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UknowsI
Joined: 16 Apr 2009
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 Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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I found it disrespectful when South Korean assume that South Korea is the only Korea. Why that is disrespectful is quite obvious to me.
My argument seems to have been interpreted differently from what I meant. I don't have any problems with anyone assuming that Korea means South Korea. What I have a problem with is when people are offended when this assumption is not made. There is a notable difference between the two. The first case makes an assumption based on an overwhelming likelihood while the second case ignores a country's existence.
Sorry if my English is not clear, it's not my native language. |
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catman
Joined: 18 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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Obviously Korean immigrants get this all the time.
When I meet one of them and ask "Where in Korea are you from?"
The answer usually is "South Korea".  |
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tomstar86
Joined: 09 May 2009
Location: Daegu, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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Oh god yes, the are you in North or South Korea question.
I got this all the time before I left the UK. People were worried that I was going to some military dictatorship and asked me why on earth I was going. When I explained to them that South Korea is, in basic terms of infrastructure and the economy etc, Japan in Miniature, then they were a lot more relaxed.
Recently I've come across some Chinese folk online. They assume I'm in the North. When I explain why I'm not in the North, and that the North is a crazy regime propped up by China, they're genuinely shocked - seems like the average Chinese person is unaware of the madness going on!
The only country in the world I can think where both answers would be equally horrifying would be "which Congo are you going to?"
Tom
http://waegook-tom.com |
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chungbukdo
Joined: 22 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2011 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| UknowsI wrote: |
| I found it disrespectful when South Korean assume that South Korea is the only Korea. Why that is disrespectful is quite obvious to me. |
They don't assume that. They assume that Koreans traveling abroad are overwhelmingly likely to be South Koreans, which is true. And they look at people like they are idiots when they ask "Are you from North Korea?" because the likelihood of that event happening is so close to zero that they should look at those people like idiots.
| Quote: |
| The first case makes an assumption based on an overwhelming likelihood while the second case ignores a country's existence. |
No South Korean ignores DPRK's existence. How would you even know they are doing that? |
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Squire
Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 8:35 am Post subject: |
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I was quite surprised I was asked once or twice 'Is South Korea the one with the dictator?'. It seemed incredibly ignorant considering the World Cup was only 8 years ago  |
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happiness
Joined: 04 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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dude, this kind of mis-information/ignorance/whatever is everywhere. I know the world map and once when i was teaching my lovely HS boys, I asked them some map questions and they asked me some. I got them all correct and they missed every one. When I asked why, one said "we study Korean geography only because we love Korea!" there you go.
but id bet if you asked them Korean geography in detail, they wouldnt know except the big cities....
saving face, indeed.
in my travels, one of the biggest things Ive learned is noone cares about your travels beyond a quip or a picture or two. In America, sometimes people ask me about Buddhism (which Ive studied a bit), but if I start explaning anything too Asian to them, their eyes glass over. Same here, if I talk about anything thats not known in Korea, or about American and Korean thought, same glassy eyes (or anger, for telling them there is a world outside the Korea they know..yes..the difference between K and A is not only langauge and hamburgers and kimchi).
thats the expat life, actually. |
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Stalin84
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Location: Haebangchon, Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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| happiness wrote: |
| thats the expat life, actually. |
It's odd how otherwise open minded people back in our home countries become so close minded.
When I left for Korea originally I had just graduated and was in my early 20s. A lot of my friends at the time expressed desire to join me and they were really curious about what things were like on this side of the world. Some were asking me what it takes to come over here and a few others actually did come over to teach.
But when I go home now, a lot of those people who were interested in the world outside of the Maritimes aren't interested anymore. They have lives now. Even if they're single and working at a crappy job, a switch just flicks at some point in this stage of our lives and they just stop caring about that which does not directly concern them. Then they become those fickle people who think that if it's not something that they would do, then it must be weird.
