Korean Job Discussion Forums

[stevemcgarrett]

Once again this morning at 7 sharp the theatrics of Korean electioneering commenced.

The mobile unit, a box-like metal structure mounted behind the cab of a small truck, rolls into position on the boulevard only two blocks from our high-rise apartment building.

Out comes a massive loudspeaker that looks like an air raid siren and sounds just as bad. But this isn't a drill, although it's the same old drill we've been subjected to for the past two weeks.

The speaker is aimed in the direction of a huge apartment complex on the hill to our north. On the street leading down from this complex, lining both curbs, is a line of middle-aged women in pink blazers bowing up and down at the commuters on their way to work and passing out leaflets.

It is said that, mercifully, Election Day is on the way, so there is cause for hope of a respite from yet another example of noise pollution.

Another expat, roused from sleep by the militaristic recorded chants, got dressed the other day and went down to ask the truck driver to tone it down a tad. His request was met with utter indifference, though delivered by his wife in perfectly polite Korean. Then two passers-by stopped and lent their support...to the truck driver, admonishing his wife for being so rude. Nary another soul so much as chirped a chord of disapproval after that. They fumed off, disgruntled and without recourse. It would have been futile to call the police since one of their substations was only half a block away, its staff evidently oblivious to what was going on.

I've seen this sort of thing in Taiwan and Japan but later in the day and usually away from residential areas.

I wondered then and do now why anyone would want to vote for someone who resorts to this kind of street tactic. "Oh, that's Mr. Kim So-and-so. I think I'll vote for him. He's the candidate who must really want the job most."

Has anyone else experienced this lovely display of civic-mindedness or are we just among the blessed few to be fortunate enough to live in a metro area where this sort of orchestrated insanity is condoned?

After all, misery loves company, as the saying goes.

[Return Jones]

Last week, starting at 7AM, they did the same thing for about an hour in my neighbourhood, too. They drove up and down my street over and over and over and over and over again.

For the past week or so, at the major intersection near my house, two opposing candidates have had their trucks parked opposite each other and have been engaging in a battle to "outloud" and drown out the other.

I don't like it, but it's how Koreans choose to do things.

[jennateacher]

I live behind a Catholic church, accross the street from a budist temple and less than a block from the court house.

So now I have percusion chanting at 4am, Hymns at 6am, 11pm and other random times, AND now some loud speaker stuff from the court house(yes they stick in the random chirstmas song to make you think it might be a party or something nice).

To top this all off, now there are are riot police on each corner. This is pretty residential-small streets- mostly alleys- not much going on besides religion-neighborhood. So why do they have two police guys, one with a riot shield, the other with a long kendo type sword, on each intersection?

Next question, why two police, one shield and one sword?

[Col.Brandon]

There's a number you can call if the electioneers are being too noisy. The poster is usually tacked onto the end of all the candidate posters.

Give the number a call and see how far you get.

[sojourner1]

I understand that Korea is not really listening that much to all this campaigning and only a 30% voter turnout is expected since Koreans don't feel good about the political situation right now and lack interest in politics in itself. This is what Koreans have told me several times recently.

[endo]

I had the Lee Myong Park truck outside my appartment window late last week.

Annoying as hell as I couldn't fall back asleep.


But god damn was that ever a catchy tune

[Ilsanman]

95% of what McGarrett writes on this board is crap. Luckily, this post fits into the 5%.

Last night they were going crazy at Bucheon station. On one side they were lined up on the stairs and had a loudspeaker with the loudest campaign speech of CDY talking about how LMB is a criminal and LMB's speech where he admitted to running the KFC or whatever that scam company is called.

On the other side, the campaigners for Kwon Young Gil or whatever his name is had about 10 ajummas doing this dance that made the Bird Dance or Hokey Pokey look fashionable.

[Underwaterbob]

Think of it all as punishment for not having to work tomorrow.

[merkurix]

If I can find any logic to waking people up at 6 AM with loudspeakers, air raid siren and cymbals crashing, it is not to support a particular candidate but rather it is probably a smear campaign cleverly disguised as a support campaign in order to annoy the peez out of people so they WON'T vote for that guy they are campaigning for.

[stevemcgarrett]

Ilsanman noted:

[Ilsanman]

The young lady who asked them to be quiet really should have told them that she'd vote for the other candidate if they didn't be quiet.

You know, this shit still happens because no one stands up for him/herself. Like, for example, if a bunch of the candidates were campaigning in an annoying way near a large apartment complex, the people living there could get a petition going and threaten to vote for 금민 or 이수성 or some other candidate that doesn't have a hope in hell.

Damn Koreans and their jung.

[renzobenzo1]

The songs stay indented in my mind for days on end...I even sing them around my friends now.

[bassexpander]

This truck was in our neighborhood.

It was by far the most annoying.

[merkurix]

[PEIGUY]