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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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 Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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It was discriminatory and wrong, plain and simple. Considering the age of the War Memorial ticket booth person, I wouldn't be surprised if the decision to refuse a discount was based on her ignorance and not policy (although it could very well be the latter). In any case, this issue needs to be reported and should probably start with the War Memorial admin.
Veterans of all wars are dying off. It was just in the news that the last German vet of WWI just died. I heard that US WWII vets (of which my 82 y.o. dad is one) are dying at a rate of 1400 per day; I'll bet Korean War vets are a similar number. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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| bluelake wrote: |
It was discriminatory and wrong, plain and simple. Considering the age of the War Memorial ticket booth person, I wouldn't be surprised if the decision to refuse a discount was based on her ignorance and not policy (although it could very well be the latter). In any case, this issue needs to be reported and should probably start with the War Memorial admin.
Veterans of all wars are dying off. It was just in the news that the last German vet of WWI just died. I heard that US WWII vets (of which my 82 y.o. dad is one) are dying at a rate of 1400 per day; I'll bet Korean War vets are a similar number. |
Agreed.
bassexpander, I didn't read through all of these pages, but have you started writing any letters? Either to the admin at the war museum or the newspapers? |
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doggyji
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Toronto - Hamilton - Vineland - St. Catherines
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| Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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At this point, I don't get why some decisively say it's like one clear solid "policy" made by a bigger entity than those inane individuals. Isn't that yet to be comfirmed? Obviously, the official English website says it should be free for the veterans with ID, doesn't it? Wasn't the problem those employees not trying to take the foreign passport as a legit ID document (what else was he supposed to show them anyway and what's the odds he might not be a real veteran by common sense)? I'm very sorry about the incident and they need to put attention to make clear of the issue but I'm afraid overdramatizing/extending it to every level is not a good way to deal with it as well. I'm almost sure if one actually tries to reason with them (anyone in the upper tier who has more responsibility) and make them think about it, they will undoubtedly say it's obviously wrong.
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| This old guy, who put his life on the line for these people, is treated with disdain and contempt. He is told that his kind isn't good enough to get the discount, and not good enough to get a ride up a steep hill. |
Even disdain and contempt.. Well, I can sympathize with many of this type of statements (We defended you country but now you almost "deliberately trying to" insult foreign war vetarans...) on this thread but in an attempt to look at the hard reality, I don't honestly think their thought process went that actively/aggressively. It's more like they didn't think/consider circumstances properly at all. |
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regicide
Joined: 01 Sep 2006
Location: United States
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| Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:53 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Hanson"]
| Homer wrote: |
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Homer, get a clue.
Again, it's NOT one person, as you make it out to be. It's two people and a POLICY. A policy suggests people got together and made a rule. People got together and agreed that this was the best course of action to take. Korean people, Homer. Not 1 person.
This is a sad testament to how Koreans are often perceived around the world all around the world. |
Nothing more needs to be said. |
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whatever
Joined: 11 Jun 2006
Location: Korea: More fun than jail.
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| Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 8:51 am Post subject: |
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| doggyji wrote: |
| I'm very sorry about the incident and they need to put attention to make clear of the issue but I'm afraid overdramatizing/extending it to every level is not a good way to deal with it as well... |
Gee, you seem to say that about everything. |
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doggyji
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Toronto - Hamilton - Vineland - St. Catherines
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| Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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| whatever wrote: |
| doggyji wrote: |
| I'm very sorry about the incident and they need to put attention to make clear of the issue but I'm afraid overdramatizing/extending it to every level is not a good way to deal with it as well... |
Gee, you seem to say that about everything. |
In fact, I refrain from saying that a lot more often. If I were to be nitpicky and point out every not-so-right claim I come across here, I would have to quit my school. It is what it is. Maybe you can also say "Gee, you seem to exaggerate everything" to some others here. 
