Korean Job Discussion Forums

Sliver · Joined: 04 May 2003 Location: The third dimension

I study Korean. Bought a puzzle book (��) printed in 2001, December 10th.

Page twenty eight.......

�� ⿪�ڵ� �𸣴� ��?

The literal translation is

"Who is someone that doesn't know how to put down a sickle or even how to write the first letter of the alphabet?"

It is asking who is stupid or as the dictioary puts it....

"be so ignorant as not to know his ABC"

The answer to this puzzle.

�ܱ�� (foreigner)

It is the times when I see or read things like this that my heart is sad.

Lets look at the real context of the puzzle in a book, printed only a few years ago, intended as a fun educational tool for children (according to the �б�� preface).

Who are stupid people?

Foreigners

��ִ�?

dogbert · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Killbox 90210

Not to nitpick, but the meaning is more along the lines of:

"Someone so stupid as not to recognize a "kiyeok" (first letter of the Korean alphabet) when a sickle is placed before him". The idea being that the shape of the letter is identical to that of a sickle.

The answer does suck, however.

VanIslander · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2004 7:00 pm Post subject:

Let's remember the similar plight of the ethnic Chinese in Korea: There are relatively few of them and many of them have publicly protested the discrimination and abuse they also receive from Koreans.

Foreigners are foreigners. Some Asian people are able to learn to master the language and blend their children in with Korean society. Most foreigners aren't able to do even that.

To criticize foreigners for not even knowing the easy-to-learn Korean alphabet is one of many ways Koreans defend themselves from the personal and cultural pressures of assilimlation coming from Chinese, Japanese and Western sides. So is the idea of Korea as the best this and best that in the world.

Such attitudes are barriers to preserve culture. Koreans accept some outside influences and call them their own; they reject others.

Their world is Korea. They are people whose culture will not go the way the Manchurians, Mongolians, and Tibetians have been going.

Their beliefs serve their interests no less than has those of Americans and Germans.

There are costs to such cultural beliefs borne by most foreigners and by many Koreans in an internationalized economy.

So, yes, the cultural thinking is inherent.

At least that's my perspective.

Gladiator · Joined: 23 May 2003 Location: Seoul

Interesting that should crop up. I too heard of the existence of that book once.

That's one of the nastier aspects of becoming literate in Korean. They can't conceal the scale and scope of their prejudices from you behind language any longer.

sublimeshawn · Joined: 25 Aug 2003 Location: Nebraska, USA

I could give a rats ass! Im here to teach english, I know some korean, but I dont pay mind to what anyone says about my crappy korean.

indiercj · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Location: Seoul

hehe... pretty good one.

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

A foreigner always appears stupid in a foreign country. And the system here is designed to keep foreigners vulnerable and in their place, to some extent.
I reckon that some korean teachers also derive satisfaction from seeing foreign teachers ridiculed by hokwon kids, because waeguk teachers are given little real authority to appear as anything other than entertaining clowns.

Koreans spend more time than many other nationalities trying to learn English, but after years of millions of won, they still can't hold a basic conversation- unlike other nationalities. So Who's stupid?

Sliver · Joined: 04 May 2003 Location: The third dimension

Thanks for the clarification Dogbert

indiercj, do you really find it funny? Something that discourages foreigners for doing something you expouse we should do, learn korean.

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm in your voice?

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

We are stupid, yet they pay big money to have us come and teach their kids. Now who's stupid?

Butterfly · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Kuwait

waggo · Joined: 18 May 2003 Location: pusan baby!

I saw a couple of foreign guys on TV last night....one was a lanky Jewish American (I think) with a rubber face and comicly massive nose. The other was a British guy who also has a rubber face....both of the men are fluent in Korean and are on Korean TV reguarly....they were acting out the differences in British and American English infront of a "celebrity" studio audience...they were like a couple of performing monkeys!!
My toes were curling.Who are these Guys?