Korean Job Discussion Forums

[whatever]

Considering we often talk here about Koreans' (and Canadians', Americans', etc.'s) bragging about this and that...and how silly a lot of it is...whether born out of ignorance, over-the-top nationalism or whatever...

If you were Korean and you were particularly cultured and well-travelled, what would you honestly brag about when it comes to your country and its accomplishments?

[Treefarmer]

the fact that it only takes an hour to fly to japan

[shaunew]

M*A*S*H

[peppermint]

The hiking and sheer number of national or provincial parks is pretty astounding, given the land mass and population

[in_seoul_2003]

Nothing. No intelligent person around the world would brag about their country. Everything seemingly worth bragging about can be contextualized and shown to have emanated from domestic and international circumstances that outweigh 'intention' and bragging rights.

Take the example of how far Korea has come in 50 years, an oft repeated claim to bragging.

As I and another poster here mentioned in another thread, if Koreans brag about how far they have come in last 50-70 years what does that say about the centuries old lackluster conditions that they were living in before the last 50 years?

Everything shown in contexts will never be nearly as spectacular as braggers make it out to be.

[whatever]

[Smee]

Not sure if bragging is ever a good idea, BUT,

- the relative safety compared to our native countries. Yeah, I know people are gonna come here and bitch about corruption, teen suicide, whatever, and mention domestic abuse and conscription (which are valid points), but it's worth noting that even the meanest streets in Korea are safer than Main Street USA. Walking down the street alone at night is usually a safe thing to do (provided you have your wits about you). My hometown has been voted the most livable in the country, yet has several murders a week. The fact that US citizens have to live in constant fear of violence is something that offends and saddens me.

- Incheon Airport. Is there a high-speed connection between Incheon Airport and Seoul Station yet? If not, that's the only complaint I can think of.

- Public transportation. I can get to just about any village, town, city, theme park, beach, island, or airport easily and on a regular basis. The airport shuttle buses are great, and although bus drivers are insane, the buses here are cleaner, newer, in better shape, and have more comprehensive routes than back home. My hometown is urban sprawl gone wild, and only a few routes reach the northern suburbs a day. It would be impossible to live back home without a car, but in Korea it's very doable.

- on a related note, their subways are clean. Gwangju subway stations are spotless. Compare that to New York . . . people of that city should be ashamed of themselves for letting their infrastructure look like that. A complete lack of civic pride, despite the billing that it's the "greatest city in the world."

Ugh, but I"m watching news coverage of President No's visit to North Korea . . . one thing Korea should be very ashamed of is its attitude toward the North. That a place like that exists in 2007, and that South Korea encourages it is one of the big black marks on this country's record.

[Funky Chunk]

Galbi! Ever since I left in 2002, I've been looking for a good Korean spot at home. When I come back, after politely excusing myself from my boss, I'm tearing off in search of galbi and a coke pop!

[wo buxihuan hanguoren]

[Funky Chunk]

Well, for the record, I prefer the beef, but if you prefer pork, come dine with me anyway, I'm sure we can order both!

[write of weigh]

Polite, respectful, and helpful law enforcement that actually care about people, rather than lording their power over, which is actually a positive reflection of the society.

[peppermint]

[sojourner1]

I would brag if I could go anywhere in the world and see everywhere; the cars, phones, and all kinds of hardware my people built.

If I were an educated, affluent, and well traveled Korean, I definitely would brag about all the new wealth being generated due to highly successful export manufacturing industries modeled after what America and Germany started in the mid 20th century. I would be very proud if my country were performing really well in manufacturing, because it's manufacturing goods in demand that generates jobs and wealth, not financial analysts and executive manipulation of stock market values in attempt to achieve short term capital gains like is common in Western countries today.

I would specifically brag about being a rising leader and super star in global markets. I am very sure modern Korean culture focuses on and capitalizes on manufacturing business success which is what they are very proud of and brag about. Now they have ambitions to switch from hardware to software manufacturing, but that is many years off when the country is outsourcing it's manufacturing to Africans.

Next, they will be able to brag how the Won became a major currency running with the big boys such as USD, Yen, and Euros. I speak of this from a business perspective since modern Korean culture is very money and business focused more than anything else. Achieving the classic social status of a suited up salary man is the main focus in Korea and is bragged about when achieved. CEO is a common TV show here where you see western business executives talk about global ventures and such and the Koreans are bragging. I think that is bland and boring being a westerner interested in more than suits and high social status, but that's what I would brag about if I were Korean since that is the expected behavior of educated men in modern Korean culture. Yes, attending a top business or engineering college is still a guaranteed ticket to high social status just like it was in the USA 20 years or more ago. I would brag about that too if I were Korean since I would be one with a lofty high paying jet set career due to my professional credentials, but this meegook is not bragging since I have learned to not be too proud.

[write of weigh]

[ajgeddes]