Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gimpokid]

So I went to KEB today to take advantage of the Sunday banking hours and it was packed with Southern Asians, I assume Bangladeshi but they coulda been Nepalese. I don't really know.

So I finisg my banking and walk outside and a group of these guys is hanging around the entrance. I walk by and get a couple of glares and hear some mutterings. Whatever.

I continue to the bank kiosk around the corner and check to see that my transfer was deducted and get some cash to buy some food. When I turn around I see this pack of dudes has followed me and grown slightly larger. When I walk outside they all are mean mugging me and saying somthing in a fairly aggressive tone. I brush past them and make my way to the grocery store about 2 blocks away.

When I come out of the grocery store this same pack of dudes is standing on the other side of the street lined up with exit. When they seem this time they start screaming like full on hatred a couple of them start pointing at me and pointing at the ground in front of them like "Yo come get stomped right now." I'm not trying to fight 8 guys for no damn reason at all so I hustle around the corner of the building, out the back lot and take the back road home.

I've have never experienced these kind of intimidation tactics in Korea from anyone.

Did I miss something? I've known many Indian, Nepaliese, and Bangel people in the US and they have been some of the coolest people I've ever met.

Do South Asians in Korea have a chip on their shoulder? Do they hate Russians (maybe they thought I was Russian). Could they have been Pakistani maybe. I'm just confused.

Thoughts?

[kiwiduncan]

Maybe they hate lego

[Gimpokid]

That's no excuse to start screaming at a playmobil guy.

[kiwiduncan]

meh, playmobil guys, lego men, they all look the same to me

[Donald Frost]

Perhaps they thought that you did not wait for your turn. Still, what a weird situation.

[asylum seeker]

Four female friends I've had have had problems with South Asian (Sri lankan, Bangladeshi and Pakistani) men. In all four cases the men approached them on the subway and were at first chatty and friendly but once they got their phone numbers then quickly turned into psychotic stalkers and wouldn't stop calling them and harassing them. It must be hard for them though, the majority of the 3D workers are male and the K-girls pretty much ignore them.

[Bibbitybop]

OP, what city or area of city was this in?

[Gimpokid]

In Gimpo, Sau-Dong. I think South Asian factory workers out number Western English teachers, but it's not like there is so few of us that we would be seen as a rarity. There's a lot of factories out here, but it's not like these guys have a real presence like they do in areas of Seoul.

That's what was weird. This ain't your "turf" fellas. If we started mixin it up I willing to bet the cops/average Korean would have sided with the white teacher over the South Asian factory workers.

[OnTheOtherSide]

They thought you were handsome and were gonna take turns on you.

[Gimpokid]

[bangbayed]

If their anger was really unprovoked, maybe they thought you were someone else. This is pretty unusual behaviour - are you sure there was no misunderstanding?

[bundangbabo]

[Gimpokid]

I don't know. I was just doing my thing. Maybe they thought I wasn't being friendly inside the bank or thought I got better treatment from KEB (I did, simply because bankers in Korea are far more likely to speak English/cater to a white dude? Why hate on me for that?)

[pidgin]

I'd just chalk it up to 'wrong place, wrong time.'

You'll probably never know what bug got up their asses....I wouldn't worry about it. Not a very common occurence at all, as far as i know.

[pidgin]