Korean Job Discussion Forums

[uofagirl]

I totally forgot to share this story when I first got back from Thailand over Christmas but after reading another poster's comments, it reminded me that I really should share this strange story.

I was on a Thai Airways flight on Christmas Eve with my friend and everything was pretty normal the first hour. Then all of a sudden we heard a huge commotion. There was some serious/scary yelling and shoving going on in front of the washroom between several attendants and an ajosshi(3 rows in front of us). He was trying to hit one of the attendants and it took several minutes and most of the crew(including the inflight security officer) to get this guy back in his seat. Turned out the guy was sitting right in front of me. Apparently he had been smoking in the washroom and one of the attendants could smell smoke. The attendant knocked on the door several times and no one answered. She went and got one of the male crew members and he forced the door open(not sure how...I didn't see this happen). After the guy got busted, there was some physical contact(the attendant grabbed his arm when he pulled him out of the washroom) and this ajosshi was pissed off. Then a female Thai attendant asked for his passport and I guess he didn't like her tone because he pushed her back pretty hard. This was when I got pulled from my book. So after 6 crew members finally got him back in his seat, he still wasn't finished. When the female that had spoken and asked for his passport initially proceeded to walk past his seat(aisle seat), he took his folded up newspaper and tried to hit her, hard. Everyone sitting around this guy saw it and couldn't believe it. We were shocked. Who hits flight attendants?? She was really upset. Then, he requested to see the crew supervisor and when she came over, that was crazy too. He kept yelling"bad attitude, the girl, bad attitude, no good" over and over. Everyone could hear everything. The plane was so quiet. Everyone was just watching and listening to see what would happen next. He also looked like he was ready to hit the supervisor. He wanted to see a Korean crew but this was Thai airways and there was no Korean staff working on this flight. This guy was scary. You know how when you're caught in a situation and you can't really believe it's happening, this was it. This guy was irrate to no ends when he was the one in the wrong! Damn it, you got caught smoking and now you want an apology. Through the chat between the crazy guy and the supervisor was how I found out what had happened.

Anyways, after she left, he still was pissed. He sat for maybe 2 minutes and got up again to look for the supervisor. When she walked by, once again, she had to try to reason with him. He wanted the names of the male and female attendents that had dealt with him initally and kept requesting to see the airline's regulations(don't know the technical term for this book). He wanted to talk to the police about how he had been treated once his got to Bangkok(at least I think this is what he said in his broken English).

In the end, the supervisor ended up apologizing to him countless times(throughout the flight because he just wouldn't drop it) to calm him down and they gave him his passport back(why??).

Another crazy part is that there was another Korean guy in the washroom right across from the ajosshi's that was also smoking at the same time. He had to give up his passport too but he didn't freak out about it.

The whole thing was really scary at one point. This guy just went off. Someone lit his fuse and there was no stopping his anger and he was out of control.

Anyways, this story really serves no purpose, just wanted to share it(well, it does reaffirm a lot of what most of us know about some ajosshis out there...).

[rothkowitz]

Geez......what an arse.All that to salve his 눈치.

No air marshalls with Thai Airlines then?Somebody should have tasered his ass.

[thebum]

[TECO]

Why do they ask for passengers' passports when, in the end, the airline does nothing about it?

Meathead needs to try doing that crap on a Canadian or American flight. As soon as the plane landed, he'd be arrested.

[rothkowitz]

[thebum]

[rothkowitz]

Maybe it's just my awkward mish-mash.....

He lost face and needed to have it soothed.If I'd just used ego that would have been clearer.

Actually I get a little unsure about nunchi and kibbun.If someone feels bad they use kibbun,I'm guessing nunchi is the general idea of face........

[thebum]

[rothkowitz]

I see.What would you use instead?

I guess it can mean a lot.Even facial expression like this random sentence

"I think they both know I'm kinda pissed, though, cuz they seem to be watching my 눈치."

How about this one then?

눈치(를) 보다【관용】 try to read one�s mind[face];probe one�s motives;study one�s face[pleasure];grasp a situation;see how the wind blows

Anyway,to get back on topic,what is that the ajosshi felt was so wounded?

