Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

... fear for your bi-racial family? Would you worry about North Koreans hoping to take out their anger on foreigners (whether or not they truly are Americans, or not)?

I came across this quote (below), which is from a long time ago (1950's). Obviously, Koreans have made strides, but what will happen when North and South come together again? Or will we find ourselves having to leave, fearing for our families?

Will foreigners be able to stand around and watch the excitement as they did during the 2002 world cup? What about soon after, when reality sets in for South Koreans, and they come to realize how much they and their family will have to sacrifice to bring North Korea into the 21st century? Where will all of that excitement be channeled? We saw the nationalism channeled into an anti-US story about some children being run over by a tank back in 2002. What would happen if excessive pride caused a blame-the-foreigners situation to develop around here? I can seriously see this happening once North and South reunite. Some believe the split of North and South was caused by outside sources (nevermind the war launched by KJ il), and that South Koreans shouldn't have to pay for reconciliation. How would you and your bi-racial children deal with the growing anti-foreigner wave of Korean pride at school? At work?

Where will the pent-up emotions flow once Korea realizes the burden of cost involved in rebuilding the North, and that the rest of the world isn't going to pay for it all?

I thought of these things as I listened to my Korean colleague talk about how much North and South Korea need each other to become a great world economy. I've heard this echoed before. I have a feeling that a great many proud Koreans harbor such thoughts, and I wonder what effect woori-nara will have on my mixed-race family when waves of emotions take over.

[Junior]

I often thought about this. Basically south Korea would be flooded overnight with economic migrants whose attitudes and beliefs are out of the stone age. Southerners caught up in patriotic fervour would seek to ally themselves with their northern brothers in every way. There would exist for a time a state of semi-lawlessness in which foreigners would become targets of attacks on the streets, and no police officer would lift a finger to ensure their safety.
Basically if reunification happens, time to head for the airport and not bother returning for another 20 years or so. This probably goes for all the vietnamese brides and their progeny as well.
Personally i'd probably stick around and risk it for a few days with my photographic gear.. to get lots of footage to sell to the worlds media.

[bassexpander]

[Ukon]

For starters, I never understood the "flood of refugees" argument....unless they plan on traveling across the heavily forrested and landmined DMZ which will likely be inhabited by post-collapse bandits.

The only way north koreans would be able to travel en masse to the south would be via boat....and few North koreans can actually swim...

I assume most of them will stay put and dine on food aid....US food aid.....a hungry man is an easily swayed man....

[benji1422]

This is a retarded thread, full of the same kind of racism and xenophobia is proports to rally against.

First off, if you did even a 5 minute google search on Korean unification you would know that billions of dollars are being spent by ROK and US military on contingency plans to prevent refugees from streaming across the border in the event of a regime collapse. In essence the border will be closed with limited travel back and forth and it will be similar to Hong Kong/China, and not West/East Germany in 1989

2nd, if you bothered to keep up with changing trends (instead of quoting articles from 50 years ago), you'd know that multi-culturalism/racial problems is a hot topic now that 1/3 of all marriages in the countryside are to foreigners (korean men marrying Vietnamese/Chinese women). The idea of a KKK/yob uprising is a fantasy that could only be conjured up by someone who is steeped in the racial politics and violence of North America/England/Australia...

[GwangjuParents]

Sometimes the comedy really writes itself on this board.

And that's why I keep coming back

[jvalmer]

The North will become a huge factory with cheap labour for SK companies. That's how the North will catchup to the South income wise. Inflation in the North would be high and income levels and infrastructure will take about a generation to catch up (maybe 10-25 years). I think the average SK citizen would want them caught up as fast as possible. Korean, with a few American, construction companies will make a killing developing the north.

This would however leave a lot of lower skilled people in the south in a bind and the foreign factory workers would either have to go back home or stay around and "scrounge" for money. Good chance in a big increase in non-violent crime like pick-pocketing and stealing.

The US army will probably stick around for a while, and probably will stay south of the DMZ in order to keep China happy.

[mc_jc]

[Troutslayer]

[shamham]

I think you'll see a lot of Korean men eager to have North Korean women for wives. Very eager. These women would be extremely traditional, which would appeal to a lot of K-guys.

There's also a view that North Korean women are 'especially beautiful.' My wife told me this once, as an offhand statement of 'fact' that she didn't think twice about.

I don't know, I'd think a wave of SK men marrying traditional NK women would have some affect on Korean society. I wonder what it would mean for issues like women's rights and xenophobia? Would it mean nothing at all? Or would the current 'buyer's market' for SK women that's sent so many rural guys looking for Vietnam brides change overnight?

Not positing good or bad on this, but I agree that it's food for thought on many fronts.

[Steelrails]

[tiger fancini]

[bassexpander]

[cdninkorea]

[bassexpander]