Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Stout]

When, if ever, will the adustments and changes in policy come for the Korean people?

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111206000744

Multiple surveys have shown that life satisfaction felt by Koreans has remained at relatively low levels despite increases in their income and other achievements.

According to a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on measuring well-being in its 34 member states, only 36 percent of Koreans felt satisfied with their lives, much lower than the OECD average of 59 percent.

Korean households are also under a rising debt burden, with household loans increasing from 797.4 trillion won ($700 billion) last year to 840.9 trillion won in September.

The average annual household income increased by 6.3 percent to slightly over 40 million won from 37 million won over the cited period, with its repayment of the principle and interest jumping by more than 22 percent to 6 million won from 4.8 million won.

�It is becoming really hard to make both ends meet with my salary,� said a 39-year-old company employee surnamed Kim, who borrowed more than 100 million won to buy an apartment early this year.

With less than 1 percent of GDP allocated to family benefits, Korea is the OECD member with the lowest public expenditure on them. Korea is advised by the OECD report to further develop its paid child care system to help working parents with the cost of young children.

In a gloomy reflection of the distress weighing on Koreans, their suicide rate has remained the highest in the developed world since early 2000s. The number of suicides per 100,000 people reached 31 in Korea in 2009, compared to 24.4 in Japan and 21.5 in Hungary, which ranked second and third on the list of OECD members, according to figures compiled from data of the World Health Organization.

[Stout]

The conservatives, in any case, are more concerned about their own welfare at the moment-

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111207000246

The Grand National Party has been urged to dissolve itself for the creation of a new party. The demand is coming not from outside but from members of the ruling party ― a party that is in disarray though it has the National Assembly under its control.

Creative dissolution may be one of the most viable choices open to the party, which, as one leading member puts it, is plummeting into a bottomless pit. He says �one bottom after another is collapsing� under the feet of the ruling party, which is called on to hold itself responsible for cyber attacks on the National Election Commission and the opposition Seoul mayoral candidate�s camp on the day of the Oct. 26 by-election.

The party has been sent into panic since police said last week that an aide to a ruling party lawmaker ordered distributed denial-of-service attacks on the computer systems of the electoral watchdog and the opposition candidate�s election committee. Findings about the DDoS attacks dealt another blow to the party, which had lost the mayoral race to an independent liberal candidate. The opposition Democratic Party is demanding a thorough investigation, claiming that the low-level aide cannot be the sole culprit.

On Tuesday, 10 lawmakers of the ruling party demanded that it disband itself for the creation of a new party. Insisting the party would otherwise suffer a landslide defeat in the April general elections, the demoralized lawmakers demanded it take the process of dissolution immediately after the National Assembly closes its current session next Monday.

http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111207000911

The GNP has suffered a series of major setbacks in recent months, including a defeat in October�s Seoul mayoral by-election and a cyber attack scandal. Park, seen as the party�s strongest presidential candidate, is trailing Ahn Cheol-soo, a venture entrepreneur-turned-professor, in polls, although Ahn hasn�t said he will run.

Dealing a severe blow to the already embattled party, police arrested earlier this month an aide of a GNP lawmaker for allegedly directing a cyber attack against the national election watchdog on Oct. 26 when by-elections took place across the country.

Investigators said Wednesday that the suspect, a 27-year-old former assistant to GNP Rep. Choi Ku-shik, was found to have spoken with a secretary of Rep. Park Hee-tae, National Assembly Speaker and another GNP member, several times on the phone, while the attack was under way.

A large-scale distributed denial-of-service, or DDoS, attack paralyzed the website of the National Election Commission for about two hours in the early morning of the election day. The attack also targeted the official website of Park Won-soon, then a candidate for Seoul mayor. Park beat GNP candidate Na Kyung-won with overwhelming support from voters in their 20s to 40s. Opposition parties claim the ruling party may have been behind the attack, which was aimed at hindering young voters from finding their polling booth.

[LucForsyth]

If you want to hear a uniquely Korean perspective on the problems with their high stress society, check out this series of interviews I did. Over a few months I asked Koreans of various ages (from high school to retirement) what made life in Korea so stressful. Pretty interesting stuff.

http://lucforsyth.com/category/underpressure/

[whiteshoes]

[LucForsyth]

Luc, I'm really loving this stuff. Great work.[/quote]

Thanks a lot, its been interesting doing it. I was invited back this weekend, so keep checking back on the blog or subscribe to the RSS feed...more to come!

[LucForsyth]

whiteshoes, you might also be interested in some stuff I've been doing in the Seoul Panjachons (shanty towns)....http://lucforsyth.com/blog/

[tideout]

Great post and topic in general. It's nice to see the interviews being done and people keeping things human.

From Bali Bali:

This (Bali Bali) is very useful for industry, but it is bad for the soul.


It is a difficult task for a society or culture to face that the very strategy it has used to survive and then thrive may end up killing it. History books are filled with cultures and empires that couldn't put the breaks on let alone turn themselves around.

The suicide rate is abysmal and quite sad really. I hope they treat it quickly as the national emergency that it is.

A number of studies have shown that after basic life needs are met that more income doesn't translate into more happiness. Money and material goods don't = a meaningful life.

[Seoulman69]

That's a brilliant link you provided Luc. When I talk to my friends they say very similar things. Koreans know what is wrong in their society but they don't know how to fix it. And, to be honest, neither do I.

[tideout]

[Steelrails]

Both of your blogs are solid stuff. I feel like its the blogosphere verison of some NPR radio programme. You really get a feel for each individual's world view through their interviews, even in only a few paragraphs.

The shantytown project is fascinating as well. This is good journalism. Way more interesting than some expat food review or "What wild thing I did this weekend" blog.

[Ibsen]

[Captain Corea]

I think that blog and the interviews are great. Truth be told, I've tired of the repetative nature of "Korean blogs", but I feel this one is quite different.

For most of my time in Korea I've worked with (and taught) Korean adults, and my experiences and impressions from them were echoed by those interviews. I disagree with some, agree with others, and strongly agree with a few.

Pretty much like I would with adults in my home country.

So when I read about teachers here complaining about how someone said ______ in their school, I often find myself wishing they could have the opportunity to hear from a wider variety of Korean adults.

This blog tries to capture that.

I sort of wish it was in a better thread so as to draw more attention to it.


Cheers to the blogger that put it all together.

[Kimchifart]

[DIsbell]

Luc, those interviews you did are very nicely put together. I'm enjoying them a lot. Definitely reflects a lot of what I've had related to me by friends, coworkers, and in-laws.

I know blog spam is frowned upon on Dave's, but if you put together anymore really developed projects like that on your blog I think it'd be great if you start a topic here.

[AtmaWeapon]