Body Positivity in Korea?
I wanna go to Korea in a few years. My boyfriend, Korean, moved over to Ireland to be with me after being in an LDR for two years. He will need to do his community service for 21 months (an injury prevented him from doing military conscription) and I intend to move over with him to teach English.

The problem I have is more to do with my self-confidence... I'm scared to go to Korea because I don't fit into the "50kg" rule that women are expected to follow. I have a condition that makes me gain weight and I fear that I may be made fun of because of my weight. I have a tummy, kind of a large chest/bust and thick legs (from working out at the gym a lot) so not only may I be teased but I may have trouble finding clothes over there.

TL;DR: Is body positivity in Korea still really behind compared to Western countries and would I, as a foreigner who'll probably move to Korea within the next three years, be teased because of my size?

Question

Body Positivity in Korea?
I wanna go to Korea in a few years. My boyfriend, Korean, moved over to Ireland to be with me after being in an LDR for two years. He will need to do his community service for 21 months (an injury prevented him from  doing military conscription) and I intend to move over with him to teach English.

The problem I have is more to do with my self-confidence... I'm scared to  go to Korea because I don't fit into the "50kg" rule that women are expected to follow. I have a condition that makes me gain weight and I  fear that I may be made fun of because of my weight. I have a tummy, kind of a large chest/bust and thick legs (from working out at the gym a lot) so not only may I be teased but I may have trouble finding clothes over there.

TL;DR: Is body positivity in Korea still really behind compared to Western countries and would I, as a foreigner who'll probably move to Korea  within the next three years, be teased because of my size?

Answer

Don't worry about that, Kirsten. 
It is a fake or fantasy that Koreans fit that 50rule. 
I've never even heard of the rules. and so do most Koreans.

I am a mother, so i know that Korean parents are kind to their teachers. 
I often meet foreign teachers at an English kindergarten near my house, who look happy even if they don't fit into that silly "50rule" and have many friends. And they are respected by their students and parents.

There are also many foreign teachers living in Korea. So you can make friends among your fellow teachers in no time.

I hope you can make many happy memories in Korea. :-)

Answer

In my opinion you do not have to worry. You are a foreigner and a teacher. If you would be a teenager or in your twenties, though, it would be a bit different. 
Koreans are said not to show their feelings, which I think is a stereotype which is not true, but compared to Western people and in Western eyes they are more restrained. It hardly happens that a Korean would point at you and say something nasty. Koreans do show their feelings, but Western people often cannot read the codes.That makes life easier for foreigners, they often do not realize what goes on. So no need to have any worries. What is more important: You should learn Korean, otherwise it might be difficult for you to socialize with your boyfriend's relatives and friends.

Answer

I'll give you my point of view as a non-Korean living in Korea for 5 years.

I think you have nothing to worry about! The only real reason people might stare a bit is just because of the novelty of seeing a foreigner (the frequency of this surely depends on where you are in the country). I know that this can be a bit uncomfortable at times but remember that it's because some people are simply not used to seeing people so different from them, please  try to not attribute it to something else.

The gran majority of Koreans really don't like to call unnecessary attention to themselves so it's rare having people say horrible things out on the street. Nobody will outright say disrespectful things unless they are genuinely terrible (most likely drunk) old dudes who have nothing better to do

Answer

Here in Korea now the feminism and MeToo stuff have hit so hard that no one, especially younger generation, would make fun of you. Still there maybe exist some discriminatory eyes not for the weight rather for the fact that you are a foreigner. To be frankly though, yes, people tend to act favorable to more shaped individual but who wouldn't? You are saying that like all the women here keep the 50kg rule but I see many overweight people quite a lot. Well I don't know how fit you are but, Asians are rather small framed than just thin and skinny you know. Your shape could be seen as a upside. Regardless of that, if you are willing to approach them first, there's no one who wouldn't welcome it because they are all crazy about making foreign friends, especially western people.

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