Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Geckoman]

Matt Lamers, the editor of The Korea Herald's "Expat Living" section, has been stabbed!

He is known on Dave's ESL Cafe by the username "KHerald."

Matt and another editor were viciously attacked by two Korean men at a park near Hongdae!

See the links below to learn more about this attack:

Gypsy Scholar: "Expat Still Living"
http://gypsyscholarship.blogspot.com/2008/06/expat-still-living.html

The Marmot's Hole: "Get Well Soon, Matt"
http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/06/15/get-well-soon-matt/#comments

Lamers did not contact the police about the attack. Given his experience of writing stories about police not taking crimes against foreigners seriously, he decided not to contact the police about this attack, as he believes that filing a police report will not do any good.

If it had happened to me I would of contacted the police. I always recommend filing a police report. Even if the police do not take it seriously, at least there will be a record of the crime. Who knows, maybe the attacker is a serial attacker preying on foreigners. And if everyone who gets attacked by this guy files a police report, eventually a pattern will show, which might get the presses attention, which would lead to stories being done about this serial attacker preying on foreigners, and people would then be on the look out for him, and there would be pressure on the cops to catch him, and thus it would be more likely that they catch the evil doer. But none of that would happen if nobody filed a police report.

Never underestimate the importance of filing a police report. Always do it.

Matt (aka KHerald): Sorry to hear about what happened to you. I'm glad that the injury was not that serious (it could have been much worse). Hope you get better soon.

[yingwenlaoshi]

I would've beaten the little fkers to a pulp and dragged them to the police station by their hair.

[kimchi_pizza]

Korean Herald? Not surprising. I haven't read the actual
paper in some time but their online site is a little too leftest
for my tastes.

I think any and all subscribers should cancel their subscription
and read the International Heald Tribune or at least the Korea
Times.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/index.asp

http://www.iht.com/

(encourage your students to do the same)
http://engnews.joins.com/eng_news/main.asp

Hope ya get well and find a better paper to work for

[yingwenlaoshi]

At any rate, that's pretty lame(rs).

[Lekker]

Korea Stabling

[Pligganease]

If there was no police report filed, I don't believe it happened.

[Ginormousaurus]

[Captain Corea]

Sorry to hear that - hope he gets better (and eventually comes around to filing a report).

[Bramble]

That's terrible. I hope Matt will be all right.

I've always felt fairly safe walking alone in Seoul at all hours, but I guess this is a wake-up call. Anything really can happen anywhere ...

[laconic2]

I'm sorry but nothing positive is served by the victim not filing a police report. The excuse that "nothing will be done" just doesn't make sense in view of the nature of the assault and subsequent injury. Also, it permits the perps to walk away without even so much as adverse publicity being brought down on the crime.

Yes, it is normally considered a crime to stab another person.

[Yesterday]

[cisco kid]

Oh, I don't believe that happened. I've been here for 19 years and that never happened to me. Here's a clue, you're not in Kansas anymore - try to learn a little bit about the culture and stop pretending that you're still in the west where everything is superior and drop your superior way of thinking.

[RJjr]

[Leslie Cheswyck]

[Bramble]

Whether to file a report or not is Matt's call ... it's easy for a bunch of idiots on a message board to pass judgment, but it's not our place.