Working in Korea as Korean-American (?)
Hi everyone - I’m a mid-30s Korean gal who moved to the U.S. for early study abroad and have lived there for almost 20 years, currently living in an east coast city, working 9-5. I was in school for a long time, so I only have about 6-7 years of work experience.
I am in a serious relationship and have a whole life where I live. I love my life there. But every time I come back to Korea (I try to see my family at least every 7-8 mo.) I feel more conflicted seeing my parents get older, and I keep wondering if I should eventually move back to be closer to them to help them, etc. These days I even started saving aggressively to reach semi-coast FI I think to have an option for myself to move to Korea potentially…
I’m curious if any foreigners, Korean Americans, or overseas Koreans here have actually made the move to Korea long-term to work/live while building a career. Do you regret it, or was it worth it for family/life balance? How did you handle the salary/career tradeoff and identity shift after living abroad for so long? I understand this would vary depending on the industry, but I am still interested in knowing. Would really appreciate hearing real experiences. TIA!