Korean Job Discussion Forums

[corinna]

I have been living in that district for about 10 years, and it is the first time I have been robbed.Still it is a very disturbing local style to rob people at night while they are sleeping...I know people who have been burgled at night in an expensive district all the same, the rent there goes from 4 to 10 million wons a month and is paid by the company these people work for.
Here you still can get a relatively big apt for less money,and sometimes a view and a terrace.Yes ,here, people are mixed, there are English teachers, American soldiers, Koreans and people from Africa.

[Captain Corea]

It sounds like the majority of people being burgled either left their door unlocked or left their window open.

Does that sound about right?

[Seoul_Star]

I'd imagine these people either left their doors unlocked, windows unlocked, or experienced one of the below:

1. When you moved in, you didn't change your locks, and therefor, copies of your apartments key are floating around. Possibly with previous tenants, maids, or anyone else that had access to your apartment.

2. Your real estate agent made copies of the keys to your apartment while searching for a tenant. Someone got access to those keys.

3. Your real estate agent or or someone who has access to your landlord robbed you, using a set of backup keys.

4. You changed the locks on your apartment, and then the door/lock shop that you used came back and robbed you, or gave a set of keys to a third party, they robbed you.

5. Your security company robbed you. Often times they have access to the building (Secom, ADT etc.). Since security is their job, and they are wearing professional outfits, they can easily enter your building without arousing suspicion. They are notoriously underpaid, but often given access to entire apartment buildings and tenants expensive apartments.

6. A common criminal robbed you. They sat around watching you for a few days. They came up to your door to see what kind of lock you had. They came back later with the proper tools to defeat it.


No matter what, you should always change the locks when moving in. If you live in HBC, you should also be living on a higher floor to reduce the amount of foot traffic outside your windows or doors. If you are home, sleeping, your door should be dead bolted from the inside. Your windows should have bars. If they don't, you should get bars, or ask your landlord to get them. If that doesn't work, you should cover the window with curtains from the inside so that people can't casually glance inside and see what they might want to steal. Put a bar or piece of wood in the sliding rail to make it harder to open, the same goes for sliding glass doors which are not protected by a metal cage or bars.

If you tend to have high value things such as currency, jewelry, watches etc, you may want to invest in a safe. If you have expensive electronic items etc, you should buy insurance.

Check here:

http://www.aiggeneral.co.kr/english/company/companyintroduction.jsp

It's cheap. If you own expensive things, and live in HBC, there is no excuse not to have insurance.

[Froggy Parker]

It's good to see none of you people are racist assholes who call hbc a dirty, seedy neighborhood because at night you "look around you" and see that a lot of your neighbors are black.

Ever been to an actual American ghetto? hbc is paradise compared, you fucking *beep* panzies.

[Bramble]

[justaguy]

A lot of people who get robbed often have basement, ground and 1st floor apts. There is a reason these places are generally cheaper to rent.

If you are worried about getting robbed, reduce your chances and move to a higher floor.

[Seoul_Star]

[Bramble]

Thanks for the information ... actually I don't live in that area, although I thought about moving there a few months ago. When I looked at places in Haebangchon and Itaewon, nice housing wasn't all that cheap and the commute wouldn't have been convenient for me anyway.

Now I live in an officetel on the 16th floor, and I'm sure that would make it difficult to escape a fire ... but at least I'm in a decent building with some sort of alarm system, a fire extinguisher in my room, and a door code that I keep private. That seems a bit safer than life in any villa I could afford. Officetels seem to be the best choice for most people, don't they?

[danythegirl]

I think this thread is terribly racist.

I live in Haebangchon, it's not a ghetto at all. And frankly, saying that the crime is caused by foreigners is ridiculous.

My friend was robbed at gunpoint in Haebangchon by a KOREAN.

But, I also have loads of mates who have been robbed, from all over Korea.
Where do you people get off blaming crime on foreigners?

[squexx]

[madoka]

[lastat06513]

You'd think that spending your entire lives in places where it is common to lock your doors and such, you would remember to do the same in Korea.
I think a robbery can happen anywhere in Korea, especially in a big city like Seoul. I think Seoul could be dangerous for a foreigner no matter where you live because you are considered an 'easy target' because most people think you don't speak the language and wouldn't know what to do in case of a robbery.
But if someone had lived in a big to small-sized city, they'd know what to do to make their apartment safe, considering the conditions they have at the time.
Yeah, there are many people who have access to your apartment, but a good security plan will keep undesirables out of your place......

[bassexpander]

What caused people to start throwing around the "race" word in this?

I guess I missed it.


Oh wait, maybe it was:

[Pyongshin Sangja]

[Pyongshin Sangja]