Our first Halloween in Korea! Actually it’s the first Halloween we had celebrated together because it’s only just started getting popular in Korea and Australians don’t really celebrate it that much (or if you do celebrate it, there can be so much negativity about it being an American thing and backlash about American culture being in Australia). Australian Christian communities can be very anti Halloween as well, much to the surprise of my Christian American friends who celebrate it. I think there being so many Americans in Seoul has influenced how popular Halloween, especially with young people. Also older people complimented on our costumes as well, we didn’t feel any negativity about it (well besides from the girl that Alex scared!).

I was Miss Havisham from Great Expectations, though most people assumed I was a ghost bride or something. Hugh was an Australian bogan zombie. I guess ‘bogan’ can be translated as ‘white trash’. He also had racist tattoos on his arms, not just the Southern Cross but “Aussie Pride” and “F*** Off, we’re full”. His costume was a bit subversive because of course that type of person is racist to Asians and those types of tattoos proudly display that racism. So he was also poking fun at a certain white stereotype, while at the same time embracing other aspects of Australian culture (he wore thongs/flip flops, board shorts, a cricket singlet and sunscreen while holding a VB beer).

In this Seoul Life we show a bit of our Halloween, we talk about how Koreans often see Autumn as a really sad and depressing time, we meet baby Gyo and announce BTS giveaway winners.

In this Seoul Life we talk about Halloween in Korea, what we plan to do in Seoul and Hugh eats something weird. Also BTS album giveaway! Please comment over on YouTube to enter the giveaway.

Mara asks:

I just wanted to know what Koreans do (if anything) for Halloween.

I’ve seen this question quite a few times on Twitter and Youtube so I’m assuming there are quite a few people who want to know the answer to this.

Basically Koreans don’t really do anything for Halloween. I’m sorry I don’t have a comic for this one because there isn’t much I can draw, besides from my husband laying in his underwear on the floor saying “We don’t care” to my question about Halloween.

Now of course in places like Itaewon in Korea where there are many foreigners there are probably Halloween parties but it’s just not celebrated the way it is in North America. Actually it’s not celebrated as much in Australia either. In recent years there have been more parties and nightclubs catering to it, but trick or treating is not something that everyone does here.

There are possibly some elements of Halloween Koreans would find offensive, and I don’t mean the whole scary thing, I mean people being almost naked but calling it a costume.

At my husband’s work last night there was a Halloween party for a magazine. My husband was shocked at what constituted a costume. For example: only duct tape over the nipples. I’m just speculating here, but in Korea where a lot of women barely show their shoulders there might be moral outrage at Korea adopting those elements of Halloween.

JMK who is living in Korea right now adds:

In Korea right now Halloween seems to be mostly for foreigners and kids. Many, many English hagwons/private academies (kindergartens and after-school programs) hold Halloween parties. The first one I worked at had one only for the kindergarten kids, but my current one also had parties for the elementary kids.

However, did you celebrate Halloween? Did you have a costume? What was the best costume you saw?