Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DBXD]

What's the worst you've heard from strangers perhaps as they walked past you on the street, or on the bus, waiting in lines, etc. My Korean is definitely beginner, but I do understand some.
What kinds of negative things have you heard?

[jvalmer]

Koreans talk bad about everyone. I've been in cars with 2+ Koreans and they start talking trash about random people crossing the street in front of them.

But I guess I do the same when I am with my buddies, even back home.

[Vix]

My Korean's at maybe the intermediate level so I get most of what I hear when I'm out and about. Most of it's pretty positive honestly, they usually say I'm pretty . Although on my way back from a hiking trip I was in Lotte Mart and overheard two way overly dressed up Korean girls talking about how dirty I was ( I was a little dusty). Or another time I heard some older lady talking about how rude I was not giving my seat up on the train. She was only mid 40ish so why should I have given her mine, if she was a pensioner I would have given it up. I just called my bf and talked to him in Korean about how I felt a bit sick that day for a bit then looked at her

[cheolsu]

I speak at least intermediate-level Korean, but I haven't heard anyone speak about me in public more than a few times, and none of it was bad.

As has often been discussed here, it's people who speak beginner-level Korean who think people talk about them all the time.

[tankdizzle]

to the original poster, u r about as ignorant as the koreans who talk about you are...tired of hearin ppl complain about koreans doing this doing that - u experience the same thing back home...go cry to mom
u pansy

[tomstar86]

I've had a middle aged Korean man stare me in the face on the subway and call me an American bastard once.

The look on his face when I replied that I'm a Brit (in Korean) was priceless haha!

Also, had a pizza shop owner and a customer talking about how stupid foreigners like me can't understand Korean. Whilst they were talking I just stared, the customer's kid noticed, whispered something in her dad's ear, and the conversation stopped.

Oh well, such is life.

Tom

http://waegook-tom.com

[cert43]

How you gonna post up on here man?

[Feloria]

I don't know why anyone would really care what some random Korean has to say about them, especially if it's negative! I mean geez--look at the source !

Now if it's a Korean co-worker, or your boss--that could be cause for concern.

[myenglishisno]

Happens everywhere, I honestly wouldn't blame this one on the Koreans.

Where I come from, people loiter around and yell "faggot" at strangers all day. I'm glad that doesn't happen here, with the exception of soldiers...

[authoritar]

I wouldn't worry, and it is also possible you are misunderstanding. The Korean words for shoes (shinbal), 18 (ship-pal) and f**k you ) Sh*-bal) are very similar and to a beginner it is easy to get confused. I did when I was new to Korea, I punished a kid when all he was doing was commenting on my shoes.



http://teachorient.blogspot.com/

[cert43]

Why is it that other 'people' like to make other people out to look bad..

For example, not letting you post publictly on twitter or picking up only parts of what you say and think and then making someone else look better then you.. :shock:or like saying someones gf went to fla with someone else that you were thinking of using a condom with 3 hours earlier...

All part of "knowing" what is being said

[cert43]

Sorry, but not the night before

[madoka]

[joelove]

I suppose there are a few reasons people seem to be, or may indeed be talking about you. You are different. They assume you won't understand. You may be a little paranoid. People like to gossip. They may be bored and have little else to talk about. Everywhere you go seemingly vapid conversations abound.

I like an old story I read once about an Australian woman in a meeting in Korea. At some point there was talking in Korean about her big nose or something. Just before she left the meeting she said some pleasant things in Korean to everybody, demonstrating her awareness of the language. There was embarrassment. I like stories like that.

[crescent]

My Korean is quite good and I hear negative comments at least once a week. It happens on buses and subways, in restaurants and shops.
But, I live in Daegu. People tend to have bigger sticks in their asses here.

For the most part the negative comments are directed at foreigners in general, but sometimes I hear comments about my appearance (which is impeccable ).
The most recent example was Friday. Two older men on the subway talking about the 'good-old days' when they didn't see any foreigners.

But, I've also noticed Koreans talk about each other just as negatively, or worse.