South Korea is a very homogeneous country, and for many Koreans, this is a point of pride. Discrimination against non-Koreans is systematic and occasionally even has the force of law: for example, children of mixed descent were barred by law until 2005 from military service, and will likely be picked on and discriminated against in local schools. If you are applying for work in Korea, especially in teaching positions, many employers prefer Caucasians over other races. (This may be one of the reasons they ask for a picture on your application.) Racial discrimination is still legal in Korea.
While the average visitor to Korea is extremely unlikely to encounter any problems at all, the odds of trouble go up if you are dark-skinned, male and seen with Korean women, or taken as an American near military bases (a major bone of contention). Harassment is usually only verbal and can be ignored, but there are occasional cases of violence, usually fuelled by alcohol. Don't let any confrontations escalate, since if it turns into a fight, bystanders are likely to jump in and you will lose.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about South Korea
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in South Korea - updated Apr 2024
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South Korea Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
