Korean Job Discussion Forums

[IncognitoHFX]

I've been here a month and in that month I've seen less homeless than I would've seen in one day walking around my little city of Moosef*ck, Canada.

My American friend and I got into an argument because in his idyllic world, there are no homeless, no unemployment and no crime in Canada (at least, none in comparison to the US)... However, when we got to Korean crime, homelessness, and unemployment we were kind of stumped. Yes, I've been to Seoul Station... yes, I've seen homeless people in Seoul...

But I haven't seen police patrolling in semi-riot gear like back home, I haven't police with guns, and I haven't seen that many crazy homeless types... except one, in Beomgye station... yelling at a wall. But that was kind of funny.

What I mean is I haven't seen any offensive crazies. Like the random dudes back home who would follow me five blocks cursing at me because I gave them a $2 coin instead of a $5 bill... or the crime, like when I used to hear gunshots in the wee hours of the morning nearly ritually (I lived in a few bad places).

My question is, why is Korea less violent than Eastern Canada of all places? My parents were very persistent in warning me that a metropolis like Seoul would have umpteen times more violence than Crapifax, yet I feel a dozen times safer at night in Seoul (no, I haven't been to Itaewon yet).

What is the definitive theory on this? Is it because of the solidarity, nationalism, and homogeneity that is (was) South Korean culture? Is it the lack of gun ownership? Is it the lack of anything that resembles a Second Amendment? Is it high employment rates? Or a co.cktail of all these things?

Let me know.

[alwaysfaithless]

Hey is Halifax really that bad? I was planning on moving there after my contract ends here in Bundang. By the way, I have asked alot of my Korean co-teachers the same question;, for some reason, they don't like to give out that information. Try looking under the bridges.

[IncognitoHFX]

[tomwaits]

I recall a figure quoted in Korea Herald saying the ROK has a murder every 9 hours. So if you do some very rough and quick math it suggests the murder rate in Korea ---though not as bad as Detroit or even Toronto---is high enough and much higher than Maritimes cetainly..

Don't kid yourself Korea has it's nasty side ---but you need to difg to find it..As for homelessness I don't know---perhaps many are jailed? Lots of shelters -I'm not sure.


Where is Real Reality with some links?

[Scot-in-Ansan]

Seoul Station, outside the old part

[gmat]

Dude, you live in Anyang, one of the richest suburbs of Seoul... whaddya expect?

[alwaysfaithless]

[quote]

[swetepete]

The homeless are squatting under bridges, in subway stations, and in busted-out dead buildings, I think. I've seen loads at Yongdongpo.

The violence here is pretty self-contained; gangsters and their groupies fighting each other, and don't generally involve random passers-by. As for the murder rate, I'd bet it's about 90% domestic violence...of which there is a whole lot.

I'd be curious if what's sometimes referred to as 'family suicide' (what we back home call 'multiple murder') gets counted in the murder stats, or in the suicide stats. I've seen it reported in the papers as 'another family suicide in Blabladong; man burns self, wife, and children to death, presumably for financial reasons.'

But yeah dude, Korea's safe as houses for us lucky ones. You really only gotta watch out for other foreigners, for the most part. Yeah, you can get some fisties with the locals if you want, but that stuff is by and large very easily avoided. Incidentally, if you haven't heard, punching out Koreans is a really bad idea; they're more litigious than a bleeding of lawyers. Do a search on the eslcafe for threads relating to fighting, and you'll see what I mean. The self-defence thing isn't really applicable here unfortunately. If you do thwack a guy, be sure to bolt right after, even if you only hit him because he was sexually assaulting your dog or something.

[Treefarmer]

we often forget that we are like doctors or something here, we live in the nicest houses and get paid a lot for koreans

last year i lived in a fairly well off working class suburb of ulsan and was very idealistic about korea as some sort of egalitarian society, but you don't have to walk too far from anywhere to see people living in very shitty conditions

they do have a much lower crime rate than north america or europe, but i am coming to think that this is more to do with the 'undesirables' being given much much harsher treatment than they would in the west by police

[The Perfect Cup of Coffee]

Homeless crazies encountered since 2003:

- guy wearing ski goggles, a motorcycle helmet, and holding a little ratty dog told me to go back to America about a dozen times outside Konkuk university station (I tried talking with him as his English seemed alright at first, but apparently that was the only things he knew how to say)

- random nutcase guy who claimed he was a Chinese-born adoptee in Korea who spoke near-native English but had this weird stare that went right through people. Creepy

- the old drunk (?) who sometimes sits on the floor next to the ATM in Itaewon Station

- stalker-lady with bizarrely painted eyebrows who followed my girlfriend and I for 30 minutes near Sejong University. My girlfriend was getting worried and threatened to call the cops.

- crazy lady I still see sometimes near the big YBM headquarters in Jongro. She'll walk right up to you near the crosswalks and demand change. She's usually got a small black plastic bag in one hand. She looks about 70-80 I guess. Punched my shoulder last time I saw her because I wouldn't give her anything.

- slightly crazy / dumbwit white dude my friend and I met once in COEX who wouldn't shut up about how much he loved WWF. Tried tagging along with us until we ditched him in the food court.

Damn, there's at least a dozen more. I've got to write this stuff down...

[alwaysfaithless]

Maybe I don't see as many because I live in Bundang, this area is suppose to be for the wealthy.....well, it is really not my cup of tea. Too many concrete buildings, not enough green space. Still, it is very expensive to live in Bundang for the average Korean, so I have been told. If there are homeless people here, I have yet to see one. I am sure Seoul and Busan have many. I had seen a few in Busan a few years ago..usually males sitting along subway stairs, head down with hands out. God it must be tough living in a country without any social programs we take for granted back home in Canada. It really is a pity. I wonder if there is anyone out there who will take time to help these people get back on to their feet.....and for the record, not all are drunks. In Albera, Canada, there are more and more people becoming homeless due to the greed of landlords and the provincial government's refusal to implement rent control, it's pathetic. An embarrassement for a country that claims it is one of the greatest countries to live........ Sometimes I wonder if we working class will eventually be in this same situation as many of us in Canada are just one paycheque away from being homeless.

[jaganath69]

Two things. First, family tend to take care of their own here. Gross generalisation, I know, but with their being no social security net there is a greater need for people to rely on their own. Secondly, I haven't lived in Seoul for over 3 years now, but I recall periodically seeing more of them in the winter when they would move into an underpass or subway station for a few days until the cops presumably shooed them away. Summer gives you a lot more options as a bum and thus you are less likely to notice them.

[Scotticus]

[Chicoloco]

I've come across quite a few guys who were homeless but not that crazy.
Some of them had lost everything during the IMF crisis.
Then they over borrowed to try and get back on their feet and ended up alienating themselves from friends and family from whom they had borrowed or who had guaranteed their loans.

Pretty sad really.

Depressed and ashamed more than crazy.

[Guri Guy]

There are many homeless here. Try Seoul Station late at night. You are living a sheltered life in more ways than one.

As well, Korea not being a violent society is a myth. There are relatively few handguns but violence is still a big problem here. It isn't a paradise by any stretch.

High employment yes and that is the figures you will see. However there is a lot of "underemployment". Go to a department store and see how many security guards there are for example. Don't kid yourself into thinking they get paid very well.