Korean Job Discussion Forums

[GreenlightmeansGO]

Hi,

Just wanted to give a heads-up about a guy that harassed my girlfriend and I tonight.

He walked up to us and asked us something I didn't hear, so I said sorry and we walked on. We'd got about 100 metres down the road when I turned and saw him following us. He then ran after us and stopped next to my girlfriend, walking beside us to the end of the road.

He asked me if I could teach him mathematics, so I said I couldn't, so he called me a beggar in English and Korean. I asked him what it was he wanted and he asked me what I did, so I told him I was an English teacher. He asked me if I was qualified to teach English, to which I said yes. He kept calling me a beggar and then started a tirade of Korean swear-words, mentioning to my girlfriend that he didn't trust me.

The shit he was saying was stuff a guy looking for a fight would say. I imagine he was just trying to get me to snap. Luckily, we were on our way to McDonalds, so we got to ditch him.

He's an average height guy, about 5'7" or 5'8", his hair is dyed reddish and he's brown-skinned (Pakistani). I've seen him in Burger King and around the general downtown area before and he seems to randomly walk around and looks troublesome. Anyone had a similar experience, maybe with the same guy?

[ED209]

[GreenlightmeansGO]

Nope, nothing like Prince Harry.

[michaelambling]

The most disturbing part of this story is that you were going to McDonalds.

[DaeguKid]

ignore the tosser comments...thanks for the heads up...and well done not lowering yourself to this fool.
DK

[MissSeoul]

This is a little different topic, but have you ever date with someone from Middle Eastern country ????

I've dated with a Lebanese surgeon when I was in Saudi Arabia. Every time we date he reminded me that he is from weird (??? ) culture, he was from Lebanon, it's still one of the weirest experience I ever had

[michaelambling]

[madoka]

This almost sounds like he wants you to hit him so he could possibly sue you for blood money.

[Cheonmunka]

Odd about mathematics. He must be good at it. Yet, doesn't get a chance to use it.

[GreenlightmeansGO]

Yeah, I was thinking he's possibly educated (but his manner made me think otherwise) and he shares the opinion of some Koreans that foreigners teaching English here are uneducated and unqualified.

I was also wondering about the blood-money thing, but do you know if that would apply to foreigners? Could he benefit as a Korean would?

[sarbonn]

[Kimchi Cha Cha]

The guy was a definite arsehole and I would have just got straight in his face and told him in no uncertain words to leave after it was clear that being civil and avoiding him weren't going to work.

At the same time, I can definitely understand how some foreign workers from India, Pakistan and other SE Asian nations feel went they see us around. Sure, Korea's not an easy place for any foreigner. But, for a light-skinned, Western foreigner it's a piece of cake compared to a dark-skinned foreigner from a poorer nations.

The conditions a lot of these guys work in are barbarian. Their treated like crap and often beaten by their bosses and treated like dirt by the wider community. They then see Westerners who have it significantly easier and understandably a lot would feel resentment, especially if they see the Westerner with a local girl. I'm not condoning this guy's actions whatsoever and the guy is a definite arse. I'm just surprised these kinds of incidents don't occur more often.

[coralreefer_1]

Actually I believe I saw this guy last night, not far from where you had an encounter with him.

Seems the same as you described, but his eyes were very very red, almost seemed to be on the verge of bleeding. He said hello, I replied hello to be kind and kept walking. But he followed for while saying something I was not listening to.

After he followed me for awhile, I finally stopped to see what he wanted. He asked if I was a teacher, which I replied "No" (I'm a graduate student). After which he asked me could I speak Korean (Which I can). After a few exchanges of Korean words, he went on his way.

I can guess from that experience and what others have said , that he just wants to confront people he suspects are people who he believes fit the common "stereotype" of English teachers here. After he knew I wasn't a teacher and could speak Korean, he seemed to become less aggressive and borderline friendly.

As far as I am concerned, people like him make my rare trips downtown an interesting experience.

[Goku]

Playing Devil's Advocate here,

But when someone hear something and turn around keep walking (even though you don't say sorry) it can be percieved as disrespectful. I don't know EXACTLY how it happened, but if it's the way that most people do it, Its possible that's the main reason he got offended. Now obviously that's not your fault and this doesn't give him the right to act they way he did. This is just the cause I conjecture.

Also, not your fault, or really racist or anything, but I don't think it's necessary to title your situtation with the man's ethnicity. I mean, his ethnicity has nothing to do with the fact he was a jackass so why put it in the title? And people really don't need a reason to be on a look out for pakistani people. People shouldn't need to be put on high alert for one bad run in. I know that's not your intention, but people here are just as xenophic as the Koreans they criticize so some dave's users will interpret it as "pakastanis aggro" (there have been other posts similar to pakistanis aggroing forgeigners so I REALLY wouldn't be suprised)

Of course, his actions were stupid and deplorable nevertheless. Also being with your girlfriend the whole time exacerbates the issue, you really don't want her to be exposed to this kind of crap eh? I can understand how this irritates you and wanting to give warning to others.

My theory is just like yours too, he thinks foreigners are uneducated and underqualified. One first reading, that's exactly my thought

[hugekebab]