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Thread: korea

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    Veteran Member blayze's Avatar
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    Default korea

    so... my husband is talking about reenlisting in the army. and saying that the reenlistment guy told him he could get korea and myself and the bebe could move to korea with him (un-sponsored)

    but i have to finish my degree (psych) first, and then i'm wanting to get my masters.

    so i'm looking for thoughts on the situation, if anyone has any. especially if anyone knows anything about korea.

    also, are there colleges (i know that sounds incredibly naive) and can i get a masters there? and what about language barrier?

    and i'm half Vietnamese, will that be an issue?

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    Default Re: korea

    um, the idea of being sent to Korea, unless your boy has a specialty that's in demand over there, is a little ludicrous-- especially for the army branch.

    the reenlistment guy is full of bullshit. DO NOT BELIEVE HIM!!! Are you willing to risk the strong probability of your guy being sent to Iraq?

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    Veteran Member blayze's Avatar
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    Default Re: korea

    uh... he's already IN iraq. he gets back in 2.5 weeks.

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    God/dess fancygirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: korea

    I'm still confused and still thinking the reenlistment guy is spouting b.s. What's in Korea? I mean, the government has been extending soldiers' contracts involuntarily, and sending them over for longer and repeated tours... they're not doing this just to route soldiers to Korea.

    Please explain?

  5. #5
    cameron_keys
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    Default Re: korea

    Actually its IS possible...my friends brother is stationed in Korea. We do have military there.

    But I'd get it in writing first or there is a strong possibility he'd be sent back to Iraq.

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    Default Re: korea

    The army has more needs than just Iraq. It also maintains a presence of 30,000 give or take military personnel in Korea. Let's also not forget our presence in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world. So yes, the army will send soldiers to Korea, of course, that does not guarantee you will stay there. The reality is that today there is a need for troops in Iraq, and when you enlist or re-enlist, you had better be prepared to go there or go back there.
    In reference to the earlier question about Korea, I've spent some time there and learned Korean as well as Korean customs and I don't believe being half-Vietnamese would pose any particular problem. Most of the bad blood is between the Koreans and Japanese. There are universities in Korea as well; however, whether or not they will fit your needs is something I can't answer. You would have to check the accreditation and whether or not they have an English program. The army has some college courses they offered when I was there, but I didn't think much of the programs personally. I'm sure your base must have an education center where they could help you better understand the educational opportunities available to you in Korea. Hope this helps.

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    God/dess fancygirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: korea

    I know there's soldiers stationed in places other than Iraq and the middle east... but I'm wary of a reenlistment officer saying that a soldier would go somewhere else. As someone pointed out above, the man could be stationed in Korea, and then moved shortly afterward.

    I just don't trust reenlistment agencies period. Not when there's such a high possible/probable cost of a human life on the table.

  8. #8
    smartcookie
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    Default Re: korea

    I've traveled to Seoul and Busan, but I have not lived there. These are my impressions:

    Koreans aren't generally warm n' fuzzy folks towards foreigners, particularly Americans, since there's a lot of resentment of our military presence there. The friends that I've had who are of mixed Asian descent haven't had easy experiences living or traveling in Vietnam, Japan, and Malaysia. East Asians can be very racist, and are known to treat those of mixed ancestry like they're tainted somehow.

    Getting by if you don't speak Korean is hard. Not a lot of people speak English. Apparently, it's more popular and economically viable to speak Chinese these days. But there is a demand for English teachers, so that's something you could look into. Check out this site:



    As far as universities in Korea go, you're going to need to learn to speak Korean. I'm not aware of any graduate schools with an English language curriculum. Here is a list of Korean Universities:



    Expat life is hard. The more different the culture, the harder it is. When you make the best of it, it can be extremely rewarding. In Asia, expats tend to congregate, consume massive amounts of alcohol, and bitch about how much Korea/Japan/China/Thailand sucks. You've got to make a conscious effort to avoid those people, and not get bogged down in their negativity. That's hard to do on a military base.

    For learning Korean, I highly recommend Pimsleur and Vocabulearn. I'm not advocating illegal file sharing, but I've heard that torrents can be found easily *cough* *cough*

    Hope that helps. I liked Korea. I'd definitely go back. Mmm...dolsot bi bim ba. Yummy.

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    Default Re: korea

    I have to agree... not to take the enlistment officers word about Korea. Anything can happen..it is the military afterall.

    About Korea itself...though I was stationed there many years ago, I have to say...I loved it there. When I got there, I heard all the same things that Koreans dont like Americans and are rude etc... but I had a completely different experience. I leaned very little Korean (I can say thank you, hello, old man and young woman...lol..wierd combo, I know) but I used what I could, when I could and never had a bad experience.

    For education, there are magnet colleges on the bases, so you should be able to continue school. Thats something to research, but if its a post where family can be, Im sure youll be able to. I was on some tiny po-dink camp, no family allowed, in the middle of nowhere and was able to take college classes.

