Korean Job Discussion Forums

[thu_tinh]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2008/02/162_19211.html

[Lekker]

I wish tourists who came here wouldn't base their opinions of Korea after they had been to Jongno. That area is full of weirdos and generally is kind of scuzzy.

People need to see more of Korea, like Soraksan and the tall staue of Bhhudda on the ocean at Sokcho, which is amazing for example.

I can't stand reading about Korea through tourists eyes when they have never even left Seoul.

[RACETRAITOR]

What a poorly written letter. Don't they have editors over there?

When my parents came here both times they were extremely impressed with the low prices. The first time they stayed in a luxurious hotel in Suwon for only 50 000 won per night.

[PeteJB]

[crazy_arcade]

My parents were extremely impressed that a city as big as Seoul was as clean as it actually was.

To be fair, you can't really see a lot of the great things in Korea without a guide who knows what's up. The majority of tourists would never ever find most of the great things on their own.

I also don't think it's so much that Korea has a really bad image internationally. Sure, it might in the minds of some people but from my experience most people don't judge countries that way. The problem is that more people don't think anything at all about Korea. For the majority of people it's just not really on their minds. For those who hold an interest in N.E Asia it's interesting but just not quite as interesting as Japan.

[nomad-ish]

[reactionary]

let's see..in beijing i can travel 20-30 minutes to see amazing temples and palaces or 3 hours to see the great wall, one of the most iconic symbols of human civilizations.

from seoul i can sit on a bus for 3 hours and maybe see an admittedly nice statue of buddha at the ocean (if i can find it).

sorry..no comparison. korea, despite being a small country, sure seems to have its "amazing sights" pretty far-fuckin-flung

[BreakfastInBed]

I would like to see some garbage cans on the sidewalks. I occasionally see them but not usually when I need them. Where I come from every city I can think of, small to large, have garbage cans installed on the sidewalks of areas that have moderate to heavy pedestrian traffic, sometimes as many as three per block, one on each corner and another at the bus stop should there be one.

My experience has been that Korea is woefully undersupplied with public garbage cans and I'm sad to say that I have on occasion contributed to the litter problem. I'd like to see and live in a clean Korea, but it's unrealistic to expect me, or anyone, to walk around all day carrying our empty coffee cups, sandwich wrappers, and soiled napkins. I have about a 10 minute max tolerance for hanging out in a bustling, developed city with garbage in my hands. Show me a waste receptacle and I will use it 100% of the time. Make me walk three blocks with no hope in sight of being able to dispose of my waste properly, and it's going in the nearest pile of litter started by someone else.

[SHANE02]

[BreakfastInBed]

[Smee]

The KT needs to get out of the business of printing every submission they get. That was pretty awful, and a lot of the suggestions are not only unfeasable, they're condescending. I know it's frustrating to see trash at parks and on mountains, but I'd say the cities are fairly clean, at least compared to cities in the States I've visited. Hell, have you seen New York? A city that claims to be "the greatest city on earth" ought to clean itself up more. Gwangju is much cleaner than Pittsburgh, a city of comparable size and one usually voted at or near the top of "Most Livable Cities" lists. There are some flaws with how Korea markets itself, and some shortcomings with its tourism department, but cleanliness isn't unique to Korea, and it's kind of silly to watch foreigners carry on as if it were.

Whatever, the article isn't worth the effort of replying to everything. I will add that I actually like all the signs on buildings. I know most people disagree with that. In my opinion it's distinctive, colorful, and interesting. Without them you'd just have more drab buildings that look the same as everything else.

[Smee]

And I can sort of understand the "creation of trash" arguement. I think part of the logic earlier was that, instead of buying trash bags, people would take their house's trash down and put it in the public trash cans, thereby skirting the bag system. I know that in my apartment complex, though, most people don't use the bags and just throw their trash in a dumpster, so I'm not sure how much weight that argument holds anymore. Back home, though, there are trash cans all over the place, but they're overflowing. And, it's not like everyone actually uses these trash cans. Like I said, have you seen New York? Have you seen the subway? Have you seen the parks? Not like Seoul's litter is any more unsightly than what you find in North America. I'm not being an "apologist," just saying.

[flakfizer]

That letter was poor. Korea has problems with tourism, but who overseas thinks that Korea has littered streets? Is Korea really more expensive than Japan or Singapore? Not much. Besides, people often go to expensive places for vacation. Also, I don't think the protesting has much impact either (although it can't help). Cleaning up the streets and reducing protests are both about getting rid of negatives. But what about positives? What positive ideas do people have about Korea? What symbolizes Korea? There is no building that stands out here like a Burj al Arab, Eiffel Tower or Taipei 101. There is no geographical attraction like Mt. Fuji, the Alps, or the Great Barrier Reef. There is no real national persona here like the Japan's reputation of high-tech gadgetry and weirdness or Thailand's friendliness, or Singapore's uptightness. The national symbol of Korea would pretty much be kimchi, and no one is going to travel thousands of miles due to curiosity over a side-dish. There is no reason Korea couldn't build more attractive buildings or contribute more to pop-culture ala manga, Pokemon, robot dogs etc, the way Japan does. If you're not known for your old buildings or your beautiful landscapes, you've got to go for something modern and cool. Korea has all the tools necessary, but has lacked in creative effort. Even adding a couple buildings and making a recognizable skyline would be a good start. But right now, I don't think Korea is known for litter and protests. I think it's known for precious little.

[mistermasan]

want tourists? end the war. sign the peace treaty. the korean war vets are geting old. europe does some nice coin on battlefield tourism (as in america with her civil war industry). lotsa folks back home know korea is still at war. still lotsa US troops around. peoplel will visit museums but not live battlefields.

but then, what would korea rather have: the financial niceties of garrisoning troops for three generations or visitors who come for one week max?

as always, war is good for business. korea long ago opted for the war model. clear the DMZ of mines so that people can picnic there. take down the tank walls. induce peace and prosperity will follow.

[blaseblasphemener]

I think Korea would be wise to consider what tourists they are after. Are they going to get Chinese? No way. Japanese? Some, but with the cost of things in Korea, the appeal isn't there, when they can fly another hour and be in Beijing. Europeans would be turned off by the ugly architecture, the dirty air, the spitting, and the food. Korean food is an acquired taste, and most Europeans would react about the same way to Korean "cuisine" as most Koreans would react to a traditional German meal.

If you look at what Korea can offer that is different or better than other Asian countries, the list is sadly, empty. They'll have enough problems convincing Koreans not to venture off to China or the Phillipines, rather than travelling to a Korean "resort" area, that has all the appeal of a 2-day old sandwich.