Korean Job Discussion Forums

toomuchtime · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 7:57 pm Post subject: "Korean men work so hard"

Long story short, heard this from a female student the other night. A high level class, so she knew what she was saying: the underlying message being that they work harder than other people/races.
I remember teaching from the Interchange books a few years ago and saw some stats about working hours per week and numbers of holidays in various countries, and recall that the US was higher in both categories than Korea and many others.
Can anyone point me to some hard statistics, so that next time I hear this, I can rebut it with something concrete?

Cheers,

TMT (I'm dynamite...)

lush72 · Joined: 18 Aug 2003 Location: I am Penalty Kick!

try this- http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2003-12-16-hours-cover_x.htm

peppermint · Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2004 8:09 pm Post subject:

I think the difference is that Korean people feel guilted into lots of extra curricular work related activities, that are considered work. Entertaining clients, company training weekends, etc.
Nationmaster might have some good info for you.

Gwangjuboy · Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Location: England

I always rebut such claims with the phrase, Koreans work a long time, Americans work a long time, and are far more productive with their time.

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Exactly. I'm not sure if they understand the meaning of working smart, as opposed to working hard. Working effectively is a new concept to them. To them, work is the appearance of work. Sat at your desk daydreaming and holding a pencil? thats officially "work".
As far as the hogwon goes, if koreans learned how to communicate well with foreigners, and learned some people skills, it would practically cut the workload caused by basic miscommunications in half..
"Hub of Asia?""

jaderedux · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Lurking outside Seoul

No denying they spend alot of time at work. But like a previous poster said....um.....well...alot of it isn't really work. We have membership training at our school for the teachers. We change into jeans, climb a mountain and the eat and drink. This is "training". It is not unusual for the teachers to sleep in the teachers room....since the vice principal does it no one complains much.

All of our teachers are required to stay at work until 4:30. The key word here is required. Many are literally just putting in time. Shopping on line ...chatting etc. Many take care of personal business. Online banking etc. When they have to work they work like demons....but alot of what we do is hurry up and wait.

In the states people at least tried ot be a little more subversive about it ...but here it is about appearances.....be at your desk till 4:30. That is what is required.....Not necessarily work till then just be there!

Jade

itaewonguy · Joined: 25 Mar 2003

they try and say their children attend school more than any other pupils of the world! hahahah thats BULLOCKS! New Zealand kids spend far more hours in the classroom than most children in the world.. seems korean kids are never in school.. ohh HAKWONS! well they are not forced to go!!

work.. you call ajosi sitting behind his computer playing GOSTOP or computer games work????
so what they may have to stay in the office longer. but its not like they are acually doing anything!
and that old rumour of them working 12 hour days.. THOSE DAYS ARE GONE!! still some interns do stay in the office that long.. but so what!!
so do people back home who want to make an impression or get ahead!
koreans still work 9-5!!!!! if you dont believe me.. just look at the traffic!!
5-6 the roads are packed.. the subways, buses too.. WHY IS THAT???
koreans hahahhaah.. they blow to much smoke up their own arses!

Gord · Joined: 25 Feb 2003

kangnamdragon · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea

I agree Korean men work too hard. A friend of mine works 8am-9pm. He is not playing games online either.

Homer · Guest

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

The secretaries at my school are useless. They waste time doing crap that would not happen if there was any good communication. Also, they do a lot of internet shopping.

desultude · Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2004 5:17 am Post subject:

Haggard · Joined: 28 Jun 2003

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

I think construction workers must be hard and productive workers. They certainly put up buildings fast enough. NOt too sure about the quality though.

One korean man kept telling me that korean men work so much and so hard that they were like robots. He taught toiec at a number of academies and had his own business on the side. strangely enough most of the time I saw him at my academy he was talking to one of the managers. Of the managers who worked there. One of them spent a lot of his time sleeping while the other played computers games far too much.