Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

Police threaten to use guns against students (wouldn't happen today):
http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9608/19/s.korea/index.am.html


The Nork sub that beached in SK:
http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9609/21/south.korea/index.html

[Confused Canadian]

I remember the sub incident...happened about 9 months after I arrived.

There were curfews in the town I lived in as there were reports of seeing survivors in the area. Turned out it was just someone trying to cash in on the reward money. Nonetheless, had been in Korea less than a year, living in the boonies when it happened. Not ashamed to admit it had me wondering what I'd gotten myself into...

[Pooty]

The government put all the items they captured off the Nork commandos on display outside of Seoul Station. They had fake western clothes so they could blend in, guns, all kinds of stuff on display...pretty cool stuff. Wish I'd had a digital camera back then.

[Yesterday]

the captured intruder had been plied with alcohol by interrogators and was slowly beginning to talk. "He at first refused to answer, saying he feared for the lives of his family he left in the North, but after drinking four (small) bottles of soju (Korean liquor), he began to open his mouth," Shin said.

Korean interrogation tactics?? "Drink this soju!"

[kimchipig]

I was in Korea in those days and I loved it. There was none of the "progressive" crap that started with KDJ. Sure, students were allowed protest but only to a point. The Yonsei riots were case in point. After the students murdered a riot cop, no hold were barred. I remember seeing the stupid kids tied together and led down Jorgo-3-ga while the crowd pelted them with insults and any other trash they could grab.

The fronts for the Dear Leader now called "Civic Groups" were illegal. The country was dynamic and growing and a whole pile of fun for a waygook. A 500 ml draft beer was W1000, a pack of smokes W500 and a taxi W1000 for 3km. I didn't take the bus once in a whole year. I was CLEARING W2.2m a month with my regular job (no taxes in those days) and two privates. That is when one Canadian Dollar was W520. I lived like a king on W300k a month, never walked, cooked or did my own laundry. In a year I saved $20,000 without much trouble.

Then the crash came in 1997 and the place has never recovered.

[wylies99]

[bluelake]

Yeah, those were the days...

My family and I drove up past Kangneung while the submarine thing was going on. There were checkpoints frequently (I had the muzzle of a soldier's submachine gun in my cheek as he checked my ID). We heard automatic gunfire along the way, too; my foot got heavy on the accelerator after that point.

[Real Reality]

And 12 years ago the exchange rate was about what?

1996 - South Korean Won to 1 USD
January: 787 KRW
February: 780 KRW
March: 781 KRW
April: 780 KRW
May: 781 KRW
June: 798 KRW
July: 813 KRW
August: 818 KRW
September: 822 KRW
October: 828 KRW
November: 831 KRW
December: 842 KRW
http://www.x-rates.com/d/KRW/USD/hist1996.html

1996 - Japanese Yen to 1 USD
January: 106 JPY
February: 106 JPY
March: 106 JPY
April: 107 JPY
May: 106 JPY
June: 109 JPY
July: 109 JPY
August: 108 JPY
September: 110 JPY
October: 112 JPY
November: 112 JPY
December: 114 JPY
http://www.x-rates.com/d/JPY/USD/hist1996.html

And compare the above with the exchange rate in 2008.

2008 - South Korean Won to 1 USD
January: 942 KRW
February: 944 KRW
March: 982 KRW
April: 987 KRW
May: 1035 KRW
June: 1031 KRW
July: 1016 KRW
August: 1044 KRW
http://www.x-rates.com/d/KRW/USD/hist2008.html

2008 - Japanese Yen to 1 USD
January: 108 JPY
February: 107 JPY
March: 101 JPY
April: 103 JPY
May: 104 JPY
June: 107 JPY
July: 107 JPY
August: 109 JPY
http://www.x-rates.com/d/JPY/USD/hist2008.html

[Cheonmunka]

[Mr. Pink]

Hmm it's almost been 12 years since I first came to Korea. That will be early next year.

The previous poster nailed it right on: WAY less imported/foreign goods.

It was probably 4~5 months after I arrived that I actually ate something besides Korean food. I had to go far to get anything western...the only western thing near me was Baskin Robbins.

A hell of a lot more people stared at me back then too. Like whenever I would go out, EVERYONE would stare. It might seem like people stare now, but it was pretty bad back then.

Also, the F visa thing was for females only...I had an E-2 for years after I got married because there was no such thing as an F visa for a male marrying a Korean.

Movie theaters back then SUCKED. Period. I was near TechnoMart when it first opened and that CGV they have in there was one of the first "Western" style movie theaters that actually had decent seating and sound. Before that the hot movie theater areas were Kangnam and Apukujong in South Seoul and the area near ELS/Pagoda HQ in North Seoul. Those theaters were HORRIBLE. Think squid is bad in theaters now? Back then there were no "western style" condiments

Hmm pollution seemed a hell of a lot worse too. I think it was 6 months before I saw a clear enough day to notice I lived pretty close to a small mountain. The air walking on a sidewalk next to a main street was absolutely horrid.

Back then NO foreign cars were seen outside certain areas of Seoul. I swear it was 99.999999% Korean crap cars. I saw the occasional BMW or Mercedes in Apukujong....that was about it.

The bus and taxis were way cheaper though. For 1000 won I could take a taxi to work everyday. Bus and subway were like 500won or so.

Internet: i had to use dial-up and phone costs are on a per minute basis. 300,000 won phone bills for internet usage were common for me cause I was on there a lot. There were no PC Bangs or cheap ways to use internet. I think it was in 1998 that the first cable modems/DSL came out. That saved me a lot of money...that was also the year a lot of PC Bangs sprang up.

There is probably a lot more, but I just can't remember everything that has changed.

[IncognitoHFX]

[Fishead soup]

Far more people burning plastic in public. Far more soju tents. Hooker hill in Iteawon was packed with soldiers almost all the time. Far more juicy girls in just regular bars on the Iteawon main drag.

[bangbayed]

I remember when I first came here in 96, a bunch of us lived near Chongno (Munwha yeogwan, anyone?) and it was a big event for us to travel all the way to Hongdae to go to TGIF. No Outback anywhere and maybe 3 or 4 TGIFs scattered around Seoul. There was a Kenny Rogers Roasters in Myeongdong though!

[the_beaver]

[lawyertood]

I remember the Munhwa yeogwan--left about 150 books there a few weeks before I learned about the Foreign Bookstore. Found most of the ones I left had been traded in.

Subway basic ride was 350 won. I also recall when Pippi Longstocking performed on TV and one member spit on the camera. Never saw them on TV again.