Sohyun, 20
Born in Suwon, South Korea
Came to Australia in January 2013
How did we meet?
Sohyun and I met through our university degree's society. She ended up becoming a subcommittee member under my Activities Portfolio!
What is your occupation?
I am studying for a Bachelor of Commerce/Arts, majoring in Marketing and Chinese Studies.
Before coronavirus, I was a casual stylist at Jo Malone and a Business Influencer at UNSW Business School. Right now, I am just a private Korean tutor.
Why did you come to Australia?
I used to go to an international school in Japan so I was learning English there. However, my dad insisted that I learn English in an English-speaking country and Australia was one of the options.
I moved here because the time zones are very similar to Japan and Korea, the latter being my parents are residing at the moment.
What do you like about Sydney?
I like the lively vibes and atmosphere.
I used to live in Queensland and when I moved to Sydney alone two years ago, everything was new to me. Consequently, I have had more time to self-reflect and I have matured a lot as a person in this city.
This is why Sydney has a lot of meaning to me.
What don’t you like about Sydney?
Parking!
I’m on my green Ps but I don’t even want a car because of the difficulties associated with parking- there’s nowhere to park either and it’s so expensive!
What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?
Go the Maroons! I just know it’s always a huge QLD vs NSW rivalry when it comes to the State of Origin.
What languages do you speak?
English, Korean (native), Japanese and I’m learning Mandarin Chinese.
Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.
인싸 in-ssa- insider
아싸 ah-ssa- outsider
인싸 is a type of person who gets along with people, knows almost everything related, and works/participates with passion within the group that they belong to.
아싸 is a type of person who loves being alone enjoying one’s own world rather than trying to be involved in a group.
The latter is a negative word but it’s not derogatory. The words are derived from English words but it’s been developed into Korean slang.
What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?
Korean traditional clothing (hanbok) is beautiful, especially the female dress. Obviously, I might be biased but that’s my opinion.
When we get married, we usually do a Western-style wedding and then do a Korean wedding, where we wear hanbok. We wear it on Thanksgiving Day and Lunar New Year.
Another thing is that ice cream cakes are so pretty delicious in Korea- we even line up for it in the freezing winter, especially the Baskin Robbin's ones.
Who is the most famous person in your native country?
BTS- who doesn’t know them?
They’re big in Korea but I feel like they’re probably bigger worldwide. There are so many famous Kpop acts that are not famous worldwide but are still very competitive in Korea.
I would definitely go to their concert if they came to Sydney but I’d only buy maximum B seats- my sister is a bigger fan than me. Don’t worry, I’m still ARMY.
What is the best dish in your native country?
Kimchi. I even eat curry, spaghetti, steak with kimchi. Everything with kimchi tastes good.
There’s always kimchi in the house, we make sure that we never run out. I buy Jongga brand kimchi.
Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.
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