Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ethan Allen Hawley]

A good Korean friend said her sister is/was working at the international school in Qingdao for two or three months, and was not paid.

Yes, perhaps it's like here where they pay the foreigners first, and the Koreans last and less.

Whatever, it's just a warning sign that the place seems not quite steady financially.

Personally, I would rather live in a society that clearly values its new-found right to freedom of political expression, including protest, and talking about major political issues. This year has seen the third major movie release on the events of the 1980 massacre and uprising in Gwangju, Jeollanamdo, and last weekend's minor riot in Seoul with regard the FTA.

I'm as interested in the mix of culture and history and strange things to eat in China as the next person... but I also want to be able to talk freely about Tibet, Taiwan and the T-Square incident. Actually, I think those are probably the most interesting things to talk about in the country.

Hmm. I think I'll probably just go to the first two places myself, before I ever actually go to a place that forbids its locals to even talk about them, or share the truth about them.

But, if you can turn your mind off the the lack of freedom of the local bloke standing next to you as you go about your daily life, good luck to you. Hope it works out - I hope your freedom spreads to them - and not the other way round.

[reactionary]

is it so different in korea?

what happens here if you express your opinion that the liancourt rocks might belong to japan?


it might not be on as grand a scale as say, tibet or tiannamen, but in principle it's the same idea.


by the way, i'm pretty sure china would not have too much of a problem with a protest against an American FTA.

[jaganath69]

As a foreigner sojourning in Korea you have no right to political activity and are even barred from voicing excessive negativity about the place.

[RACETRAITOR]

[Boodleheimer]

the Korean International School of Qingdao looks for teachers quite often. a friend of mine was given an interview there and they were pushy.

[reactionary]

[Ethan Allen Hawley]

Gosh, that was interesting.

I was talking about talking with locals who can't talk about their own country.

They can't talk about their own country - re: the three Ts - for two reasons (that I know of):
1.) they know their beloved government doesn't want them to (ie. whatever the 'legality' they know they'd get into trouble in some form), and
2.) their beloved government has barred free and legal access to detailed info. on those topics.

I think the only way Korea relates is that as a society, there's a greater social pressure to conform to the official 'party' line'; sort of a socially acceptable form of 'group think'.

It might look similar from the outside, but these are not the same things at all.

I've been to a number - yes a small number, but nevertheless I have participated as an obvious foreigner, or as an observer - in a number of genuine national and local political protests in Korea. Political freedom in Korea is palpably real. It's social freedom, thanks to Confucious and mates, that continues to be the sticking point within Korea.

But at least the locals here can get free access to information; and even if there are not many who choose to disagree with whomsoever's in government, at least they're able to do so without ramifications that include such as jail time, hefty fines or banning from overseas travel.

[reactionary]

OK then,

WARNING

Don't teach in Korea. The locals can protest (usually foreign governments), but due to years of PUBLIC education social pressures prohibit them from offering dissenting views on a number of issues.

PS Find me a Korean language website that offers a fair and balanced view of the Liancourt Rocks debate.

[pugwall]

[endo]

[Tjames426]

"I'm as interested in the mix of culture and history and strange things to eat in China as the next person... but I also want to be able to talk freely about Tibet, Taiwan and the T-Square incident. Actually, I think those are probably the most interesting things to talk about in the country...Hmm. I think I'll probably just go to the first two places myself, before I ever actually go to a place that forbids its locals to even talk about them, or share the truth about them. "
"

It is great when a dumb foriegner from a country with less than 300 years history comes and tell a country with 4000 - 5000 years what to do, isn't it?

What makes you think the locals don't talk about all of that stuff? What makes you think they don't know what is going on, supposively?
In truth, why would tell you what they really think. Who are you?

Tell me, and why exactly would they give a damn what a non chinese spoiled white guy, who never did anything beyond the apron-strings of his mommy, would say about those things.

Why would give care about someone who only parrots the daily anti-Yellow propaganda produced from ignorant God-only-loves-the-USA Fundamentalist Christians: who "get rich" by telling the world that the Communists are still burning Biblesand destroying open Churches?

Talk about a 1960's mindset.

In fact, yeah ... stay away from China. Don't go there.

You are the kind of Neo-Conservative person who is trying to start a US- China war.

[Ethan Allen Hawley]

[reactionary]

[pugwall]

[Ethan Allen Hawley]

Tjames426 said: