Cultural adaptation

Hi, Dr. P,

I am soon coming to teach in Korea, and wanted to know what I should know about Korean culture, so that I know how it is appropriate to act, and what is accepted there. Any special tips, for my benefit, and for the benefit of Koreans I interact with, would be greatly appreciated.

Lisa

Dear Lisa,

First off, I’d like to welcome you to Korea. Living your life in a completely unfamiliar land can be a challenge, but on the other hand it can be a big worry as well. You probably also feel some emotions of instability or insecurity.

However, I feel that the principles of living in this world are virtually the same across the map. In the Bible, it says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” In Buddhism, it is taught that, “All life should be revered the same, respect as Buddha.”

Similarly, the national idea of the founding of Korea is “Hong ik in gan.” This means that we should all have “devotion to the welfare of mankind.” Of course, there will be differences depending on the person, but generally speaking, Korea is a safe place and people are generally friendly.

However, just as you worry, I feel that there will be a cultural gap. I feel that you will only be able to experience such a thing and learn from it by coming here and going through it yourself.

Adapting to such cultural differences can be quickly summed up like this. Firstly, just as “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.” The same applies in Korea — when in Korea, do as the Koreans do. Secondly, if there is something that you don’t know or are unfamiliar with, ask a lot of questions. Thirdly, rather than trying too hard to establish a relationship of complete understanding with a Korean person, base your relationship on helping each other out and doing your best to be a good friend, and naturally you will surround yourself with good friends. Learning about these basic concepts is important, and perhaps you might have some friends here who can give you more advice based on their experiences.

Your life in a new country might be hard at first, but as time goes by your life here in Korea can become very fun and interesting. I hope that it will be a wonderful experience for you.

Dr. P

Hi!

I came to Korea almost a year ago. When I arrived I was on antidepressant medication, but have recently stopped taking this due to the difficulty I am having in getting access to it. I would like to keep taking it but need some help. I was living in Busan, where the medical tourist information center found a psychiatrist for me in my local area. He wanted me to get my medication weekly, rather than give me a three month supply at once which is what I am used to back home. I was eventually able to talk him up to one month at a time, although he was reluctant to do this as he was getting paid per visit. When I moved to Changwon I continued to see this psychiatrist as I didn’t know how to find one in Changwon. It is difficult as I had to sign a document saying I have never suffered from any mental health issues when I came to Korea. I am high functioning, but find medication helps a lot.

Anyway I continued to go monthly to Busan for medication. My psychiatrist there did not want to give me the names of any other psychiatrists as he felt this was helping the competition. Recently work has been busy and I have been unable to have the time to go monthly to Busan for medication in working hours. I would love to find a psychiatrist in Changwon, especially one who is prepared to give a decent amount of medication in one go. I do not need constant monitoring, I just need a prescription. Please let me know if you have any names and contact details of English speaking psychiatrists.

Dear sender,

You may feel uncomfortable as your doctor in Busan asks you to visit his clinic at least once a month though you want to get your medicine for three months. I guess that he may have his own principle of treatment.

As a matter of fact, there are many differences between the medical system of Korea and the United States. One of the differences is that the Korean government controls the medical system more than the American government. That may have to do with the reason why he couldn’t give you as much medicine as you wanted.

Now you have moved to Changwon and it will be very annoying for you to visit the psychiatric clinic in Busan. So I would like to recommend you Dr. Jeong’s Psychiatric Clinic in the Changwon area. Dr. Jeong studied in Canada as a visiting psychiatrist in the past, so he can communicate with you in English. The phone number of his clinic is 055-297-9163 and his E-mail address is coolj54@naver.com

I hope this will help you.

Dr. Park Jin-seng is a psychiatrist who runs a clinic for foreigners in Seoul and operates personal therapist forums on www.lifeinkorea.com. Please submit questions to him, either in English or Korean, to mdoctor@korea.com or call the hotline at 02-563-0678. Those who have their questions selected will be presented with a copy of his book “Finding Yourself within Love” (Korean e-Book).