Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

This was a fun conversation.

While sitting down for a snack in the may-jom between classes, one of my better students asked me that question. I explained that yes, I knew what it was, but that I hadn't been to one. He then went on to tell me that his father had taken him out to one recently.

I got a chuckle out of that, and he went on to say, "You know, I really hope that part of Korean culture doesn't go away!"

I then asked him what his father was doing there, and he said, "Well, you know, my father is the manager of XXXX, and a lot of Korean business is conducted there." (as if he's sort of forced to go)

I then asked him if his father had a corporate credit card for that, and he said yes -- mom doesn't find out about that, then.

I didn't want to get into more detail about it with a student, but the conversation was pretty hilarious.

[Kevtron]

a corporate card just for room bars? talk about a perk.

[EzeWong]

Fill me in, what's a room bar?

[Gamecock]

So is a "room bar" a bang bar??? Hehe. I crack myself up.

[bassexpander]

A room bar, or room salon, is a drinking bar with a special room, or table in a room, where men go to conduct business. They have to purchase a table (costing about 1 million won and up, apparently), and are joined by young 20-something girls who pour their drinks and can often be bought for sex. It's a very common part of Korean culture. You can find room salons all over the place. Yeoksam is where a lot of these girls live. Some men go so far as to keep a special little honey on the side, and put her up in an office-tell.

So how do they hide this from their wives, when the Korean wife often has control of the income?

Answer: corporate credit cards.

Yes... it's true. Companies here provide salarymen at certain levels and above a credit line of 1 million won or more per month to do with as they wish (out of the sight of their wives) -- which also includes "conducting business" in room salons. That business generally involves buying girls for just drinking or sex. It's a very common thing. If the man doesn't make use of that money for the month, he loses it.

My wife works for a multinational company. People at her level and above can get a card, but her company doesn't give them (too bad). They actually lost the chance to hire a guy because he expected the card and wasn't able to get it.

Before I met my wife, I was friends with a female engineer who designed phones for a company which will go unmentioned. She often had to go to the room salon to conduct "business" and hated it. She was the only female engineer there, and she was often delegated to pick out women specifically for her co-workers. I heard all about it.

[pkang0202]

The greatest job in KOrea is:

A buyer for a company.

If you are the guy in charge of acquiring goods for a company, you are treated like a rockstar. The suppliers take you out. They even arrange personal transportation to and from. Did you drive? Doesn't matter, they'll tell a low level employee to drive you and your car home.

[DaffyD73]

I'm in a playful mood so don't take offence.

If it is part of the culture then perhaps it is known by the wives, and they ask, but a simple get out of it response could be " our company doesn't give them (too bad)"

[Trevor]

It's not too difficult to see where the glass ceiling is in Korea -- or should we say, 'the glass doormat'?

"Before I met my wife, I was friends with a female engineer who designed phones for a company which will go unmentioned. She often had to go to the room salon to conduct "business" and hated it. She was the only female engineer there, and she was often delegated to pick out women specifically for her co-workers. I heard all about it."

Business is conducted in these sort of environments and obviously the majority of women are going to be uncomfortable with it. It sounds like your friend found a niche by playing the impromptu-madam by selecting girls, thereby condoning it, and in return was promoted professionally, for a time.

Kind of sad, but what can you do? Trying to stop it by the sort of barracuda-like feminism we sometimes see in western countries will create a greater backlash, I think, than was ever seen before in modern times.

Go ahead, try it. Try taking away their corporate cards and roar, oh hear me roar.

I see no solution.

[OnTheOtherSide]

Finding a whorehouse around here is like finding a coffee shop in Seattle.

[EzeWong]

Oh god,

I've heard about these in Singapore.

Apparently Asian business men LOVE going to these "business" rooms.

Basically a company will pay for another companies night on the town, They will escort a foreign investor, or represenative to one. it's like a *beep* bribe... widely used and popular. In fact, it's what foreigners coming on business EXPECT to get.

I was appalled, but hey... if it works, it works.

[Yesterday]

What was the fathers purpose in taking the son there?

Did the father just want to see if his son really was as gay as he looks/dresses?

Was it just a 1 million won table for the father and son - or a real company meeting?

Or did the father just want to explain to the son - here look - this is where I have been doing my "business meetings" for the past 20 years - whilst you were at the Hagwon studying and your mommy was at home watching soap dramas..

so sonny.. study hard and get a good business job like daddy - so you can screw your wife over too - after you're married...

and of course don't tell you mommy...

?? what exactly was the fathers objective?