Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Big Mac]

I usually carry my wallet around in my back pocket, but today I was stupid and left it in my jacket on the back of my chair in my classroom.

Today at lunchtime I went to buy something and realized that my wallet was empty. I know I had at least 110,000 Won in it this morning.

Of course, I know it's partly my fault for being stupid and leaving the wallet in the classrrom to begin with.

I was pretty angry about it so I called the police (the station is right next door) and also told the school about it. I was surprised at the reaction of both. The police basically said they won't do anything because they don't want to ruffle any feathers with the school (that's what they told my co-teacher in Korean). The school is basically pretending it didn't happen.

From what I've heard today, this isn't the first time money has been stolen recently from teachers. But nobody seems to do anything about it. It seems so strange to me that the police are being so lazy and the school is being so weird about it.

I think I'm going to set up a camera in this room (my desk is kind of in a little room at the back of the classroom) to try to catch the thief. But I think even if I caught it on tape, the school would turn its head and pretend it didn't exist.

[lohengrin]

I know how you feel: they stole my Ipod and my PDA in a similar situation (yes, I know, I was stupid to leave valuables where they could get at them...)
It still sucks, and it sucks even more that nobody will help or take an interest, it was the same here.

[cruisemonkey]

Wow! this surprises me because when when one of my students stole something (from another student) the police were here in the staff room with the students involved and the vice principal. It was 'heavy'.

[BrianInSuwon]

Definitely get some video. If you do get video, make copies. Show the school and demand that the student's family be contacted and the student be expelled. Then show the video to the police and demand that official charges be filled. And finally, upload the video on youtube.com and bring shame to the student and the student's family.

Or just ask for hush money from the family to avoid the police and youtube.com and then when the contract is up, ask for hush money from the hagwon owner to avoid the bad press of showing the school on youtube.

Love the media, the netizens, and the internet.

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

If you don't want your money or valuables stolen then don't leave it/them where they can be stolen. Common sense really...in any country. I lock my things in my desk drawer, not that I'm afraid that something will get stolen, just because it makes sense to do so.

[Big Mac]

I work at a public school, by the way, not a hogwan. And most of the time I do keep my money in my pocket...this was the first time I've ever left it in my coat pocket.

Tomorrow I'm bringing my video camera to school and I'm going to hide it in my room. I'm bound and determined to catch this thief, and I really want to have some kind of evidence to make the police do their jobs. Hopefully my video camera doesn't get stolen too!

I was really angry at how lazy the police officers were. They didn't write anything down...all they did was come up with excuses for why they weren't going to do anything. They just kept saying (through my co-teacher as translator) that it's the school's responsibility to teach kids not to steal and that it was my fault for leaving my wallet unattended (I agree on that...but still). They said they couldn't take fingerprints because the fingerprints of children aren't in a government database. Did they ever think that maybe it was an adult?

When I asked them to give the school tips on how to make the school more secure (eg. surveillance, etc.) they flat out said that they aren't going to help the school with things like that. My co-teacher told me later that they were concerned with getting mixed up with school board issues and the politics involved. Now in my mind, police shouldn't be concerned with politics...but I guess this is Korea.

I started getting pretty mean to them, actually...I told them they were being lazy and that they certainly weren't my idea of what police officers were. When they left I told them to have fun drinking coffee in their office the rest of the day. I don't think they understood anything I said and I doubt my co-teacher translated.

When I get something on tape, I am definitely going to push them to do something, and if they don't I'll take it further than their level. I hate laziness.

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

There's no way you can be sure it's the same "thief"...seems to me the prudent path would be to remove the opportunities for thief's instead of opening up a can of worms. Just my 2 cents.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Fingerprints won't do anything. The police can't do much. You're SOL since there are no surveillance cameras in the classroom.

[nizpaz]

Poor you, it sucks. I had my ipod stolen in SPain if it's any consolation both the school and the police weren't interested. SO it isn't just here. Sucks big time. Chopping off of theif's hands is about the only thing that impresses me about the culture of our middle eastern friends....

[Xuanzang]

get a combination lock for your classroom door, lock the sliding windows latches so students dont open them (from outside) and one up each other to get into your class. my students seem so eager to get into class to put their bags down after lunch.

[moosehead]

my first job in a public school a few years ago - my K coteacher absolutely insisted I carry my bag with me whenever possible and NOT to leave it alone for any length of time in the classroom or my office

she explained how the school - all schools - are open in such a way people from outside can and DO come in at all hours - and wander the halls for whatever reason - and DO steal from teachers

I remembered that - and later on realized she was right - especially after the kids go home - there are people who come in - and are always around - some seem to have business there, others, well, who knows

there are also salesmen who come around, etc.

where I work now I always keep my bag w/me - and make a habit to do so.

better safe than sorry - yes, it was terrible what happened but I'd follow the advice of locking up and then just forget about it - so what - let it go - you really have better things to do than catching a thief - don't you? if not, perhaps you belong in law enforcement, not teaching -

[rationality]

[Korlingus]

Think out of the box when trying to catch a thief. You need to get a few packs of Ex-lax Chocolate and leave them unsecured in your desk. Ex-lax is a stimulant laxative, so anyone consuming a few of them should have some explosive diarrhea and be easy enough to spot.

[cobright]

leave a small bottle of soju unsecured with a tablespoon of epsom salt disolved in it

[TheChickenLover]

I'm not surprised by this at all. The kids learn these things from their parents and 'role models' who in reality are more often than not viewed as 'cunning' when they manage to successfully steal or scam something. If they get caught, then they simply deny it. If they are faced with 'proof' they simply bow their heads and apologize and your'e not allowed to hold a grudge against them.

That's the culture here. Look at the papers..what do you read? Corruption, corruption, corruption. What happens when they get caught? They get a slap on the wrist and quite often get to KEEP the money they stole. Stealing DOES pay off in Korea!

Translation: It's your fault for leaving cash in a room full of potential thieves...though they 'look' innocent..they are not.

Chicken