| doggyji wrote: |
| Q: 제가 알고있는 주한 외국인의 친지분들이 전쟁기념관을 방문한 일이 있습니다. 좀 실망스러운 일이 있었더군요. 그 친지분들중 한분이 고령의 한국전 참전용사이신데요, 무료입장이 불가능했다고 합니다. 가지고 오신 미국 여권도 보여줬지만 창구 직원들로부터 그냥 안된다는 말만 듣고 개인당 7000원씩 내야했다고 합니다. 어떤 특별한 신분증이 필요한가요? 만약 그렇다면 조금 말이 안되는 부분이, 상식적으로 이미 다들 고령이신 외국 참전용사분들 한국까지 와서 방문할 분들 많지도 않습니다. 더군다나 고령의 외국인분이 자기가 참전용사가 아닌데 굳이 한국 전쟁기념관까지 와서 거짓말할 확률이 도대체 얼마나 됩니까? 너무 어려운 무료 입장 조건을 걸 이유가 전혀 없다고 생각합니다. 그리고 이 7000원이란 건 어떻게 계산된 것일까요? 공식 영문 사이트에 어른은 모두 3000원이라고 써있던데요. 이 부분 좀 확인해서 다음에 참전용사분들 방문하시면 불편없게 편의 좀 잘 봐주셨으면 합니다. 이 분들이 제대로 대접받지 못하면 한국 이름에 먹칠을 하는 게 아닐까 합니다. 꼭 좀 확인해주시고 가능하시면 답변 이메일 부탁드립니다. 수고하세요. |
| The War Memorial of Korea wrote: |
A: 전쟁기념관 입장관리를 담당하고 있는 박경희입니다.
아시는 외국분들이 전쟁기념관을 찾아오셨다가 실망스러운 일을 겪으셨다니 송구합니다.
전쟁기념관 관람요금은 알고 계시는대로 어른이 3000원이며, 65세 이상 경노는 내국인에 한하여 무료입니다만 유엔 참전용사이신 분은 이에 준하여 무료관람권을 드리고 있습니다.
그런데 7000원의 관람료를 지불하셨다니 저희도 좀 당혹스러웠습니다.
기념관 울타리 내에는 전쟁기념관 상설전시실 외에도 현재 4가지의 다른 전시회('사해사본과 그리스도교의 기원', '별난박물관', '롤링볼뮤지엄', '어린이 마당극')가 진행중입니다.
모두 별도의 매표소를 운영하고 있으며, 매표소 안내에는 간단하게나마 각 전시회의 설명과 요금안내가 영어로도 되어 있습니다.
방문하셨던 외국분들이 지불하신 7000원이라는 요금은 '사해사본'의 참전유공자증을 제시하시는 분들께 적용되는 요금입니다. 저희 생각에는, 그분들이 기념관 울타리내로 오셨으니 당연히 전쟁기념관 상설전시실 관람을 위한 매표소려니 하셨던 것 같고, 사해사본 매표소 직원은 워낙 외국분들도 많이 오시는 곳이고 안내표지판도 있으니 입장권을 발매했을 것입니다.
같은 상황이 다시 발생하지 않도록 좀 더 상세한 안내문을 비치하겠으며, 다시 한 번 기념관을 관람하시는데 혼란과 실망을 안겨드린 점 사과드립니다.
그분들이 아직 체류중이시라면 다시 한 번 다녀가실 수 있는지요?
기념관에 오시게 되면 안내데스크에서 저나 기념관직원의 도움을 받으시기 바랍니다. |
I guess the mystery of 7000 won was solved now. I will translate this later. It seems some misunderstanding did happen. I feel sorry for all the people who made wild accusations in haste. Racism, disdain, contempt...what else? That's what I call "hyper-overdramatization", whatever.
