Korean Job Discussion Forums

[okokok]

[RACETRAITOR]

Can you spell it out how this applies directly to Korea?

[crazy_arcade]

This is nothing new.

If the example is shown that someone else has gotten away with it, the rest of the sheep will follow.

Take classroom grafitti in a public school. One student starts writing on a desk and the teacher does nothing about it, just ignores it. Before you know it, the desk are completely covered and destroyed by grafitti. I see this in almost every classroom at my school. However, in the my English classroom there is no graffiti problem. Sure, occasionally some grafitti will be left, but I always make sure to clean it up as soon as possible and if I catch the culprit then the student is punished.

[crusher_of_heads]

If you live in a neighbourhood that has broken windows, poor siding, etc. the real estate prices will eventually go down.


Taking the South Korean societal example, the group mentality and the pressure to conform, I believe, is what the OP is getting at, and he'd be right.

[Adventurer]

Korea is changing, that's a fact. However, is it changing enough in positive ways. I can't say, but the world cannot wait for Korea. The world is a competitive place, and if Korea doesn't clean up its act by rooting out corruption, being more attractive when it comes to investing, trading, and what have you, then it will be left behind. The US is having problems of its own, and Korea cannot hang on the coat-tails of the US forever. It doesn't work. Unlike Singapore, Korea has not fiercely fought corruption. It's ranked 43 in the world out of 179 nations.
Japan is at 21. Singapore is at number 2. Korea has modernized in an amazing fashion, but it's in danger of not taking proper advantage of the gains it has made. It may miss the train due to stubborness, short-sightedness. Working like crazy won't cut it, because other Asian countries do that as well. They can catch up to Korea.

[sojourner1]

Jammin Cool Kitty, it does make sense that if a place is tacky with graffiti and litter, then it's more likely crime will occur. Environment is a bigger issue than most people realize. People behave differently in different environments such as yucky ghettos have more rude people and crime while clean modern good looking neighborhoods might be quiet with only have white collar crime going on behind closed doors.

My relation of this concept to Korea. If you see masses of people acting rude or just terrible, it's because they're uncomfortable in that environment such as Seoul subway and tight bound up walled walkways bending around construction zones. Most of the architecture is not a harmonious design and it does effects peoples mentalities. Cities are very stressful for most people so they act more competitive and cut throat. Koreans don't act rude if it's lower population, fresher air, and more physical space to commute around in such as in small towns. If you find people acting indifferent to you, it's because you make them uncomfortable or they lack confidence to appropriately interact with you.

Things that you might find unpleasant, disharmonious, and filthy, the Koreans also find unpleasant, but are forced to contend with and believe they have no choice, but to suffer so they may act out on the streets, their frustrations over this stress. This is all too common worldwide with modern industrialization, because it really does suck to be cramped, breathing diesel fumes, have large ugly trucks nearly hitting you, more noxious pollution of all sorts, and then contend with ugly artificial places designed for the sold purpose of making the rich, richer. Modern westernization really is not the best thing for humanity as a whole; only for a few to get wealthy while the rest suffer. This is why people act worse and worse.

Korea also is not comfortable with globalization when dealing with the people it brings such as us, because it challenges their national identity and causes a conflict of interest in that it's polluting their pure Korea. They prefer the materialistic trappings of Westernization over the Westerners themselves. When the site and thought of foreigner comes up, the ultimate anxiety is, "What if he impregnates a Korean woman with dirty foreign genes of unknown quality and taints the pure Korean blood?" Obvious it happens and neighbors have no right to try to stop it when interracial kids are being had and then the in laws usually accept the adorable biracial child. There is such an unspoken stigma about foreigners causing ethnic pollution and even changing the pure Korean environment from simply living in it, but they sacrifice to increase their knowledge to modernize and globalize. This is why operating in Korea is so awkward.

[okokok]

I'm just thinking of simple things. Dangerous driving, spitting, the 'me first' attitude... I can't see it changing, and in the years I've been here it certainly hasn't changed. There's a lot of people, and everybody sees everyone else doing it every second of the day, so it reinforces them to do it also. I'm more likely to blow a red light, because I see it happen hundreds of times a day.

So despite public service announcements or other such efforts, etc... I can't see Korea ever changing in this regard. I think they are trapped.

[Ukon]

I've seen things changing....the subway behavior has become much more orderly for some reason..... more people lining up and letting people off the subway first.

[Adventurer]

[Join Me]

[maingman]

having lived in two areas both NORTH / of Seoul
( well more places but anyways )

they seemed to vary [i]quite a lot IMO in housing and cleanliness

[jajdude]

People have not changed since we began. We still enjoy killing one another for idiotic reasons.

[pidgin]

If there were ever a word that so closely or rightly describes "life" it would be, "change."

I think you've got it all wrong.

Korea has changed, is changing and will continue to change (just like everywhere and everything else).

Some changes take longer than others, but since the earth is composed of energy, (particles in a constant state of flux)...there's nothing to do, but change!

She (kor) has no choice in the matter afterall.

Put some more thought into it OP.

[jkelly80]

[okokok]