Korean Job Discussion Forums

[stevemcgarrett]

It is bad enough that at least seven or eight times every day small blue trucks with produce idle on the small road in front of our apartment building blaring their wares through faulty, tinny microphones. At least these wily vendors-on-wheels don't stay put, usually moving on after about 10 minutes.

But now the nightly peace is being disturbed by a new phenomenon. A restaurant has just opened a block away and across the avenue. Pink balloons form an arch over the entrance, gaudy strings of huge red and white lights flicker on and off and a band has been hired to play crap pop Korean music on huge sets of speakers from dusk until 11:30 p.m. To aggravate matters, a wannabe DJ fills the air with exhortations to try the food and thrives on hearing his own voice through an amplifier.

Even with both sets of balcony windows closed, you can hear the thump-thump of the overblown bass and of course his scratchy voice.

So I ask those of you who've been in Korea for awhile:

Shall this, too, pass?

Please tell me it's only a gig for the store's grand opening and not to be a regular feature of the evening here. Please tell me this is an aberration in large urban areas in Korea. Please tell me it will die a quick death.

I know Asians have a high tolerance for noise pollution--and Koreans in particular for hamming it up on open mics imagining themselves to be rock stars--but there's only so much a man can take.

I'm tempted to call the police and lodge a complaint but something tells me that they'd do nothing, even though they have a precinct office not half a block away. Judging by their utter indifference to speeding motorists, I'd say the chances aren't good.

So if any of you can "enlighten" me on this quaint custom or how to combat it, I'd be very grateful.

I'm not going to wait for the Korean neighbors to complain because something tells me they'll just endure it. Then again, maybe it doesn't phase them. Several apartment blocks are situated even closer to these clowns.

Oh, and they are indeed clowns--dressed as clowns like some distorted pop rock version of Barnum and Bailey.

[GoldMember]

Koreans can make as much noise as they like and nothing will happen. Get a few of your friends together and have a party, with some drinks and music (not very loud) wait a while, and the police will show up to stop the noise.
My suggestion, spread a rumour that the business in question belongs to a foreigner.
Business owners here think, if I annoy the locals, they'll come to my business, and guess what? They do.

[stevemcgarrett]

GoldMember:

I can't imagine that Koreans adhere to a double standard when it comes to disturbing the peace.

But, seriously, I'd like to sabotage their little act somehow. I suspect, however, that this is a temporary gig--can't imagine they'd pay these slobs to perform very long, right?

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

The thing that drives me to murder and mayhem is when Korean housewives have no idea about public manners...and then laugh in front of my door or in the near vicinity(basically within earshot)

[kermo]

Someone laughing outside your door?

How about two small children who scream, sing and holler with joyful abandon right outside my door as they wait for the slow elevator to creep up to the 16th floor, every lovin' day, before my alarm goes off.

At first I found this very annoying. Then it started to become familiar, i.e., "Oh, it must be ** o'clock." Now it's starting to really grate again.

Sometimes when the older child is being disciplined, he gets shut out in the hallway, where he is left to weep and beg until I get up and slam my door (usually he gets let back in then.)

p.s. Yes, the speakers and dancers will go away soon.

[The_Eyeball_Kid]

My next door neighbour gets up at 6am every morning, goes into his bathroom and blows his nose seven or eight times at such excessive volume that it wakes me up. Every morning. He gets even worse in winter.

Also, the opticians on the corner of my block blasts out K-Pop all day and evening through external speakers. Why? WHY?! Why blast out music to sell glasses?!

[uberscheisse]

go to chungmuro pet street.

buy 11 pet rats.

go into the restaurant. have lunch. then go into the bathroom with the 11 pet rats in a box in your backpack.

free the rats.

go home.

[Bibbitybop]

Korea is all about double standards. Last spring, a bar/club in Hongdae called "Comfort Zone" had a dj party shut down to the "noise." In a bar district. Guess what race most of the party-goers were?

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

[chris_J2]

I had a similar problem with noise last year. When I rang the police, they hung up on me because they couldn't speak any English. The concierge wasn't much help, & sided with the Korean tenants. I moved (gladly) / was evicted, for yelling at the upstairs neighbours to shut up. He complained to my Principal (& twisted the truth simultaneously).

In hindsight, I'd try getting a fairly imposing male Korean co-teacher from your school (Vice principal or director even better), to accompany you to the restaurants manager, & state your position in Korean. Point out a lot of kids & the school are depending on you to provide a quality service which the restaurant is disturbing. If they repeat it & ignore you, then go back again, & warn them politely that the police will be called next time.

[Roch]

[Roch]

[Rigamarole]

[skindleshanks]

From what you described--it's just a temporary opening event, and will be gone in a week or so.

[mole]