Today, there are many college couples in Korea. Boyfriends and things relating to him would be one of the most interesting subjects to talk when you are with your friends. Are the same circumstances happening in another country, too? Here are two foreign friends who came for SMT to resolve our curiosity about love, boyfriends, and more. Miyata Yuki (YUKI) is from Japan and Chen Wei Dan (CHEN) is from China. The Sookmyung Times (SMT) met them and asked some
questions.
SMT You may feel, Korean people are quietly interested in making boyfriends and girlfriends. Are Chinese and Japanese also interested in it?
CHEN When I go to cafe near the campus, I can hear many girls are usually talking about their boyfriends or the boy she wants to make a boyfriend. I don’t think that is bad, also in China more and more people are getting interested in it. Even middle school students are eager to make a boyfriend or girlfriend and I guess it’s greatly affected from television dramas, movies and more media. In my opinion, people are getting more open to that kind of thing.
YUKI I guess Japanese are less interested than Koreans in making boyfriends and girlfriends. In Japan, blind dates are not that common like in Korea. Usually it is done by people who really need to marry. They do it for search someone who they want to meet seriously to marry, like Koreans do in a meeting with a view to marriage. Students rarely do that. Actually, people do blind dates after they get a job. So I never had a blind date when I was in Japan and I first had it yesterday. It was much fun doing games.
CHEN In China also, although it’s different from region, it wasn’t that actively happening in China, either.
SMT What do you think about difference between Korean men and Chinese men or Japanese men?
CHEN I think, Korean men think the order of senior and junior is very important. It is much stronger than in China. In China, when people are getting closer they don’t think about it seriously, they can use their nicknames and get along naturally with each other. However, I think Korean men stick to using terms of respect. Sometimes, Koreans are more formal than Chinese.
YUKI I think it’s a positive point that Korean men are more mild, warm, and positive.
SMT What is the point you think of the most interesting thing or hard to understand of Korean couples?
CHEN I’ve never had a boyfriend in Korea, but usually when they are dating, men buy dinner or lunch, and women buy drinks and coffee. In China, men bear the whole expense. When I first saw this, I didn’t understand why women should pay for dating, so I asked my friends why couples in Korea do that. Now I got to know that it’s because prices in Korea are higher than in China. Also, in my case, I saw my friends are different when they start to meet their girlfriends. That is they give less attention to dress up. Before they meet their girlfriends, they struggle to look cool and they try to dress up but after making a girlfriend, they don’t strive that much.
YUKI In Japan, when couples are dating, it’s similar in Korea when they are paying the price. The man bears 70 percent and the woman bears 30 percent. The most interesting thing I feel in Korea is that they are really concentrated on anniversaries. In Japan, they also check their birthday anniversary and some important anniversary but not that much concentrated on the day when they started to meet 100 days and 200 days. I think Korean couples care for each other and make an endeavor to take care of each other. One day, I was impressed by some men who opened the door for their girlfriends when they get out of the car. Because it’s not a common thing in Japan.
SMT Do you have something to say to Sookmyungians?
CHEN Sookmyungians are really kind. When I don’t understand during class, my friends help me without delay.
YUKI I went to a women’s university in Japan, too and I thought it would be boring to go to a women’s university
in Korea. But now my mind is completely changed and I’m having so much of fun here at Sookmyung.
Wanna Be Friends? Contact Us!
Miyata Yuki
010-6875-0470
talgi_love@yahoo.jp
I came to SMU as an exchange student, and I’m in a second grade. I want to make a friends to get along with!
Chen Wei Dan
010-3928-0606
cheer0712@hotmail.com
I had university entrance exam in China, but didn’t go Chinese university and I entered Korean university and that’s why I came to SMU. My major is Humanities, and I’m in a ‘Buddy which is one of the leadership groups.
