Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

I have a kindergarten class with kids who are four/five years old, and they are perverted. Within ten minutes of meeting me for the first time, one of them ran at me as hard as he could and knocked me in the nads, while other kids were behind me trying for the ddong chim.

Okay, yes, I should control my class better, thank you very much-- but within ten minutes of meeting me??? WTF? The worst part is that this was only the beginning. Since that time, I've had kids try to pry me open back there, put their heads up my shirt (I had a button up with a t-shirt underneath, so it wasn't completely horrifying), running headbutts to the groin where they actually pushed their head right into my crotch, and some really disturbing episodes of actual grabbage as well. All of this happened within plain sight of the Korean teacher.

I proceeded then to tell her that even though she thinks it's a goddam riot, in my society that is actually perverted, what they did is technically assault, everyone that does such things is a pervert, that I now consider all of these children to be perverts, and that I've told people back home about it and they were disgusted, shocked, and thought low of Korean children and Korean teachers for it (of course I understand it's a different culture, I just wanted to shame her into doing something, because they're so little I'm worried about hurting them or getting some parent after me).

Also disturbing: the fact that these kids seem to think that hitting is playing. I have a two year old in my class (yes, two years old-- still has her baby face and everything) who thinks it's great fun to put her little hand into a tiny tiny fist and smash it against me as hard as she can. I tell her 'no' repeatedly but of course she can't speak any English at all, and I don't think she can read my emotions either... so it goes nowhere. I don't want to get furious and yell at the kid in a completely unsubtle way either, because we all know what people think of that kind of teacher.

On the up side, after a few weeks, some of the hitting has changed into hugging, which I can deal with. But there are still some die-hand perverts obsessed with putting their hands where they don't belong.

Seriously-- who is teaching these kids this behavior?????

[mysterious700]

Kids love ddong chim. The parents run around and do it to their kids and the kids run around and do it to their parents. I cuss the whole stinking lot of em. ha ha ha

[mysterious700]

Let me add that I then turn around and ask the kids: "Are you crazy?" Then they giggle and run away....

[Yesterday]

[blaseblasphemener]

lighten up. roll with their silliness, just like they roll with your self-inflated western sense of self (I'm speculating)

[Papa Smurf]

wow.

you need to relax. they're just kids. 5 year old perverts? assault? now i've heard it all.

[quietpatches]

Wow... calling them perverts.
I would assume that before you went to work in Korea you did a thorough culture search on Korea. Otherwise you wouldn't be calling these kids perverts. You are in their country and part of it is learning about it, but to call them perverts and say that they are being taught the wrong manners?
Isn't that kind of sad? Who are we to say that they have no manners?

Don't go around calling them names, try learning some Korean and explain it fully to the kids. They aren't dumb, they are doing what is natural for them.

[optik404]

seriously, you're complaining about a two year old that likes to punch people?

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Why don't you call the police if you feel you are being "assaulted"


ESL Milk "Everyday: I want to report a crime.

Korean Police: What crime?

ESL Milk "Everyday: Sexual assault.

Korean Police: What his name?

ESL Milk "Everyday: Kim Tak Hyun

Korean Police: How old he is?

ESL Milk "Everyday: It's a girl.

Korean Police: Ah! How old she is?

ESL Milk "Everyday: 3

Korean Police: <stone faced for all eternity>

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

[chrisyurhee]

I hate it too. I just don't allow it.

Say the korean word "byun tae" (pronounced 'byun tay') with a question emphasis when they do it.
It means pervert/child molester/etc. They'll probably laugh.

Also, "ha gee ma" means stop it.

New to Korea, aren't you?

This stuff happens 'everyday'. (I couldn't resist the pun)

Be firm - they're testing you. You are the one to teach them what is acceptable behavior in your classroom. Outside, who cares? But hopefully what you teach will go outside with them, too.

Good luck, and remember, if the kimchi is fizzing and you thinks it's gone bad, it hasn't. It's just starting to get really good! And watch out for Soju - it's sneaky, like little gremlins on an airplane wing. (drink enough and you'll see 'em too - we all have) I prefer Andong Soju. It's more than twice as strong!

[antoniothegreat]

the answer is quite simple, smack 'em.

they will stop. if the coteacher is not stopping it, do it yourself.

[mole]

I got pretty good at the pre-emptive blind behind the back swat.
Missed several, but the solid clocks always feel good. And can hardly be prosecuted as premeditated.
Frontal attacks take more diplomacy, but at least you see them coming.
Stiff-arms, well-timed raised knee (nothing like the echo of toddler molars clacking when you get 'em under the chin,) or turn around quickly and recycle first tactic.

[bogey666]

i teach HS so I don't deal with such nonsense.

but I do think there's something to this interesting Western (read AMERICAN) sense of "perversion".. and what's perverse and not.

my take is that it's basically harmless "fun", albeit highly annoying, hence I wouldn't partake and or allow it done to me if I were in a similar position.

but back to "perversions", American puritan style.

remember when six year old's Elian Gonzalez's grandmothers came to visit him while he was still being kidnapped in Miami?

all meeting were done in front a "chaperone" and it was reported that both of the grandmothers (together) took the time to examine the kid's d.i.c.k. and determine whether it had "grown".






this became a mini scandal, though never became a huge deal, because even in the rabidly anti castroite Cuban exilio community, their grandmothers do the same thing

[Forward Observer]

I was riding up the escalator at work a few months ago and dongg-chimmed one of the engineers I was friendly with. The look on his face was priceless.

I didn't do it very hard though. haha