Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/10/117_53383.html

[Thiuda]

Thanks for the link Bass.

Having too much time on my hands mid-terms week I read the comment section following the article. I don't think the quote in your post accurately represents the situation at SNU. The person interviewed by The Herald, Prof. Gress, complained that he was misquoted:

The reporter slipped in some quotes and seems to have only served his own sensationalist agenda. Too bad, because during the interview, I tried to stress the potential benefits of the framework we developed. In fact, I told him that any time change is introduced into a system, there is a process of adjustment.

Other comments by Prof. Gress seem to indicate that he was grossly misrepresented by the author.

A comment by another SNU staff member reads:

More innuendo and SNU bashing from Kang Shin-who, who really seems to dislike the place. A few points: 1) SNU is finally having an orientation for foreign faculty next week, 2) some departments are better than others in communications with foreign faculty, mine is exemplary, and I've never felt neglected, 3) the Andrea Pearson case was a year ago, and most speculation I've heard does not reflect well on her.

All in all, this article says less about SNU than it does about the quality of journalism at The Korea Times.

[Smee]

I'm not going to put much stock in comments left under a Korea TImes piece because there's no way to verify who's who. But it's true that the article was extremely biased, though that's what's to be expected from the Times and Kang Shin-who.

"A number" of foreign professors have left? Really? By my reckoning that number is one.

Cross-cultural difficulties? Partly the old "foreigners don't understand Korean culture" line, and partly the old "foreigners expected to come here and be real teachers but this is Korea and they're simply native speakers regardless of field and who cares if they need research opportunities" line.

Furthermore, why is the Times picking on SNU when you'll probably find the exact same shortcomings at every single institution in Korea? True, SNU boasts about how "globalized" it is, but then again so does every entity in Korea.

More comments and links here: http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/10/foreign-professors-and-culture-shock-at.html

[pkang0202]

Freaking Kang Shin-Woo. Seriously, why is nothing being done about this guy.

I propose we get like 30 of us "foreigners" tegether, go straight to the Korea Times office and demand to speak to the editor about that guy. I guarantee that will get their attention. I'm sure the last thing Korea Times wants is a bunch of pissed off foreigners disrupting their workday.

[bassexpander]

I merely quoted the first paragraph.

You know, TOS states that we aren't supposed to quote too much. That's why I chose some rather than all.

As far as the guy from SNU now being upset about what was printed.... I can sympathize, but at the same time, why would you even say anything remotely negative about your university to a paper that just recently printed a negative article about your school? It appears the guy even posed for a photo. Lesson learned by him, I suppose.

There's always the possibility that some higher-ups got wind of the article and threatened his job over it.

In any case... yah... it's not unheard of for the news media here to modify a story. As I've stated before, I was asked by a reporter at a major network to read scripted lines, which I totally disagreed with, to a camera for the sake of helping them make the point they wanted in a news story.

Rule 1: Never talk to the Korean media if there is the slightest hint that it could burn you later.


As for Kang Shin Woo, I have spoken with him before, and he's a nice guy. I can't speak for whether or not his story was a fabrication, but I can attest that he is not a mean guy out to get foreigners or something. He was willing to do a story about SMOE firing several teachers when no other newspaper seemed at all interested.

[Smee]

He has a pretty rotten track record of printing half stories, of spreading rumor, or misquoting people, and of not talking to sources.

I mean, remember the ATEK piece where he gave the guy from Anti-English Spectrum a say but didn't even talk to anybody with ATEK?

Anyway, why would anyone talk to Kang Shin-who? Anybody who does knows what they're in for.

[PRagic]

Thanks for posting the article, Bass. But from the looks of it, at least from the comments section, the professor didn't say anything negative about his university. In fact, he keeps saying that he told the reporter that the interview topic had nothing to do with SNU! Anyway, at least something is getting in the news. I agree that the Times should be run up a lamp post, though.

[Smee]

Yes, somebody proporting to be Professor Gress (not sure if he's a Dr. or what) is leaving comments on the KT site saying he was taken out of context. He also visited my site.

I've collected some of the comments here:

http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/10/professor-gress-responds-to-kang-shin.html

[bassexpander]

Not caring either way, I wonder what "agenda" there would be against SNU here, if any? Why would a Korean reporter care to blast SNU in such a way?

I can't speak for SNU, but I know that new instructors at our school were given very basic information about their jobs in the past, only to learn about additional things later, on their own, or at the last possible second. I actually put together a guide for new foreign teachers at our school this past year. I did it not because the school asked me to, but because I could see it was sorely needed. We were hiring five new instructors and I was tired of seeing new hires told, "...just talk to the English assistant." I felt sorry for our assistant, too... actually.