Korean Job Discussion Forums

[herenorthere56]

So, I can't help but notice the swastikas plastered all over the city. I'm going to hope they aren't actually a sign of nazism, rather, they are being used to mean "well-being" or "good", in Sanskrit, what the symbol meant when it was created, many, many years prior to the nazi movement. Does anyone know for sure, though? Or, what the swastikas do signify here on a street sign? A Buddhist space, I assume? But, again, I'm assuming, so, anyone out there who knows more about this, chime in!

[Missihippi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_symbolism

[Porksta]

Yup, SK is actually where Naziism started. Hitler got his ideals here while teaching English back in the early 1930s.

[everything-is-everything]

[Hokie21]

[UknowsI]

Most "swastikas" are as the others have mentioned Buddhist symbols, but there are also a few Nazi themed establishments in Korea. Some of them might be unintentional. One galbi restaurant chain near my house have every waiter wear a Nazi eagle with a swastika in its claws next to their nametag but is otherwise without Nazi references. And then you have the more obvious references such as this: http://korea.lablob.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/125101_dec15_07_1.jpg

[Steelrails]

Of course they're swastikas. I saw this old guy with a toothbrush mustache walking to his car as the phone was ringing.

"Hanna Minuten. Hanna Minuten"
(Phone stopped ringing)
"Das Wagonfone des eine nuisancefone"

"Ahn Nyoung Hah Se Yo Mein Fuhrer"- Random Old German looking guy on ajosshi bicycle.

"Nae Nae" (resigned sigh)

[PaperTiger]

If you want to see a genuine use of Nazi swastikas, come to Yeonshinnae. We have a Nazi PC room here. Maybe I'll get a picture and post it later. Most of these "nazi" bars and such were closed down (weren't they) as they were even more embarrassing than the boshintang and pink-lit prostitution districts that used to blanket Seoul.

If I had the language skills, I'd really like to ask the owner WTF were you thinking when you established a nazi pc bang, son?

[northway]

Welcome to Asia.

[creeper1]

Welcome Newb. Have you noticed that the cars don't always stop at the red lights either.

[fermentation]

[Steelrails]

[young_clinton]

Aren't the swastikas pointing the other way, to the left instead of the right? My understanding is the original swastika points leftward and the Nazi swastika points to the right. Anyway it's not the fault of the East and its religions that Hitler adapted the swastika for his own malevelent designs. Bali has swastikas around too.

[premiummince]

<a href= "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYVK_OqyUzk&feature=related">

[duke of new york]

In the West, swastikas are primarily associated with Nazism, and a lot of people don't even know it has any other meaning. In Eastern countries, people mainly associate swastikas with the Buddhist tradition. Obviously, they know about Nazis, but it is not as central a part of their history as it is in the US/Europe, so they don't automatically think "Nazis! (I hate these guys)" when they see a swastika like we do.