From Uttarakhand to Seoul: Indian model’s life in Korea

India Today

Beards are unhygienic? Kimchi every day? What’s life like for an Indian in Korea?

Transcript

00:00After watching K-drama, I want to have a Korean boyfriend.

00:03The house in Korea is a bit different.

00:05He's always drunk with kimchi.

00:07If he vomits, kimchi comes out.

00:09That's an Uttarakhand guy pursuing his modeling career in Seoul,

00:12but internet users can't stop asking him.

00:15Can I come to Korea?

00:17Can I become an engineer?

00:19Can I become a doctor in Korea?

00:21How can I work?

00:22Please take me to Korea.

00:24I want to be a wife.

00:26I want to be a girlfriend.

00:30Hey, this is Sagar Bhandari.

00:33Sometimes Sagar shares his life in Seoul.

00:35And because the noodles are too long,

00:37they get stuck in my throat.

00:39So I have to use scissors.

00:41Sometimes, he's just like...

00:43Don't move out. Just live in your country.

00:46But how did Sagar end up in Seoul?

00:48I went to Chandigarh for my studying

00:50and one of my friends who was living in New Delhi,

00:53his name is Raj Dobrial,

00:55and he asked me to come to New Delhi

00:57and asked me to start modeling career.

00:59And I moved to New Delhi.

01:00Sagar told us how he got in touch with an agency

01:03that scouted and groomed him as a model.

01:05However, South Korea was never his first choice.

01:08A previous trip to the country a few years ago

01:11left a lasting impression

01:12and he ultimately chose it for his future career.

01:15My first choice was going to Europe

01:17and explore European market

01:18after I did a good work in India.

01:21And as other models, they are going to Europe

01:23like Paris, Milan or New York for modeling.

01:26And I was one of them.

01:29But, you know, it's a destiny.

01:30Most of the Indian restaurants in Korea

01:32are owned by Nepalese people.

01:34You will get staffs from Nepal

01:36and chefs from Nepal as well.

01:38Coming from Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal,

01:40Sagar found similarities between Paharis and Koreans.

01:44One more thing which is very similar

01:46to Pahari culture and Korean culture

01:48is the smile of the people.

01:50When they smile, it reminds me of my hometown.

01:53It reminds me of my mountain.

01:55Since my friend, they gave me a vegan kimchi

02:00and it doesn't have any seafood.

02:02And from that day, I realized that kimchi is so delicious,

02:06so nice, like it's mouth-watering now.

02:09Watering, sorry.

02:15From the hills of Uttarakhand

02:17to the fashion industry of Seoul.

02:19If I talk about Korean modeling industry,

02:21I never felt like any racism.

02:25But they mostly like to work with white people,

02:29like European people with blue eyes and white skin.

02:32But slowly, slowly, they are changing.

02:35Sagar's journey is paving the way

02:37for more Indian models in Korea.

02:39Now, I don't get to eat food cooked by my mom.

02:41Let's see if the robot has the same taste as my mom.

Category

Transcript

Recommended