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Hi everyone,
As an American man living in South Korea my life has been anything but dull. As I've mentioned in my other posts there are so many opportunities that exist here, that I didn't have back home, however it's also a great place to get hemmed up if you don't know what you're doing, so I want to write a series about some of the metamorphic mine fields in South Korea. It is my desire to see people come here and have a meaningful time without getting their hearts broken, ripped off, or in trouble with the law, so let me be clear my target audience is men, especially young single men, but some of these can just as easily apply to women too. Also, to understand why you can end of being a sucker in this country let me show you four broad categories I have for Americans/foreigners in this country, and in later posts what dangers await each class below.
1. The Scumbag English Teacher: This is where I started off, and to be honest I don't consider English teachers scumbag, but this society does, even if nobody will say it to your face, unless you're me, and I'll get to that later.
So let me be totally blunt and to the point. English teaching is like being a prostitute. Sure you're services are in high demand, but nobody wants to take you home to see mama. It really can be that bad, and let me explain.
You see despite the "respect" you get a school from your students, you have to understand that Native English Teachers have a bad repetition over here. As girl I once dated flat out told me they, we, us are losers because "They can't get jobs in their home country, and they're running away from our debts and other problems." Ouch! Even if that statement didn't apply to me, I now knew what people really thought of me.
Ironically she said she claimed to have some English teachers as friends, and no we didn't last long.
Other stereotypes held among many (but not all) Koreans are that NETS promiscuous, drug users, pedophiles etc. Just Google "Canadian marijuana English teacher Korea" to see my point. The list goes on, and yes there are some bad apples over here, but it doesn't apply to all NETS.
Now, on the positive side as a NET because of and in spite of the problems above you actually probably have the greatest opportunity to find real love over here, because unlike the other classes covered here, you can rest assured she really isn't marrying you for the money. Plus, as an added bonus its often the NETS you'll see on Korean TV and becoming entrepreneurs over here.
2. Dirty Joe: I've been in this class too, and the name says it all. Joe, that is a U.S. soldier has a solid reputation of being a drunkard, getting into fights, getting and spreading an STD, and in general just being a sucker for anything involving girls and a promise of a good time. Now, to be honest the lower enlisted Joes make less money than an English teacher, but they do have base access, so him and his honey can go to the food court and maybe even do some shopping. Plus if one of the local Korean/ Filipino bar girls can get married to Joe than it's a free trip to the USA and his benefits. English Teachers can't compete with the promise of getting Joe's pension after 20 years of faithful service.
3. Sleazy Contractor: This is where I'm currently at. Sure contractors have a reputation of ripping off the government, cutting corners, and in general just being over paid. However that doesn't stop anyone (man or woman) from wanting your money. Seriously, you mention the C word and the world, and thighs will open up.
4. Lazy GS: I haven't reached this phase yet, but it's my wife's ultimate dream for me. For those that don't know GS means Government Service, or a civil servant for simplicity sake. GS usually make less than Contractors, but they have "job stability" and in Korea get taxpayer funded mansions housing that would be out of reach of most Koreans and even contractors., and GS 
In my following posts I'll explore the traps that await each class in South Korea. Some of the traps are easy to avoid, like don't marry a bar girl, while others aren't so obvious, like your school illegally not deducting taxes from your pay and you get tripped up with the law because of it.
So what do you think? I would love to see your feedback.