    I loved the food and the culture and got out as much as I could. I really cant say much for racism against other Asians...Im black and was told that gave me an advantage. I do have to say, most Korean mens faces lit up when I came around, and I got some crazy good deals while shopping and a lot of comps in restaurants.

    Anyway...I know a lot of people who left Korea absolutely hating it, and then people like me who absolutely loved it. There doesnt seem to be an inbetween.

  10. #10
    madmaxine
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    Default Re: korea

    My step-brother was stationed in Korea with the Army, I suppose it's used as a training installation for many service personnel. The US military presence there is a holdover from post-war treaties. And, uh, let's not forget communist North Korea.

    My advice to you is to get your man to marry you (get a pre-nup if it's what the situation warrants) because if you move there with him without any legal obligation for him to take care of you on his part...Well, you'd be better off married and getting all the benefits of that, including perks for the bebe, is all I'm going to say....

    I worked with many Koreans on Guam and liked them a lot in the end (they are a bit standoffish and hard hustlers)...I'm guessing they thought I might be part Korean and that helped. LOL Just learn the language and they'll love you.

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    Veteran Member blayze's Avatar
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    Default Re: korea

    we're already married. so yeah that really isn't an issue.

    i know that the army offers satellite courses, etc on posts, but i'm looking for grad schools... so far i havent found anything there that i need/want.

    so another question is can i get my loans deferred in this situation, anyone know anything about that? my loans are through bank one, but then they got sold (i'm assuming) to national collegiate trust, or something like that... so i'm not sure who to call about them.

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    Default Re: korea

    I'm half-vietnamese too! *HUGS* my long lost twin!!

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    Default Re: korea

    Hrmm...Id venture to guess that you should be able to get your loans deferred. I would talk to both, if youre not sure who...if they dont have any answers for you, then go to the education officer/office (its been awhile, correct terminology fails me) and explain your situation. Im sure that many many dependents have been in the same situation so there has to be some way of handling that.

    I think that a tour with family in Korea is a minimum of 2 years...I could be wrong about that, but that seems about right, so that is something to consider..the amount of time you would not be going to school while in Korea...

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    Veteran Member Jenna78's Avatar
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    Default Re: korea

    Why wouldn't you be sponsered by him? Having a military id and health care is the way to go imo. Is he guaranteed to get Youngsan, Osan, Kunsan or Pusan or is there a possibility he might get the base at the demiliterized zone DMZ (which sucks and you could not live near him?)

    I know some of the colleges on some overseas military bases offer graduate work, but it was very limited. You can always do online graduate programs as well. The bases, except the dmz, in Korea are very nice and quite large. Korea is a great country to live in as well.
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    Default Re: korea

    I have studied in Korea if you are interested in studing there you may want to look at this site www.wle-korea.com. I went through them to study Korean. The also have programs to study at Yonsei University. Just email them any quetions that you may ak. If you can email Lydia, she is super friendly. If you haven any more questions just PM me.
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    Default Re: korea

    my dad use to be stationed i korea and thats whre he met my mother. hints the fact that im half korean and know somewhat of it. the colleges well they are definetly not like colleges in america the popele there study for basically all day and only the best get in. so its gonna be really hard so my bet is that your just gonna have to wait til you get back if you guys get to go there. to find out if theres actually a spot open there you or your husband is gonna have to talk to the person who handles those things and then get it comfirmed by another person. oh and i woulnt walk around on the streets alot especially if you look young and have alot of skin showing because people in korea tend to just take people off the street and put them in a prostitution ring or something and its usually foreigners. the younger kids are most likely gonna be the ones who might talk english but the older peple most likely wont talk it and wont talk to you. they like you to dress conservative or they wont respect you at all and they hagle everything over there. i suggest not taking a car because they dont even pull over for ambulances becaue the traffic there is so bad that they dont even stay in the lanes. its better to walk or ride a bike but be careful because there are alot of accidnets over there. but since you said that your half vitamese dont tell them taht koreans are jugemental about verything trust me i had to deal with it my whole life and they tend to not like viatnemese they even have shows about it, so just say your asian but alot are nice if you have good manners and do not be loud. they think thats rude when your wlking down the street and being overly loud and you have to respect all the elders even if it was there fault or they are being mean.
    good luck though thye have alot of nice things over there but theres still that thing going on with north korea and the nuclear bombs.

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    Newbie the other bitch!'s Avatar
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    Default Re: korea

    oh and everything there is more expensive and american money is worth less than there money, i would say go to vietnam or china because about 10 grand or so at those places and you guys wont have to work for years, at least thats what my mother tells, she says that you can buy a good house and not work for like 5-8 years with around 10 grand, and you would be considered really rich over there. but the only problem is i think chinese might be the hardest language to speak because you know when people make fun of asian people and they say like weird things that i dont know how to write but thats basically how its sound you cant tell one word from another and koreans,chinese, and japanese all speak really fast so its impossible to under stand.

