Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Corporal]

All Koreans should learn from all Westerners. I propose:

Don't hate us just because we sometimes make more money with less effort than you. Hey, we can't help being white.

Don't hate us just because we speak our minds and say what we think.

Don't hate us just because we don't have to bow to our parents and show obeisance to all those who are older simply because of age.

Don't hate us just because we have the freedom to do what we want.

Don't hate us just because we're not afraid of standing out from the crowd and being different.

Hmmm...is that everything? anyone who can think of more feel free to add...

[hellofaniceguy]

What you say is true, but, it's worked for koreans for thousands of years even if we don't think it has. Koreans are not going to stand up for themselves or others. Hell, they can't even win a war and they have been ruled by "other" countries at different times. Westerners can't expect another country to follow their style just as we would not put up with it if koreans came to our country and started complaining. It's never going to be like life in the "West" in korea. Parents continue to teach their children bad habits, ways, manners, business practices, etc. All one can do is accept koreans for what they are and try and adjust. No one forces anyone to come to korea or sign B.S. contracts. We can leave korea anytime; koreans can't. They are stuck.

[william beckerson]

Look at it this way:

"Hello, We're gonna leave all of these bases around your country and make you sign a generally unfavorable SOFA because the third world country to your north may try to attack you again. This is for your own good...Oh did we mention that you all have to take english names if you want to study the language you have no choice but to study?"

[Mee-Cheen]

Personally I'd love to see America leave this country and let Mr. Kim Jong Il come marching in to this country. I mean I can understand the SOFA thing pissing off some people but I see no recognition of the fact that the US saved this counties ass. And the tank thing was an accident. Terrible, but an accident. A Korean dude driving what I think was a US related vehicle killed some Korean woman a few days ago but there aren't any demonstrations about that. Funny how it works when it's a Korean. South Korea could be a backward assed third world nation just like the North if it wasn't for the 50,000 Yanks who died here and the US trade that has helped build this nation up. Starvation, dictatorship, the whole deal. Like I said, I can understand some frustration, but let's see how happy they'd be to fight the North Koreans on their own.

[jsmac]

But then what would you do for a living?

hellofaniceguy makes a good point: whatever Koreans do it has worked for them for millennia. Despite (or perhaps because of?) being almost constantly under attack or occupation by larger and more powerful neighbors, they have maintained a distinct cultural identity, while hundreds of other cultures have been annihilated over the same period. South Korea spent most of the first 50 years of the 20th century being occupied, invaded, bombed, or shelled, yet it did manage to build a rather impressive economy in a fairly short time, now ranking ahead of many older, larger countries with more favorable geography and natural resources.

I'm not saying that the criticisms here are not valid, by any means. But human nature tends towards the "What have you done for me lately?" and any population is bound to resent continued foreign military presence on its ground. Especially when the Great Protectors act like such jerks whenever they're on weekend passes... But you may be right: perhaps everyone would be better off if the Americans pulled out (one wonders, though, what would become of the 8th Army!).

BTW, not to nitpick, but it wasn't only Yanks who fought in Korea!

[Circus Monkey]

[sparkx]

"Don't hate us just because we have the freedom to do what we want."

I would love to hear a detailed explanation of this one. Can you give me precise examples of how this is so?

I don't want to get into some long-winded philosophical diatribe but maybe take a gander at Sartre or Camus' opinions of "freedom" and let me know if this is still applicable.

[l'il kim]

What about having a giant US base smack dab in the middle of Seoul, taking up precious real estate space and basically being a blight on the landscape? Now that's a slap in the face, putting it right downtown. Even Germany and Japan - which also continue to host US bases - do not have to put up with such monstrosities in the downtown cores of their capital cities. Then again, I guess the fight over the Yongsan base is who will pay for the move to the boondocks...

[Dan]

[Captain Obvious 2.0]