Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sluggo832004]

My friend said he was walking down the street, and these two military guys just stared him down and dared him to do something.

Everytime I ask if theres a good bar, someone says, "Yea, its a great bar. No military people are there either."

Why is there such tension between Military and ESL teachers?

Arent we all foreigners in a diff country? Why cant we just all come together?

Or is it just a small percentage of military people who act like this?

[Konglishman]

Excellent question... In fact, I once had a conversation regarding this topic with a military officer who mistakenly thought I was an ESL teacher. He said that sometimes some English teachers will try to start fights with the military people. But of course, in my opinion, this tension probably started "eons" ago due to some "bottom of the bucket" English teachers who had some problem with the military. Consequently, to this day, the military people tend to stereotype English teachers as trouble makers. Well, at least, that is my theory.

[Bibbitybop]

My military friends have no beefs with me. I don't have any more problems at bars in Itaewon with military than I would at a bar in the USA with regular people. In Daegu, however, my friends say it's the soldiers who cause the fights in bars. This may just be their side of the story, though.

[Konglishman]

[conrad2]

What? The average English teacher would never try to take on an army guy. Soldiers fight and kill for a living. They start fights. That's why you sometimes see signs banning them from bars and not English teachers. im not saying englsih teachers never start fights, but its far less frequently than GIs. GIs also usually travel in huge packs.

[sigmundsmith]

As far as I'm concerned, idiot soldiers who just want to start fights should not be let out at night, on the weekend, or at any time .........





















As far as I'm concerned, idiot Eslers who just want to start fights should not be let out at night, on the weekend, or at any time .........











As far as I'm concerned, idiot Koreans who just want to start fights should not be let out at night, on the weekend, or at any time .........













As a matter of fact, idiots of any ethnic background, occupation etc. just stay home. You are not welcomed amongst normal human beings. I will give you a heads up, most people who go out to bars etc just want to have a drink, maybe something to eat, dance, chat and if lucky get laid. Idiots, that is what is designed for. You tough guys who want to fight, maybe you need to find just a place to do that. I'm sure if a place was just for that most of these so called tough guys would not go.

[BoholDiver]

I have no problem with GI's.

[sigmundsmith]

[RMNC]

Most of the level-headed soldiers I have talked agree that it's a couple of things: Lack of women, causing a huge testosterone whirlpool, the general idiocy and low IQ of people that join the military, and the contempt they have for people that didn't screw up in high school, people who were smart and wise enough to go to college and are now living the easy life while they're in what amounts to nothing more than a voluntary prison on some futuristic colony planet where you can sometimes get killed

In essence? Most of them are manly-men with chips on their shoulders and low IQs.

I think that about sums it up.

[sigmundsmith]

[Oppa]

[AHawk843]

From my experience, most of the military guys I've encountered in Central Seoul don't seem to fully recognize that they are in a foreign country with a different language and conservative social traditions. To them Seoul is like one big Korea-town. They are here because they were stationed here, whereas all of us teachers are here by choice (hopefully,) so their modus operandi is inherently different.

[cyui]

There are hardley any sexy teachers". Maybe a conflicting interest?

(ie,sitting on the computer all day versus out drinking all night and picking up woman for variuos "activity".. :shock:

[northway]

My buddy is half-Indian and regularly has racial slurs tossed in his direction by military folk we run into at bars, be that in Suwon or Seoul. This has never happened to him coming from an English teacher. 'Nuff said.

On edit: I actually have made friends with some military guys here, but I try to avoid places where the critical mass becomes overwhelming.

[decolyon]

Meh, it's played up a lot more than it really is. I hang out in Itaewon in the same places as soldiers and have never had a problem. Even made a few friends with them.

I think some of it might be that a lot of Korean girls tend to reject the soldiers (not to say there aren't some K girls that have a thing for the guys in uniform) and they tend to gravitate to the teacher crowd more. We usually learn their language, are immersed in their culture, socialize with Koreans nearly 24/7, and are educated at a higher level. *Note, I'm not calling soldiers dumb. But honestly, most of them are 18-20 and fresh out of high school. Where as most teachers are 25ish with at least a BA.

Also there's a freedom thing. As in, teachers are free to move and go as much as they want. Soldiers have curfew and have drills for days at a time. We're here on our own, they're still under somebodies thumb.

And, soldiers are instantly distinguishable, even in their civis. High and tight cut, young, more fit, etc. And lots of Koreans resent the military here, even more than they dislike teachers. You see bar signs "No GIs", I've never seen "No Teachers." Maybe you've felt discrimintated against before here, but I'm sure they get it much worse.