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    God/dess SundayMorning's Avatar
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    Default Re: korea

    I'm talking to one of my friends who has lived in South Korea as an ESL professor for almost a year. He is not fluent in Korean, nor is his wife who is teaching beginning English to young kids. His advice is:

    "There are lots of colleges and universities here, although most of them hold classes in Korean. Being half Vietnamese should not be an issue. I wonder if she has considered doing her master's degree online?"


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    Default Re: korea

    The only thing I can say about Koreans is that the several I have known have been very prejudiced against all other Asians. But they might not be typical of all Koreans.

    But, here is my advice on your hubbie staying in the military. He's already been in, and he knows what it is like. What he can expect if he stays in is more of the same. There will be tours to war zones, assignments stateside, accompanied tours to Europe, unaccompanied tours to Greenland. Through it all you have free medical and dental, use of the commissary and PX, a guaranteed salary and housing allowance, annual raises and a month's leave every year. Against this you must balance the ever present possibility of getting killed.

    When I was discharged from USAF many years ago, it was during Viet Nam, and I decided i wanted nothing more to do with the military. Years later, I think that I should have stayed in, taken the tour in Viet Nam, stayed in the reserves when the war was over. The payoff comes when you have enough years in to retire. A friend my age stayed in the reserves and retired as a colonel. He taught college and I taught in the public schools. Our salaries and retirements are roughly the same, but he lives in what I consider to be a dream house where I live in a more ordinary house. Why? Because he had his military retirement on top of his salary and then his other retirement.

    There are very real and difficult stresses involved with being in the military and being a military wife. Consider what you have been through during the Iraq tour, and what he has been through, then project that forward for another sixteen or eighteen years. If you can see yourself doing that, then staying in the military is a really good idea.

    Just don't trust what the recruiters say any more than you would believe a used car salesman.

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    Veteran Member blayze's Avatar
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    Default Re: korea

    thank you all for your responses! there is soooo much to respond to as there is a lot of information, so i'm sorry if i don't respond to your post directly.

    i have considered doing my masters work online, but am somewhat leary of that since i don't want it to look like i tried to take an easy route to a masters, also my masters would be in clinical psychology, which i'm not entirely sure how that would work for an online course.

    i would be sponsored as a military spouse, but i was referring to the travel expenses, etc would not be sponsered by the military. my husband would still be my military sponser for tricare, etc.

    the club that i used to work at was owned and operated by koreans, which is the only reason i brought up my Vietnamese heritage. They were VERY hard on me, and i know that most asian cultures are elitist and tend to have a general disdain for other asians outside their own culture. again, i am speaking generally and not about individuals specifically.

    i dont particularly trust the recruiter at all, but the husband says he's a friend (i'm not sure if i know him or not) and that everything would be in the contract. i'm a bt leary, before he had been offered germany and a bonus but didn't take it so now i'm wondering why he's considering korea? ha! maybe he has a thing for asians... lol.

    part of me wants him to reenlist just because of the financial and job security, but part of me wants him to get out so that we can live our lives free from political/military interruption. his ETS is in Dec, so there is still some time left to decide...

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    Member randompisces's Avatar
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    Default Re: korea

    Firstly, what branch is your husband currently in? (not army/air force etc, but Infantry / Air Defense / Armor etc?).

    You CAN move to Korea un-sponsored, but you will not be able to live on the base, and depending on where stationed, might not be able to get onto the base either. Some bases are cut off to all but those stationed there. Also, it'd be on your own dime. Expensive.

    The sponsorship is the easiest way to do it, and he should try holding out for a sponsorship if possible. Most Korean deployments are considered PCS moves and many are being extended from 1 year to 2 - 3 year deployments (hence, opening up many more sponsorships in the process).

    The financial benefits for Korea aren't necessarily worthy enough to try splitting your family up (again), even if it's only 1 year more. Depending on his branch and MOS, you could find much more suitable places to re-enlist for. It also comes down to his rank. Thinking on the brief we just had about my units upcoming Korean rotation next year, only Senior NCO's (the SGM / CSM) and Field Grade officers (MAJ++) are getting sponsorships if it's a 1 year rotation.

    As for schooling, that's easily taken care of. Online. Even the army will help pay for some of it, they have a 1500 scholarship for Army Spouses. All your husband has to do is turn it in to his orderly room / S1. With a sponsorship, you'd be able to use the posts Ed Center too. w/o a sponsorship? unknown.

    On a good note, as i stated earlier, they've changed almost all Korean rotations to PCS moves, and have been building family housing like crazy. Depending on when he re-enlists etc, you could get fairly lucky. They're even considering removing command sponsorships once the bases are refurbished to house families as there will be the room, finally, to nix the old rule.

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