Meet the Global Families of Puget Sound
Photo:
The Kim and Cho family | Photo by Jiaying Grygiel
The Kim and Cho family from South Korea
Who lives here? Seokhyun Kim, 39; his wife, Younghee Cho, 37; and their sons: Robin Kim, 7, and Roy Kim, 5. Seokhyun is a senior software engineer with Coupang, an e-commerce company that aims to be the Amazon of South Korea. Younghee returned to Korea for two months last fall to complete her doctorate in special education. She begins a fellowship at the University of Washington’s Center on Human Development and Disability in September.
Where? Queen Anne
When did you move here? Seokhyun arrived in October 2015, and his family joined him the following March.
What, if anything, did you know about Seattle before you moved here?
Seokhyun: We had seen a picture of the Space Needle, and we thought, “Beautiful city.”
Do you plan to stay?
Seokhyun: Actually, we didn’t decide yet. 50/50. We miss our country. We miss our friends. We cannot meet our parents frequently.
Younghee, on the pros of living in Seattle: Fresh air. I think summer is beautiful. There are a lot of parks.
Seokhyun: No traffic congestion [compared to Korea]. Speed of living is slower here. In Korea, people move quickly. We can have more space in our life.
What has been the biggest challenge in moving to Seattle?
Seokhyun: Language and culture. We’re educated to be polite and respect others. I think this is kind of Asian culture, not just Korean. In America, especially in company, I should be somewhat aggressive in some sense. So, changing my attitude to fit in here hasn’t been easy.
Younghee: I think language is very difficult for us. We studied English for a long time, but speaking …? It is a problem making friends.
Seokhyun remembers going to a coffee shop soon after moving to Seattle and ordering a drink. The barista asked him if he wanted “room for cream,” and he was bewildered by the question. A room? Why would he want a room?
Seokhyun: One amazing thing is the boys learned English so quickly. In kindergarten, Robin cried three times a day because he didn’t understand the teacher. Now Robin is feeling English is more comfortable than Korean, especially writing.
How is parenting in the U.S. different than in Korea?
Seokhyun: In Korea, the no. 1 interest of parents is how to make the kids good students. They make their children study English, mathematics after school. Education is oriented to studying.
Younghee: In Seattle, many people play on the playground and take a lot of trips.
Seokhyun: In Korea, it is much harder for teenagers to find drugs. I feel Korea is safer place to raise kids and teenagers.
