Swedish YouTuber Criticizes Some Foreigners' Behavior
"Ignoring Korean Language and Culture, Living Selfishly"
"Rude Foreigners Should Be Expelled" Sparks Netizens' Debate
A foreign YouTuber claimed that the number of white people living in Korea who do not try to learn Korean language or Korean culture has increased. The Swedish YouTuber 'Swegukin' posted a video titled "The reason why foreigners who hate learning Korean and have sarcasm in their voices toward Koreans are increasing" on his YouTube channel on the 1st. In this video, Swegukin shared his recent experience using Seoul Subway Line 2.
Swedish YouTuber Swegukin, who has lived in Korea for 7 years. [Image source=YouTube channel capture]
According to Swegukin, the subway was so crowded that there was barely any space to stand, and someone was lying down occupying four seats. He said, "It was a foreigner. A white person like me," and added, "There are many foreigners living in Korea who say they don't want to learn Korean language and culture and disrespect Korean culture. They are people who live in Korea briefly, have fun with various things, and then return to their own countries."
He also said, "Almost all of these people are white," and "They have white supremacist beliefs. You can easily see drunk white people loudly speaking English and causing trouble in busy areas like Hongdae or Gangnam," adding, "White people who cannot speak a word of Korean living like this in Korea can damage Korea's reputation. If tourists see foreigners behaving badly, wouldn't they think strangely about Korea?" expressing concern.
He continued, "Tourists would not want to come back to Korea because of this, and Koreans would feel uncomfortable," and "The reputation of foreigners living well in Korea also worsens because of generalization and prejudice," he added.
Swegukin claimed that the reason for the increase in rude white people is "because many Koreans think English is a superior language." He said, "Koreans invest a lot of money and time studying English," and "White people know that Koreans think, 'I want to be good at English like that white person,' so they do not learn Korean language or culture."
Finally, he asked foreigners not to behave rudely and said, "It would be good to deport these kinds of foreigners. The government should conduct language, culture, and character tests for foreigners entering the country. Please don't just let anyone enter Korea."
Netizens who read these claims expressed opinions agreeing with Swegukin, such as "Most people are at a beginner level even if they have lived in Korea for a long time," and "Government offices and Koreans try to communicate in English somehow, so that's why." On the other hand, some opinions were, "As long as they don't commit crimes or cause harm, it's okay," and "They are the ones who have to endure discomfort, so what's the problem?"
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
