Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Junior]

They're not legally allowed to start until 8am.

They probably regard 7.15 as in the ballpark of 8.

Most Koreans wouldn't complain as they have an extremely high noise tolerance, and they would regard disrupting a public works project as unpatriotic and selfish. Some personal sacrifice for the long term good of the community is generally the thinking: personal rights must take a back seat if Korea is to be great and that construction is to be completed.

They will probably ignore one foreigner complaining, unless the management want to use this misdemeanour as some sort of power trip within the ranks.

[bluelake]

Where I live, we had building construction going on next door since the beginning of the semester; they started around 7 a.m. each morning. Also, we are in a direct line of fighter jets and they start not much later than that (and go into the evenings).

[cj1976]

[bixlerscott]

Yep, people seemed to be inconsiderate of one another over there when it came to noise, litter, and smoky trash fires stinking up your air in the evenings and very early in the mornings. There are laws regarding these sorts of things, but they are not honored unless enforced which is extremely rare. All this inconsiderate behavior is only destroying each others health and they simply are not all that modernized in their behaviors despite appearing materialistically modern.

I'd talk to Koreans I know that can speak some English to see what can be done even if it involves talking about it with co-teachers. This is a very different situation than being back home so I wouldn't worry about it being silly to go complain at work about your issue with all night jackhammer noise at your apartment, because you can't go out there and talk to those people nor know who to talk to though the police is a good start if you can get one to communicate on your level of understanding. Might broach the issue with your local city hall officials or get a co-teacher to handle it though if they are young and unmarried women, don't expect much negotiation power or authority for her to speak up. It was tough entrusting a young unmarried accountant to handle business matters I couldn't do on my own since she was as dossle and passive as a cute bunny wabbit. I was able to get a 35 year old married Korean woman to help me out when I got stumped. There's something about being married and a bit experienced that gives them the ability to talk and negotiate problems.

I managed to get a neighbor to stop burning his trash near my window by having a co-teacher talk to him. I managed to get tractor mechanics to stop work at 8PM instead of banging into the night until 12 or 1 by having co-teachers talk to someone with the city who had a talk with the mechanics boss. I couldn't have them making all that noise until the wee hours right outside my place nor the neighbors burning plastics, paper, and boxes at 8pm or 5am causing me to feel awful as if I were going to have a heart attack. You have a right to your needed rest and fresh air as to maintain your sanity and health to be able to function in a way that makes sense. Despite being a foreigner, you actually have quite a bit of power in Korea when communication is successful.

[Junior]

[djsmnc]

I would say to deal with it for the year you're there and then move far away from the 'chon. That's what I did and I'm so glad to be far far away!

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

[creeper1]

Where can you buy ear plugs though? Just in the pharmacy?