Last edited by doggyji on Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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contrarian
Joined: 20 Jan 2007
Location: Nearly in NK
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| Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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| All this over 7000 Won. Cry me a river. |
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doggyji
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Toronto - Hamilton - Vineland - St. Catherines
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| Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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Ok, my rough translation's here:
| Quote: |
| I'm Park KyungHee who's in charge of the admission management. I'm sorry to hear they had such a disappointing experience at our memorial. As you may know, the admission fee is 3000 won for adults and it's free for citizens of age 65 and over. However, we are quite embarrassed to hear that they even paid 7000 won. Inside the fence of the memorial, we currently have 4 different special exhibitions as well as the main permanent exhibition. Each exhibition has its own ticket booth and its content and fees are briefly explained in English on the information board. 7000 won is the fee for UN veterans with ID for the 사해사본 exhibition(it's a discounted price). In my opinion, they might have chosen the wrong desk as they were inside the fence of the memorial anyway and as many foreigners visit the 사해사본 exhibition and there's an information board in English, our employees might have just issued tickets for 사해사본 to them. I will place a better information board to make sure the same situation won't happen again. And I'm sorry that they had to go through confusion and disappointment again. If they are still in Korea, can they visit us once again? If they come again, they can get help from our employees or me at the information desk. |
About the 사해사본(dead sea scrolls) exhibition:
http://www.warmemo.or.kr/exhibit/special/present_read.jsp?nextURL=bm90ZWlkPTIyJmNwYWdlPTE=
| Quote: |
■ 관 람 료
. 개인 : 성인(15,000원) / 중.고교생(12,000원) / 만4세 ~ 초등생(7,000원)
/만 65세 이상(13,000원)
. 단체 : 성인(13,000원) / 중.고교생(10,000원) / 만4세 ~ 초등생(5,000원)
* 단체 : 20인 이상
. 장애인 및 국가유공자 50% 할인(1~3급 장애인 동반 1인 50% 할인) |
http://www.scrolls.co.kr/
| OP wrote: |
| My uncle paid the ticket, and to add insult to injury, the woman forgot to make the ticket a 2-person ticket for he and his wife (there are no individual tickets there -- the computer prints a number on the ticket). After trying to enter the building and the gate, they sent him back outside to the ticket booth to buy another ticket! We explained the mistake to the ticket lady, and she denied that it was her fault -- eventually making my uncle pay a 2nd time to enter the Korean War memorial! |
Now this perfectly makes sense. You bought the wrong ticket for another exhibition, so you had to get the right one for the main exhibition. Right?
I'm sorry about your uncle regardless of the cause of trouble, but all these over-reactions from Dave's posters is pure gold. Classic. |
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 1:07 am Post subject: |
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doggyji,
Thank you for checking with the War Memorial and clarifying the situation. I'm glad to hear it was evidently a misunderstanding and not discrimination. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 1:40 am Post subject: |
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| bluelake wrote: |
doggyji,
Thank you for checking with the War Memorial and clarifying the situation. I'm glad to hear it was evidently a misunderstanding and not discrimination. |
Maybe. |
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Beej
Joined: 05 Mar 2005
Location: Eungam Loop
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 1:46 am Post subject: |
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| If it was a mistake, then why did the girl at the ticket counter say she couldnt give discounts to foreigners because she couldnt read the English on foreign ids? |
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soy
Joined: 14 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:37 am Post subject: |
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| I've been there twice and both times admission was like 3000 krw, who cares jesus get over yourself. Korean customer service is terrible everywhere, it's their country though so they can do what they want. Get mad at something that actually matters. |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:48 am Post subject: |
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I have 2 living uncles that fought in the Korean War themselves. When my mother told them a couple of years ago that I was coming here to teach, even at their advanced age they could not understand why I would. Obviously, they knew something back then some 50 plus years ago that the rest of us are figuring out now in the present. It's a different place and time, but how different are the people I wonder?
Last edited by esetters21 on Mon Jan 28, 2008 2:46 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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bluelake
Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 4:49 am Post subject: |
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| yingwenlaoshi wrote: |
| bluelake wrote: |
doggyji,
Thank you for checking with the War Memorial and clarifying the situation. I'm glad to hear it was evidently a misunderstanding and not discrimination. |
Maybe. |
Hopefully, it was the case. I also hope the OP gets a chance to go back and talk with the mgt. about what happened. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| kiwiduncan wrote: |
| dirty_scraps83 wrote: |
| [I got a lot of pats on the back. It's unfortunate but other countries that fought in the Korean War other than the states seem to get quicker and more open recognition in my opinion from some Koreans, probly cos of the lack of political hang ups. The koreans seem particularly fond of the Turks. |
Kiwis are pretty fond of the Turks too. Probably because they kicked our arses at Gallipoli and were pretty civil about it too. 
Koreans often claim to have some cultural affinity to Turks, in part due to their languages being distantly related.
All the Turks I've ever met have been really cool. |
Yeah, so were the ones I've met. Certainly not the kind of people who will ignore you if you say 'hi' to them, which is more than I can say for many Westerners I've come across in Korea. |
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