Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tob55]

This is a rant. I make no excuses of apologies for it. Just read the following and you will understand why I am posting it here:

A new teacher from the USA comes to Korea and settles in to their apartment for only a few days. Full of hope and expectancy for the next year of teaching English at a rural elementary school. I even go so far as to tell the new teacher that our local community is safe to live with reasonably safe surroundings.

All is well and good until this morning. I call home and my wife informs me that the new teacher who just happened to stay the night at our home last night went home in the morning to find all of her things stolen during the night. Several thousand dollars of personal things and electronic equipment she brought with her.

The Korean co-teacher is devastated, the new foreign co-teacher is devastated, and all the Korean police can say is this, "We think maybe she left here door unlocked."

This thread is job related because it should serve as a warning to all foreigners that you are not safe in this country if you are under this illusion of safety. Following my anger, I became thankful that she did in fact stay the night at our home, or else she could have been attacked, raped or at worse killed by the intruder, who BTW they found his footprints at the point of entry when he broke in: so much for the stupid foreigner leaving her door unlocked, as if that was ever a question.

I spoke with both the Korean co-t as well as the new teacher. Both are unable to teach today with the turn of events that have taken place. The "cool" admins at the school can't understand why the foreign teacher is unable to go on and conduct her classes as if "nothing happened." I have permanent residence in this country, and I do feel reasonably safe, but it has taken me more than 4 years to develop this sense of safety from experience and knowing where and with whom to go.

The foreigner is going to spend some time with my wife and I while they try to find a more suitable place for her to live for the next week or so. The police are still scratching their behinds trying to figure out how they missed it when they accused the foreign teacher leaving the door unlocked when all the physical evidence clearly showed some dip wad Korean decided it was her turn to be vandalized. The admins continue to take their staunch position of "we do right," and no one is even thinking about how to replace the several thousand of dollars of personal items that were stolen.

Korea's finest doing what Koreans do best, blame other people for the bad things their own people do. I am not bashing all Koreans and I feel no need to. However, if anyone thinks for a second that this type of event should be excused away, then they certainly found the right guy to argue with. There is no reason why a newbie coming into this country for less than a week should have everything that means anything to them taken away by some deviant who obviously was released from the authorities for prior convictions. I know this because the police now think they know who the guy is and he has a wrap sheet longer than your arm. Way to go Korea.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Burglaries never happen to Koreans or in other countries?

This isn't a Korean thing. This is a bad thing to happen and you are obviously upset but you really should reconsider what you have said here.

[cruisemonkey]

[jkelly80]

The cops here suck, is what I think his point is, and it's a valid one.

[Konglishman]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

The only time I ever got robbed in Korea I did leave my door unlocked.

[Rusty Shackleford]

^^^

I think the school would take a slightly different view on that. Besides what is insurance for?

[cj1976]

Getting robbed is terrible, but let's not single out Korean police for their incompetence . It's not as if the coppers back home would be organising a crack squad of detectives working round the clock in order to solve the case.
This ain't CSI.

[cruisemonkey]

[spliff]

Unless the police catch the thief and he still has her belongings, I'd have to surmise that she is Sh!t outta luck. The school is just gonna say that they don't have a budget for that sort of thing and they don't. Surely, it's a bad break but it also could have been worse. Like you said Tob, she could have been the subject of a vicious attack. But, I imagine if she would have stayed home the robber probably wouldn't of attempted a break in. Most robbers don't have the balls or skill for that. Thankfully, life will go on.

[tob55]

Hey,

I understand both sides of the argument, but if anyone expects a recant, you found found the wrong guy too. I have had plenty of shit stolen from me worth thousands of dollars, but it makes no difference. You are right bad people everywhere, not just in Korea, but at least in the parts of the world I have lived the first words out of the mouths of the authorities were not blame for the victim.

I told everyone this is not a rant against all Koreans or even the police since I know some very good people in law enforcement in this country, but bad is bad and it doesn't make anyone feel better when the victim is blamed for the crime against them.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Instead of calling the police, next time call the whaaaaaaaaaaaaambulance.

[tob55]

yingwenlaoshi, what took you so long to post your comment? For someone who has over 5400 posts to Dave's in a little more than a year and a half, (BTW that's about 10 posts per day for every day you have been a member here), I would have thought you could have posted blessings sooner than now. I am just kdding man, I understand what you are saying. It is something many tears have been shed over, but it still is a serious situation, and the people who feel my comments are unjustified may some day understand when they have things precious and important to them taken away.

[Paddycakes]

Does she live on the 1st floor?

[tob55]

She lives on the 2nd floor, but the lay of the land makes it 3rd floor level. There are bars on the lower floors, but not on the floor she lived on. A month ago another "teacher" from a different school in our area was vandalized as well. The "inside job" theory seems to be one of siginificance, and it has been discussed with the police today. More to follow. While we are at it if anyone else has similar events happening in their part of the country go ahead and post them. No we aren't CSI, but sometimers talking about it helps. Besides at least talking about this would certainly be better than some of the other senseless crap people talk about on the forum.