In Out and About we chat with people who are currently living abroad or have lived there before. This week we chat to Thinus Scholtz in South Korea.

1. Where do you live and for how long have you been living there?

I currently live in South Korea, in a small town named Donghae in the east of the country. I live here because it was the first place where I was able to find work outside of South Africa. I have been living here for the last four years and I am very happy in this little town.

2. Was it a major adjustment?

It was definitely. When you do not live in the larger cities, the chances of speaking English or even Afrikaans are slim. During my first six months here I was the only Afrikaans speaking person in my circle of friends, therefore I had to adapt by only speaking English and trying to understand Korean better.  

The next adjustment was food and drink. The baked dishes are sweeter than that of South Africa and the food tastes completely different from what we are used to in South Africa. Speaking of food – the price of meat came as a huge shock. In South Africa it is still possible to buy steak for R100 per kilogram. Here in South Korea beef will cost you about R158 per 100 grams! So I basically had to get used to eating more chicken. I also had to get used to the currency. To go from a country where the money basically starts at R1, to a country where the smallest currency you would want to carry in your wallet is 500 won is a huge adjustment. My first shopping cost a total of 295 000 won. It was a massive shock.

3. Do you still speak Afrikaans?

We currently do speak Afrikaans. I started touring through Korea and met a few South Africans. Although I was still the only Afrikaans person, it was nice to know there were other South Africans. There is now an Afrikaans family that works with me at the same school. They also have a little boy. It is a wonderful feeling to work with South Africans. It just makes me feel more at ease in a way.

• There are a lot of South Africans in South Korea. Do you sometimes get together?

Before the pandemic there was a large South African community that got together regularly. I kept on saying I would attend the next year, and then the pandemic struck.

The largest South African gathering I know of is the Nanji braai. South Africans from all over get together and enjoy the music and each other’s company. Hopefully I will finally be able to attend one after the pandemic.

I have to add that there are a few nice restaurants in the country that are frequented by South Africans, such as the well-known Braai Republic, and Pie Republic. If you miss food from home, these are the places you should go to.

Another good online resource is Lekker Saffa Spaza which was made possible by a friend of mine – they contribute to keeping us happy with all kinds of treats from South Africa. The South African spirit is strong in the country.

5. What was the strangest to get used to?

For me personally “kimchi” was the strangest thing to get used to. It is pickled cabbage that is served as a side dish. It has a very strong smell and taste and sometimes it is nice, sometimes not. There are however variations – although it is not limited to cabbage, the cabbage version is the most common.

These days when I go out to get Korean food, my meal will not feel complete without “kimchi”.

6. Is it expensive to live there?

The cost of living here is high. Although the town I live in is somewhat cheaper than the big cities, it is still more expensive than South Africa. As I already mentioned with the price of meat, life is more expensive. If you are clever it is easy to save up some money – I am however not one of those savvy people. One thing that is easy on your wallet though, is touring and travelling. Bus tickets, train tickets and even taxis are way more affordable.

7. Where in South Africa are you originally from and what made you decide to go to South Korea?

I am from Glencoe, KwaZulu Natal and have lived in the Glencoe/Dundee area all my life.  

To be honest, I live here because it was difficult to find employment in South Africa. I was unemployed for five months and then finally decided to come to Korea. It was one of the best decisions of my life, although there are some stress regarding when I will be returning. Most of my friends haven’t been successful in obtaining jobs and are still looking for employment.