Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Konglishman]

And of course, the article also briefly references Bonojit Hussain who was successful in getting justice largely because he knew how to bring his case to the attention of the media.

[coralreefer_1]

I think it should be mentioned that while Bonojit Hussain was successful at getting attention, alot of that attention and consequent action was at least in part due to the fact that he was a visiting professor here.

Korea being a country desperate to attract foreign scholars to teach in Korean universities was quick to make some changes concerning his case. I doubt the same would have been done if the same happened to some regular NET, foreign student, or foreign laborer. My gut feeling tells me that average Koreans only cared about this case in particular because of the status of the man himself, and not so much because he was a foreigner.

[Konglishman]

Speaking of movies, the Korean movie Unbowed (based on a true story and sticks very much to the actual real details) clearly shows the problems facing the Korean justice system and how hard it can often be to get justice.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbowed

[McQwaid]

Why do some ESL Caf� posters feel the need to defend/protect Korea's image when it is not the chosen topic of thread? Please understand that this is a discussion/chat forum that is directed towards expat ESL teachers in Korea. Hence the name: ESL Cafe. If an OP says he was victimized with a fair amount of intelligent detail and with unfortunate and scary pending consequences, is it really the right time to play Sherlock Homes? Are you really trying to help? Or, are you just feeling like being clever? Or, are you feeling offended because you share a similar ethnic background to the accused?

Let�s try to remember where we are to put things into perspective. This is a cyber caf�. To analogize, a real Cafe is not an environment for political correctness and academic research reporting or for defending a nation that you are ethnically tied to. It is a place where people discuss/chat (type) how they feel with people that are interested in listening (reading) and supporting each other. Dave�s, I think, is for ESL expat teachers to use to support each other.

This OP and his friend needed support from the Expat ESL community using this ESL Chat Caf�. Instead, they got accused of embellishment, dishonestly, and being troublemakers by a chat forum Sherlock Holmes, who I feel revealed that they view the (possibly) victimized as ethnic �others�. This is concerning, because if this is so, they should not have been on the thread in the first place.

Quote:
�I really do not think any of you have anything to complain about when you compare what Whites did to the blacks.�

I think we should just let the site�s moderators moderate for Korean bashers. If one with a Korean background reads this forum, it is very likely they will feel offended. It�s understandable and it�s natural.
But then we get the post derailments that start demanding 'proofs' and 'international scenario comparison perspectives' that seeks to illegitimate a perhaps valid geographically contextual specific point of view that simply lacked the culturally sensitive academic writing techniques. But it�s a cyber-chat caf�! There is supposed to be an underlying forgiveness between the readers and the writers for the sloppiness of generalizations just like there is for two people who meet in a caf� to chat and support each other. Isn�t this the implied social contract? Of course we're gonna "chat" about racism being a minority in an old country bloodline majority. Sure it goes on in New York too, but we have not agreed to meet and chat in the "New York" forum. We are in the Korean Forum! It's not an observation that is really relevent to the context. Point is, I just think one should not be here on this poor chap�s thread if you are not here under supportive circumstances.

The chat forum reader knows to read everything with a grain of salt and that they could possibly be reading false information. We don't need people chiming in, or, shall I say, hijacking someone�s thread, to inform us of that. Why can't some people just move on to the next thread or offer help and leave at that? But if you�re simply logging in with the intent on defending Korea's image? Well, I don't think this website is directed towards that purpose or you�re in the wrong place for that.

I just hope that the two fellas involved get all the support they need to get through this terrible experience.

That is, if the story is as they say it is. But what's the point of even stating this? Isn't that just stating the completely fracking obvious.

[Konglishman]

I completely agree with MaQwaid's post.

Anyways, I thought I would post an article from the New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/world/asia/south-korean-judges-losing-in-court-of-public-opinion.html?_r=0

[Steelrails]

I don't think we should automatically support the person. I have no way of knowing if what they are saying is true or not. At the same time they certainly don't deserve to be put through some wannabe-detective interrogation.

OP deserves neither support nor condemnation. What they deserve is our attention to the case as it unfolds and a level of activity in proportion to the information we are able to receive.

I would say though, that as a general rule of niceness and giving people the benefit of the doubt, while they might not deserve support, at least they deserve sympathy.

[stevieg4ever]

[kinship]

[CentralCali]

[CentralCali]

[some waygug-in]

[McQwaid]

Quote:
Why do some ESL Caf� posters feel the need to defend/protect Korea's image when it is not the chosen topic of thread?



Kinship wrote:

[metalhead]

But in a way this IS about Korea's image. I am not whining about getting attacked while walking down the road, my complaint is about how I have been treated by the police and the so-called justice system. I cannot stress this enough: I am being treated in an unfair manner by the court, and the only reason for it that I can see is because I am not Korean.

We can argue all day about how what happens in Korea happens in other countries, but the issue I wanted to initially address was how everything is skewed in a Korean's favor in court if you are not Korean. It's utterly despicable, and the system is designed to screw you over from the beginning.

- Seven days to appeal the fine, but never receiving it in the mail.

- When you do appeal, you need a Korean with you, and it takes over two hours to do so.

- Bogus court-appointed lawyers.

- Constantly being told that what the Korean guy said are 'facts'.

- Dismissal of any evidence you present.

Well, my next court date is on Tuesday, when the Korean guy is bringing 'witnesses' and I am not, because, you know, I am not allowed to. Maybe someone can explain how that works, because my Korean lawyer sure couldn't. I think I am going to type out what I want to say in Korean, and just hand it to the judge as soon as the kangaroo trial starts. God knows they never listen to me, maybe they prefer reading.

[Steelrails]

[kinship]