I met up with an ex-girlfriend when I was home a few months ago. We used to get on so well when we were dating (before I graduated) and now she's engaged and working as a receptionist at some clinic. Since I'd been over here the whole time and she asked me what I'd been up to, about ten seconds into describing it I noticed that she just didn't give a rat's ass. If I had been working and living near her the whole time, she would have been interested because we might know the same people, go to the same places, etc. Since my world didn't connect with hers at all she thought I was a stranger or just plain weird and I found everything she told me about to be, frankly, boring.
But yes, this is the life of an expat. If an expat does return to their home country after a long sojourn, I recommend going to a relatively large city where you can find people that can at least partially identify with you. |
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chellovek
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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| I honestly don't think I've ever been asked that question. Compared to most of the posters on here I must move in quite exalted intellectual circles... |
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Stalin84
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Location: Haebangchon, Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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| chellovek wrote: |
| I honestly don't think I've ever been asked that question. Compared to most of the posters on here I must move in quite exalted intellectual circles... |
Or you're just from somewhere relatively important where intelligent people actually live/migrate to. |
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NYC_Gal 2.0
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 12:39 am Post subject: |
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| Squire wrote: |
| I was quite surprised I was asked once or twice 'Is South Korea the one with the dictator?'. It seemed incredibly ignorant considering the World Cup was only 8 years ago |
It is ignorant, but isn't it also ignorant to assume that everyone follows sports? |
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auchtermuchty
Joined: 02 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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| I have had similar experiences, but with a twist. I worked in North Korea, but some people would say "Oh, I had a friend who worked in a kindergarten there" or "My dad just bought a Hyundai" when they asked what I did. Still, I'd say most people knew the difference. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| UknowsI wrote: |
| I found it disrespectful when South Korean assume that South Korea is the only Korea. Why that is disrespectful is quite obvious to me. |
I don't. Officially, the Republic of Korea holds sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula. As such, it is the only Korea, and it is perhaps only a matter of time until it can exercise that sovereignty. They don't ignore the DPRK's existence, they just don't consider it legitimate. I don't see why they should, considering the feudalist state that the DPRK has become. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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| tomstar86 wrote: |
The only country in the world I can think where both answers would be equally horrifying would be "which Congo are you going to?"
http://waegook-tom.com |
Not a country...
North and South Dakota.
I kid, I kid, we love the people from the Dakotas. All 12 of them. |
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interestedinhanguk
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
I don't. Officially, the Republic of Korea holds sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula. |
No it doesn't. It CLAIMS sovereignty, just as the DPRK does. |
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happiness
Joined: 04 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2011 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Stalin84 wrote: |
| happiness wrote: |
| thats the expat life, actually. |
It's odd how otherwise open minded people back in our home countries become so close minded.
When I left for Korea originally I had just graduated and was in my early 20s. A lot of my friends at the time expressed desire to join me and they were really curious about what things were like on this side of the world. Some were asking me what it takes to come over here and a few others actually did come over to teach.
But when I go home now, a lot of those people who were interested in the world outside of the Maritimes aren't interested anymore. They have lives now. Even if they're single and working at a crappy job, a switch just flicks at some point in this stage of our lives and they just stop caring about that which does not directly concern them. Then they become those fickle people who think that if it's not something that they would do, then it must be weird.
I met up with an ex-girlfriend when I was home a few months ago. We used to get on so well when we were dating (before I graduated) and now she's engaged and working as a receptionist at some clinic. Since I'd been over here the whole time and she asked me what I'd been up to, about ten seconds into describing it I noticed that she just didn't give a rat's ass. If I had been working and living near her the whole time, she would have been interested because we might know the same people, go to the same places, etc. Since my world didn't connect with hers at all she thought I was a stranger or just plain weird and I found everything she told me about to be, frankly, boring.
But yes, this is the life of an expat. If an expat does return to their home country after a long sojourn, I recommend going to a relatively large city where you can find people that can at least partially identify with you. |
yep, thats why i have like 5 pages I read everyday to keep me up on news, movies, tv, and music. so when I fb with my friends, we can talk about stuff. |
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