About Korea POV

The Short Version

I’m S.H. Kim — a software developer in my 40s, living and working in the Seoul metro area. I’ve got a 7-year-old daughter who eats everything I put in front of her (seriously, no picky phase — I got lucky), a daily subway commute from Gyeonggi-do to Gangnam, and a job where a single system outage at 6pm can ruin my entire evening.

This blog is my attempt to show you what Korea actually looks like from the inside — not the K-drama version, not the tourist brochure, and definitely not the “top 10 things to do in Seoul” list you’ve already read fifteen times.

Why This Blog Exists

There are hundreds of blogs about Korea written by expats, English teachers, and travel influencers. They’re great. But they’re all watching Korea from the outside.

I’m not watching Korea. I’m living it. I was born here, grew up here, went to school here, did my military service here, and now I ride the subway from Sanseong Station to Gangnam Station every morning — 30 minutes on the train, but somehow 50 minutes door to door.

I started Korea POV because I kept noticing a gap. My foreign friends would ask me things like “Is it true you guys work until midnight?” or “Why does everyone look so stressed on the subway?” — and the real answers were always more interesting (and more complicated) than what they’d find on Google.

So here it is. Real Korean life, from the inside.

What You’ll Find Here

I write about the stuff that actually fills my days:

The work grind — What Korean office culture really feels like. Things have changed a lot since the MZ generation (Korea’s term for millennials and Gen Z) entered the workforce. Hoesik (회식, team dinners) used to mean three rounds of drinking until midnight — now it’s usually one round, maybe two if a few people feel like it. Some teams even do lunch hoesik instead of dinner. Most of our actual work communication happens through messenger and email now, not in long meetings. Oh, and the joy of getting a system outage alert right when you’re about to leave the office.

Raising a kid in Korea — If you stay home all day, a 7-year-old will lose her mind. So weekends are packed: kids’ cafes (키즈카페, indoor playgrounds that are everywhere in Korea), amusement parks, camping trips — Korean parents are always on the move. My daughter is full of aegyo (애교, that irresistible Korean cuteness) and she makes every trip worth the effort.

Tech life in Seoul — I’m a developer, so sometimes I’ll nerd out about Korea’s tech scene, startup culture, and why we’re simultaneously the most connected country on earth and still faxing documents in 2026.

Money reality — Housing prices that make you want to cry, the jeonse (전세, lump-sum deposit rental) system that confuses every foreigner I’ve ever met, and how a regular salary worker actually survives in the Seoul metro area.

What This Blog Is NOT

I’m not here to sell you on Korea. Some things about living here are genuinely great. Some things drive me crazy. I’ll tell you both.

I’m also not a cultural expert or an academic. I’m just a guy who’s lived here for four decades and has opinions. Take everything with a grain of gochugaru (고춧가루, Korean red pepper flakes).

Let’s Talk

I write in English because I want to have conversations with people outside Korea who are curious about this place. If something I wrote made you laugh, made you think, or made you want to argue — drop a comment. I read all of them.

You can also reach me at [email protected] for anything else.

Thanks for reading. 반갑습니다 (bangapseumnida) — nice to meet you.

— S.H. Kim, Seoul