Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

In my little corner of SE Asia I get two Korean channels on my cable package, Arirang and KBS World. The second is worth watching for the occasional documentary and food show, which makes me miss Korea from time to time (not that much though), but the former really gets my hackles up.

My issue, a story on a Vietnamese woman married to a Korean farmer. Nothing unusual, you might say, but this piece, part of a series on foreigners making a difference to Korea really did get me ranting and raving. The woman, a saint in the making, or so it would seem, is devoted to her bed-ridden mother-in-law, washing her, caring for her 24-7 whilst giving birth to a second child.

My experience of migrant wives of Korean farmers is somewhat different. I have spoken to many over the years whose tales of enduring abuse, some of it even violent, from in-laws is well noted. Even the Korean government has acknowledged the problem and has sought to find ways to better integrate these women.

But Arirang, as opposed to most other foreign channels, has this irritating habit of selling nothing but sugar-coated cack about Korea. Korea, the land of rainbows and leprechauns, where adjumas f@rt potpourri-scented lollypops and nobody goes without kimchi, ever! Compare this to say, the BBC, PBS, Deutschewelle, the ABC or any other foreign news or TV service and you can at least you get a bit of perspective and they will highlight issues of concern once in a while.

Who do Arirang think they are fooling? Why the need to spew [MOD EDIT] onto the airwaves? Are the producers and presenters really that naive that they think that people will swallow the "everything is rosy in Korea" line, hook, line and sinker? Man, that channel makes me wanna wretch!

[VanIslander]

several posters on Dave's are like Arirang shows in their incessant demands to only speak of the positive aspects of Korea and its culture

Arirang is a promotional tool, and anyone who watches it for more than an hour or two can pick up on the propaganda-laden face saving that goes on there

Arirang reminds me of the similarities between North Koreans and South Koreans, how they indeed share cultural traits, however different their societies have developed

[Yaya]

Your criticism is valid but something that has been said since Arirang started airing in 1997. The problem is multfaceted: clueless management, lack or warped direction, and more importantly, lack of funding. The network needs to fight for funding from the National Assembly every year and funding has gone down yet the network is being asked to do more and more with less and less.

Hopefully, Korea gets wise to the game shuts down or gets rid of most of the awful shows on that pathetic excuse for a network.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

[endo]

Arirang does often go overboard.

But have any of you seen the weekly program about firefighters in Ilsan. It's really good and it often show how rude Koreans can be at times.

For examples, this group of firefights entered a building searching for a fire. It was a false alarm.

However, you still had a few Koreans come out of their apartments and complain about all the noise.

Then one of the fire fighters later shows his frustration in how they are treated.



The firefighters also have to deal with plenty of drunk adjashes.

[Geckoman]

Arirang channel = total pro-Korea propaganda channel