can there be this many doctors? When I go out, I hear people say, Oh, I'm a doctor, so often that it just doesn't seem possible. And I can't help but know this because, among my clients, there are a lot of doctors. Strangely, there are many doctors, and one of my cousins, who is the same age as me, also got first place in the college entrance exam in Gangneung and entered medical school on a scholarship. So I know the basic process of becoming a doctor, like internships, residencies, and fellowships. I know exactly how it all progresses, but at first, I really thought everyone was a doctor.

I understand, but it feels strange when I talk about it. How can you not know about fellatio? It's impossible not to know about it. I realized that people were just pretending not to know. And I found out that there are so many people like that. Back in the day, I was in Vietnam for six months, right? So, when I met the doctor, I would ask him something. Do you know what I would ask? Did you go to a massage parlor? Of course, the doctor could be curious about that too; men are curious about those things. One thing I can say for sure is that in Ho Chi Minh City, strawberries are a must, you know? Strawberries are great. I haven't been there yet, but I plan to go. Strawberries look really good, you know? So, what...

There is something to that, but when I think about why there are so many doctors, it connects back to the issue from yesterday. In South Korea, due to people's characteristics, it seems that many have a high ego. When there is a gap between that ego and reality, people start lying to themselves. And when that lie becomes severe, they begin to believe that lie is the truth; this is what we call the Ripley syndrome. I wonder if this phenomenon occurs more frequently in Korea. For some time now, I've felt a sense of déjà vu about this. At first, when I met doctors, I thought, Oh, they are doctors, but after experiencing some situations, I started to think, This person might be lying. Even when I went to Jeju Island, it was the same. The first thing these doctors say is, Which medical school did you graduate from?

People often discuss these things among themselves first. But as I listen, I recognize some people, and I might say, Oh, which medical school did you graduate from? From there, they often respond, That's a bit difficult for me to discuss. I don't usually ask why it's difficult to talk about. I just move on to another topic, like asking, What do you do for a living? and they'll say something like, I just sell funds. Then I change the subject. Ultimately, people in our country tend to care a lot about how they are perceived by others. Since they know that in other places, people don’t know who they are, many seem to feel free to present themselves in a certain way. Observing this made me feel quite intrigued.

What happened was, when I was in Indonesia a long time ago, there were some kids I spent time with. They were the ones I exercised with every day. The thing about those foreign kids is that, unlike Koreans who say, Let's drink if we get along, they really wanted to work out together if they liked someone. So, I ended up exercising a lot with them; they were Swedish. One of them looked at me and said I seemed a bit like a puma because I was a bit agile back then, so he called me Puma. I, in turn, called him Bear. Now that I think about it, I realize that back then, he was a Swedish kid, but I also figured out that if I went to his house, he probably wouldn't feed me.

I was having a lot of fun and working hard. As I got to know them better, I asked, What do you do? One person said they drive a bulldozer. It was interesting because when I meet Korean people, they often say, Oh, I drive a bulldozer, and I found that really fascinating. At first, I thought, Oh, you drive a bulldozer? and then I said, Oh, I see. I asked my friends next to me what they drive, and I remember one of them had something to do with Intel, while others had different jobs. While we were exercising together, when I asked foreign friends about their jobs, they would just tell me straightforwardly what they do. When I asked, What do you do? they would say, Oh, I just...

I'm pouring drinks at the bar, and while doing that, I wonder why there are so many doctors in Korea. It's strange; I felt that in Korean society, these things are quite prevalent. Of course, it's true that those who lie are the ones who are wrong, but the social atmosphere puts a lot of pressure on people regarding these matters. In fact, Korean people tend not to lie about their jobs, but if they aren't proud of their profession, they often won't say much about it. So, when someone asks what they do, they might just say, I'm working.

There are really a lot of people, so when it comes to talking about their jobs, they could just express their meaning, but they don't tend to do that. I felt that was quite unfortunate. It makes me think about where this comes from; it's really sad if someone cannot love their job. So, I always say, Well, if I were to do any kind of work, I would want to excel in it. For example, if I were given a knife and decided to work in the meat industry, I would strive to become the best butcher. I would work really hard to become the king of butchers and would train rigorously enough to feel a sense of pride in what I do. But in Korea, that doesn't seem to be possible. When you go to Japan, it's really interesting because...

In Japan, there are many small shops, and you can really feel the artisan spirit from the people cooking in those little places. Even when they grill just one skewer, they truly have a dedication to their craft. You can see it in the way they work, with precision and skill. When you watch interviews with Japanese people or small YouTube channels, they genuinely take pride in their work. Even when doing something simple, like grilling yakitori, they showcase their technique. 

I remember an old man I saw in Yufuin who didn't say a word while cooking, almost like he was in a meditative state, just focusing on his knife skills. It made me think that what we might need in Korea is that kind of value. It seems that not everyone can love their job, leading to a culture of pretense.

There are some unfortunate aspects, and it's sad that some things can't be expressed. However, on the other hand, considering the characteristics of a country like Korea, there are parts that can be understood to some extent. That thought suddenly came to mind, so I wanted to talk about it. So, anyway, today's discussion ends here. I believe not everyone can love their job, but what I always say is that life is a long-term journey. It’s a process of finding what you want to do. So, I just want to say that while you're doing what you're doing, you should work hard without hesitation. If you work hard, all of those experiences will become part of you. As those experiences accumulate, I believe they will eventually come together and guide you back to the right path in a positive cycle. So, I encourage you to engage with your work.

I hope you loved it. So, that's it for today's story. I shared some good stories today, right? Next time, I will come back with a more interesting story. Thank you.

해외에서 만난 한국남자들이 제일 많이 하는 충격의 거짓말

어반님

The Prevalence of Doctors and the Kangaroo Generation

The speaker used to lie about their job and was surprised by the overwhelming number of doctors they encountered.

They are familiar with the process of becoming a doctor due to their cousin's journey and the presence of doctors among their clients.

The speaker believes the issues faced by the Kangaroo generation are not solely due to their lack of effort, but also stem from problems in the previous generation and the educational system, with becoming a public servant now seen as the ultimate goal for many.

The Impact of Cultural Differences on Self-Presentation

The author reflects on their time in Indonesia with Swedish kids, who valued working out together over drinking.

They notice a common tendency among Korean men abroad to lie about their jobs, contrasting with the genuine dedication and pride in work displayed by people in Japan.

The author suggests that Korea could benefit from adopting a similar value of dedication to one's craft, rather than fostering a culture of pretense.

Job Conversations and the Ripley Syndrome

The narrator finds it interesting that many Korean people they meet drive bulldozers, while their foreign friends are more straightforward about their jobs.

They observe a common trait of high ego among South Koreans, which can lead to self-deception and the belief in lies, a phenomenon referred to as the Ripley syndrome.

The narrator experiences déjà vu with doctors, questioning their honesty and noticing a pattern of asking about medical school graduation.

Many people struggle to express their feelings about their jobs, which is unfortunate.

The speaker believes in excelling at work and using experiences to find the right path in life.

They also observe a cultural difference between Korea and Japan in terms of work attitudes and express the importance of engaging with one's work.

The Prevalence of Doctors in Korean Society

Korean society has a notable number of doctors, with a strong social pressure surrounding job pride and honesty.

People often downplay their professions if they aren't proud of them, leading to vague responses when asked about their work.

The desire for a certain perception from others drives individuals to present themselves in a specific way, creating an intriguing social dynamic.