Younger Generation In South Korea Today Choose to Work in Conglomerate Companies

With the South Korean conglomerates dominating the markets, offering better salary and working conditions, the younger generation in South Korea are pushing themselves into stiff competition in looking for a job in one of these big conglomerate companies.

These conglomerates include Samsung, Hyundai, Lotte, LG, SK, Daewoo, etc. These conglomerates' office are mostly located in Gangnam area of Seoul. It has been many younger generation's dream to work in this area of Seoul.  The university graduates are facing increasing pressure to be hired by these conglomerates. Living expenses in Seoul has sky-rocketed over the years, demanding KWN35,000,000 for a reasonably good living standards. To meet such high living standards, conglomerates can offer annual salary up to KWN40,000,000 for a fresh graduate engineer for instance. Smaller companies often offer KWN33,000,000 or below KWN30,000,000.  

Korean men without a job in conglomerates may sometimes find themselves rejected by women they wish to date.  

A job from conglomerate companies will also enable the young graduate to obtain higher loan from the bank to purchase a house of their wish. 

Many university students have started looking for opportunity to get a job in conglomerate companies starting from their third year in university, ideally before they graduate. If they do not find one before they graduate, they are seen by hiring companies as someone being rejected by conglomerates, deemed under qualified for the jobs. With such fate facing them, the undergraduates sometimes postpone their graduation to later years, until they are given a job offer. 

To increase their chances of being hired, thousands of undergraduates will apply for internship program offered by these conglomerates.  They prepare resume and cover letters, explaining their personal matters such as family background, motivation to join the company, personal strength and interest, additional knowledge acquired or certificates,  and good command of English. Undergraduates often visit the Academies in Kwanghuamun area and attend Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) which measures their ability to use English in everyday speaking and writing.

If they pass the first step of document screening which is 1 in 150 chance, they will receive an invitation by the company to undergo a series of test such as aptitude test. The test results will be announced in the company website, and about 1 in 5 people will be accepted. 

Once accepted, they will be invited to an interview.  Passing the interview will grant them the internship program that lasts 2 to 3 months. At the end of the internship program, they will be asked to go for another interview for permanent employment in the company. 

Such competitive selection processes have really placed the undergraduates in great pressure and worry of jobless. With graduate unemployment rate of 7.8% in 2012, being selective in job-hunt are not doing any good to the undergraduates.

Dating Korean Women

With the Korean drama hitting the world with beautiful actresses and good looking actors, Korean women has become a hot topics for men and women.

Just walking on the street in Seoul, you can see many slim and good looking Korean women. Once in a while you will bump into tall, slim and long-legged ladies like Yoona from Girl Generation group. They like to wear tight pants, showing their long and slim legs.

Yoona -  famous Korean singer and actress

The younger generation of Korean men are facing increasing difficulties in finding a good Korean woman to date. Korean woman looks for man with a job in the South Korean conglomerates such as Hyundai, Samsung, SK, Doosan, Daewoo, Kia etc, since working in such companies guarantees higher wages. This will increase their chances of getting a higher loan from the bank to buy a house, thus ensuring a better living standard.

Dating in Korea

South Korea Today - A 4G city. Seoul - A Fast-paced City. Speed is the essence.

South Korea, a highly technology advanced place, are seeing older and younger people using 4G technology, where browsing the web on smartphone is a norm. Speed is the essence.

People in Seoul are moving fast. In public transport area such as the complex and well-networked subway, people are seen rushing, hurrying, and pushing.  A scene you want to avoid during peak hours. Again, speed is the essence.

In school, children are tested based on speed. Speed reading, speed calculation, speed writing.

That's how Korea catches up with the rest of the world. In fact, overtaking them.

Apple revolutionized the mobile industry with iphone. Yes, it created a shock wave in people's life globally. But it didn't last long. Samsung, a South Korean conglomerates, takes over in such a short time.  Now, Samsung seemed to have overtaken Apple.

Korean Drinking Culture

Drinking Soju in Korea

Drinking is part of Korean culture.  In older days, only the men drink, women don't drink.  Nowadays, most women enjoy drinking like men. 



Soju

Drinking session is a norm in Korean business culture.  The Korean businessman believes that it is through drinking that a good relationship can be built between the supplier and customer.  Korean solves any problem they have in business while they are drinking.

The younger generation normally pour the soju to an elder, his boss, or his customer of older age, as a sign of respect.  He actually pours it onto his own glass that he has used before, and gave it to the elder.  However, these only happens between two Koreans.  If they want to pour the soju to a foreigner, foreign elder or foreign customer, they will pour it to the foreigner's glass.  The elder who is offered such a drink will finish the glass of soju at one go.

The Koreans always use this tiny little glass for drinking hard liquor or soju.  Before the drinks is poured into the glass, the glass must be emptied (by drinking) first, in one gulp. So, in one seating, Koreans can drink so much liquor and get high at the end of the session.



Funny and Wise Korean Proverbs

This list of Korean proverbs or quotes sound better in its original language and sounds funny after the English translation. Nevertheless, they are full of wisdom and truth. Enjoy !

1.    A hunter’s knife cannot carve its own handle.

2.    A great river does not refuse any small streams.

3.    A man’s youth will never die, unless he kills himself.

4.    A nobleman’s calf does not know how a butcher kills.

5.    A turtle can only get on it by sticking its neck out.

6.    After three years at a village schoolhouse, even a dog can recite a poem.

7.    Better in the grave than be a slave.

8.    Butterflies come to pretty flowers.

9.    Cast no dirt into the well that gives you water.

10.  Do not draw your sword to kill a fly.

11.  Don't try to cover the whole sky with the palm of your hand.

12.  Even a fish wouldn’t get into trouble if it kept its mouth shut.

13.  Even a monk can’t shave his own head.

14.  Even a sheet of paper is lighter when two people lift it.

15.  Even children of the same mother look different.

16.  Even honey can taste bitter if it’s used as medicine.

17.  Even the best song becomes tiresome if heard too often.

18.  Give an extra piece of cake to a stepchild.

19.  (Having one's) foot struck by a much-trusted axe.

20.  If there is a rich man in the area three villages are ruined.

21.  If you kick a stone in anger, you’ll hurt your own foot.

22.  If you speak of the tiger, it will come.

23.  In the valley where there are no tigers the hare is king.

24.  Man’s affairs are evaluated only after his coffin is closed.

25.  Man’s extremity, God’s opportunity.

26.  No flower lasts ten days and none might lasts ten years.

27.  No sleep, no dream.

28.  One will get caught if one's tail is too long.

29.  Power lasts ten years; influence not more than a hundred.

30.  Put off for one day and ten days will pass by.

31.  Remember, even monkeys fall down from the trees.

32.  Tall branches are apt to be broken.

33.  Tap even a stone bridge before crossing.

34.  The bad calligrapher is choosy about his brushes.

35.  The bad plowman quarrels with his ox.

36.  The frog forgets that he was once a tadpole.

37.  The matchmaker gets three cups of wine when he succeeds and three slaps on the cheek when he fails.

38.  The nicest woman is your own; the nicest harvest is your neighbors.

39.  There is no winter without snow, no spring without sunshine, and no happiness without companions.

40.  The thief hates the moon.

41.  Useful trees are cut down first.

42.  When you have three daughters, you sleep with the door open.

43.  Where there are no tigers, a wildcat is very self-important.

44.  Wise men philosophize as the fools live on.

45.  Woman was born three days earlier than the devil.

46.  Words have no wings but they can fly many thousands of miles.

47.  You cannot strike a face that is smiling.

48.  You will hate a beautiful song if you sing it often.

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