I've spent some time in Korea (studying Korean) and am thinking of teaching English there. I'm teaching now in Japan but the pay is higher in Korea, and Japanese girls are super "busy" all the time (or maybe they just aren't interested in me for some reason).

I'm about 33 and I feel that the girls my age are looking for someone who makes a bit more money than English teachers do in Japan. They're starting to think about marriage, etc., and are starting to drift away from the "cool" guys and starting to look for someone more stable. I actually like that, but my situation isn't going to change soon here in Japan.

Actually, I'm not looking to "pick up" girls but mostly looking for a LTR or marriage. I sort of feel like Japan has become more like the US, where girls will date for a long time before marrying around 30 or even 35. 10 years ago, it seemed like there were more girls looking to marry younger or date a foreigner but now, at 30, maybe they've already dated a foreigner or two and their priorities have changed.

I'm reasonable well-dressed and in decent shape, which seems to be important in Korea. I'm also half white and half asian.

So how's Korea in that respect? I know status/work is important in Asia, and in Korea it seems like an English teacher's salary is higher than the average joe, while in Japan salarymen are a dime a dozen and are making 2 or 3 times what English teachers are making.

So is Korea a good place for an English teacher at 33 looking for love or to settle down, or are there greener pastures? At my age, it seems like getting a "real" job in Japan would be necessary, but that requires a lot of time, investment, and effort and I'm not sure I want to stay here forever given the stifling society with so many rules.

Overall, it seems like Japan is good for a short time when you're young, before you have to become part of the society here. I've basically assimilated, and I'll pretty much be a "foreigner" again when I go to Korea, since I won't understand the culture or language too much.

I've also had a decently difficult time befriending Japanese people and Japanese guys in general. On the other hand, Korean guys had a kind of "brotherhood" thing going on and I had a good time hanging out with Korean dudes. I also didn't experience the cockblock thing that some people report. Maybe that's because I'm basically a nice guy though.

Any input?