My unbelievable ability to say ‘annyeonghaseyo’

If I’m to believe what I hear several times a day, my Korean is totally amazing. Every time I take a taxi, I get complimented. If I ask a store clerk for a different size, they burst out in astounded laughter. When I order a coffee, the girl behind the counter almost wets herself with awe.

Unfortunately, the fact is that my Korean could be a lot better, and I don’t deserve the praise that is lavished on me daily. Usually not one to dodge a compliment, I’m actually starting to get sick of it.

The trouble is that Koreans are used to seeing Korean people speak Korean, and there is still a mental disconnect when a non-Korean breaks out their language.

You can’t really blame people for being so shocked when they hear a fumbled Korean word or two fall out of a foreign face, though. It is, after all, still a pretty rare experience.

Such encounters are becoming less rare, however. This is in part thanks to moves the government is making to globalize, faced as it is with falling fertility rates and the inevitability of multiculturalism. All six outlets of the Seoul Global Center (http://global.seoul.go.kr, 1688-0120) offer free Korean lessons, as do the Korea Foundation Cultural Center (www.kfcenter.or.kr, 3789-5600) and the Korea Migrants’ Center (www.migrantok.org, 6900-8002). On top of that, there are a bunch of different places, from hagwon to universities, that offer programs for all levels of skill and busyness. (You can find out where at the Seoul Global Center site.)

It’s no longer a question of it being difficult to find a place to take a Korean class. But as many expats who work here do so in English, it can be tough to feel it necessary to bother. I’ve met lots of people who have been here for years and still order their food in English. (And tacking a jusaeyo on the end of your order doesn’t mean that you speak Korean, especially if it sounds like you’re asking an Israeli to say “yo.”) I know one woman who has lived here for six years and is still illiterate in Hangul.

If the situation were flipped on its head and it were socially acceptable to express amazement when you hear an Asian person say “hello,” then it would be unthinkable to live in a foreign country for any length of time and not be able to order coffee in the local language. Of course, that is not the situation, and being an English speaker puts you in an especially lucky situation when it comes to world travel.

And, it must be said, although the administration is doing its utmost to make Seoul a more worldly city, the distinct line drawn between locals and visitors often overrides the good that it is trying to do. Advertising an event as being “fun for both Koreans and foreigners,” for example, or creating a police force and a taxi service specifically for non-Koreans, are not going to make people feel the necessity, or the desire, to speak Korean.

A quick glance over the Korean-language media or through the local English-language blogosphere will turn up lots of evidence that native Korean speakers and expats have plenty of complaints about each other.

At the same time, it’s clear that almost everyone is ready to move on to the next step - a truly global Seoul. And I think we would get there a lot faster if the visitors in this country made a bit more effort to learn what the locals were talking about.

[richard@joongang.co.kr]