South Koreans are exceptionally racist people, even more so than white nationalists in America. Any foreigner who has lived in Korea for a few months as Digital Nomad or tried to find work there will attest to this. Many Koreans will try to deny it, but they’re just trying to hide the ugly truth. I’ve seen Africans get nasty looks in Itaewon, and racial slurs hurled at Chinese, Japanese, South Asians, Latinos, Middle Easterners, Slavs, and even white Americans. Koreans often complain that whites are racist, but during my several months in Europe and America, I’ve witnessed far more open racism in Korea.
Why is this? Two reasons stand out:
- Discrimination as Social Hierarchy: In Korean society, discrimination is a way to establish social order. Koreans often discriminate against each other: elders picking on youngsters, seniors on freshmen, and inter-tribal discriminations. Racial discrimination is basically telling foreigners to know their place.
- Preference for Segregation Over Diversity: Koreans adhere to the “Pure-Blood Korea” ideology and dislike anything foreign. For example, if a Korean tours Thailand, they’ll drive two hours to find a Korean restaurant rather than eat local food. Racial and ethnic mixing is taboo here, explaining why interracial and inter-ethnic children are treated so harshly.
Koreans are so damn racist and full of themselves, believing they are the only good race on Earth. Even in Korean novels, there’s a recurring theme of racial superiority, often depicting Korea stomping other countries to rise to the top. It’s pervasive, and while not all Korean novels do this, most do.
Moreover, the global network is rife with examples of Korean public figures, including athletes, making blatantly racist comments about other countries. Just Google it, and you’ll find plenty of instances. This racism isn’t just confined to Korea; Koreans abroad tend to stay within their homogeneous circles rather than mingle with other ethnic groups. Korean racism is legendary.
It’s shocking that in this global era, Koreans are still so overtly racist. Sure, other countries have racism problems, but I’ve never encountered it on the level that Koreans exhibit. There are even documented cases of Koreans making racist remarks towards Indonesians while knowing they were being recorded.
I’m not saying I hate Koreans. I enjoy their media like manhwa, but every time I see Korean racism online, it’s next-level global racism. It’s hard to side with them, even if I enjoy some of their cultural products.
South Koreans are very white-washed, both figuratively and literally, and generally look down upon other Asian countries or dark-skinned ethnic groups unless you are a white Westerner. This is a fact. Korean racism is legendary, and it’s time to acknowledge and address it.