Korean Job Discussion Forums

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

The shinchon station locker system.

Went down there tonight before meeting some people. Went armed with another waeg. Both of us know a substantial amount of Korean, far more than the average waeg. Despite that, it took well over 10 minutes for us to make sense of the new locker system they have in place.

Rundown of the procedure, just to get a locker: you have to choose from 보관 or 찾기, first of all. You choose the correct one, then it gives you a list of 5 options, all of which were completely unknown to both of us. Randomly, I chose one and it gave me a diagram of the lockers with 2 of them displayed as options. I chose one. Then it wanted my 휴대폰번호. What if you don't have a cell phone? Screwed, already.

So you put in your cell phone number, then it wants some type of payment. Your options are credit card (I'm assuming Korean only, but didn't try), T-Money, and direct charge to your phone bill. No option for cash.

You submit your payment, and finally, after 8 minutes of figuring the thing out, you can access the locker.

Well, here comes the kicker. You come back to the locker to get your stuff, and guess what? YOU NEED A KOREAN NATIONAL ID NUMBER TO RETRIEVE YOUR GOODS!

This happened to me tonight. Let me tell you, when it's 4am and you just wanna go home, there's nothing more romantic than standing around trying to retrieve your things from a locker that demands a citizen ID number.

I called the number on the locker. They sent no one. I called the police. They came and complained to me, then called the locker company for me, and left. I waited. I called again. I waited. Over 90 minutes spent waiting.

This is in Shinchon station. It's a NEW SYSTEM.

Fuck Korea, is how I feel sometimes. What a retarded scheme.

ruffie · Joined: 11 Oct 2006

The Soul of Asia!

SHANE02 · Joined: 04 Jun 2003

That's crazy.

Visit Korea!
Tourists shopping at Dongdemun can't use the lockers so have to carry all their crap around.

Is it so hard for the designers of these things to think of someone other than themselves? With all the tech floating round they cant make an interface with 2 languages that takes cash?

BTW: what is the cost of these things now?

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Return Jones · Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:02 am Post subject:

In another thread on this board today someone complimented you on your level-headed treatment of issues concerning Korea. Funny how even the best of us can be backed into a corner by this place! Laughing

What happened when the guy finally came? And, oh yeah, how did you get around the swear filter?

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

I had the same problem. I was at a certain station in Seoul, meeting friends to go for a jog. I was late, so I told them to go ahead and I'd catch up. I figured when I arrived, I'd lock my bag in a locker and then start jogging.

Same lockers as Qinella described. I have a bus card, but it isn't T-money, so no good. My wife had taken my credit card out of my wallet to discourage me from using it. And my phone is prepaid, so no good.

Good thing I didn't open it, since my ID number would not be recognized by the computer.

Scrub of Asia.

*beep* Korea? I am also wondering about the swear filter.

rockstarsmooth · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Location: anyang, baybee!

it all happened so that you would be sober enough to drive your drunk ass home.
as soon as you left, we got down on our hands and knees in the middle of the street and prayed to gawd to ask it to protect you and the innocent pedestrians of seoul.
our prayers were answered.
gawd is really real.
rss Cool

right now i'm listening to: matthew schultz - military

wo buxihuan hanguoren · Joined: 18 Apr 2007 Location: Suyuskis

Jesus Christ I just ate a large pizza in under 10 minutes. Mad olives in my poo-poo tomorrow fo sho!

OP, yeah, that sucks, I would've been irate and punching things I think.

But at least you have your health, and a fine bosom if I may dare say so myself.

cdninkorea · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

I don't know if it would do any good, but writing a letter to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (I believe it's called that) might be a good idea. The requirement for a National ID number is especially idiotic from a tourism perspective.

*sigh* I miss the key lockers too. I'd like to know whose idea it was to replace them with these new ones, not to mention who designed them that way.

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

Good idea. If someone finds me the address, I will do the honours. I can get my wife to help me with it.

And yes, I will be nice. I won't slag them, but I will tell them it's a good idea to change the system.

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:00 am Post subject:

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

Fucker.

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

Smee · Joined: 24 Dec 2004 Location: Jeollanam-do

Yeah, that's pretty disgusting. Part of me thinks would love to think it was Koreans just being mean, or a legitimate technical issue . . . but I honestly have to wonder if they ever considered that somebody might not have a 주민번호. Anybody who's anybody has one.

It's worth bringing up in a letter to whomever is supposed to fucking deal with these things . . . the tourism office? Shinchon-dong?