And will we start to see a fresh wave of pissed- off- their- chops ajosshis staging sit-down protests on runways?

[kotakji]

Funny thing, my father was involved in a similar situation in the US, except all they asked him to do was keep the smoker in his seat after he returned from his smoke. He was arrested on federal charges when he landed and spent a couple months in jail for his smoke.

[SuperFly]

I had a funny experience on Singapore air last week. Wife and I originally were sitting together (three seats, one empty in our row) the row in front of us was completely empty, so I took it and laid down so I could stretch out and sleep...the flight was sparse, not a lot of people were going to Korea...the majority of them were going on to Singapore (I think) - there was an adjosshi sitting behind the row my wife and I were in before I moved up one. Just as I was dozing off, I heard the F.A. asking people what they wanted to drink. I waved her off, since I was napping...she moves on and after my wife, she asked the Korean what he wanted. He says..."Maekju" really slowly...she doesn't understand (No Korean F.A.s were on board) she asks him again, he replies even slower..."maekju" - She says, "what language is that? I don't know what that means. Now even slower..."Maaaeeekjuuuuuu" Poor guy, he wasn't mad or frustrated at all...he just thought if he slowed down his speech, she would understand.

Finally I piped up, "He wants a beer!"

Everybody starts laughing...



About twenty minutes later, same story, this time he wanted some salted peanuts!

Hillarious!

[Real Reality]

Koreans Ignore Smoking Ban on International Flights
Korean travelers have built a reputation for making a nuisance of themselves by ignoring international flight regulations. Some passengers had to be released on bail in foreign countries after being detained for violating smoking bans.
by Lee Jin-woo, Korea Times (November 25, 2004)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200411/kt2004112518345211970.htm

Drunken Misconduct Abroad Gives Rise to the 'Ugly Korean'
Late last year, the Korean Embassy in Manila sent an official request asking Korean Air and Asiana to "excercise self-restraint in serving alcohol to passengers." This is because heavy-drinking Korean passengers were causing disturbances on planes. Last Feb. 3, a dead-drunk Korean passenger caused such a disturbance upon arriving at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport -- he went so far as to take off his pants in the airport -- that within an hour, he was put on plane straight back to Korea. According to an airport official, "He was drunk and caused quite a commotion, pounding on the glass door of the VIP lounge."

Korean expatriates in the Philippines pointed out that "As far as the incidents and accidents involving Koreans are concerned, there are many cases of unseemly behavior by Koreans becoming problems."
by Pak Min-seon, Chosun Ilbo (February 20, 2004)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200402/200402200009.html

'Behave yourselves,' ministry warns Korean globetrotters
by Brian Lee, JoongAng Daily (April 5, 2006)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200604/04/200604042229435709900090409041.html

[blaseblasphemener]

On a flight to Canada, seated beside a nice Japanese guy on his way for a ski trip to the Rockies. Worst service you can imagine.

1. We are seated beside the galley, and the staff of 40/50-something menopausal women, and the token gay guy, are bitching and running around like headless chickens.

2. We are also seated directly behind the bathroom. Nuff said.

3. One of the menopausals decides it would be faster to throw everyone their peanuts. Classy.

4. Also would be faster to order everyone in a loud, unfriendly voice to lower their window shades. Nice.

Mid-flight, my seat mate, the Japanese man, is coming out of the bathroom. Menopausal is flying into the galley area with one of those 300 pound steel food carts. BAM! She nails him on the knee. Apologizes, barely (he was in the way!), Mr. Tonaka limps to his seat. Very polite about it, but hours later, his knee has not gotten better, and he is wondering if he will be able to ski.

I of course, offer up my phone number to act as a witness. He tells the staff about his damaged knee, and I saw some serious cover-your-assss backpeddling. They may not have know how to offer peanuts, but they were well aware of "lawsuits" and "speak to your supervisor".

Air Canada, what a pathetic excuse for an airline.

[Ilsanman]

We should do a poll on how many flights you have been on when a Korean smoked in the bathroom.

Me: 1

My friend: 2

And those 3 are separate flights.

[babtangee]