Korean Job Discussion Forums

[World Traveler]

Last night was my first time going to the Hongdae area. I went with some people to a place called Hongdae Park. (I think that is the name of the park, but I'm not sure.)

In the restroom I saw a muscular, early 20s Korean guy corner a physically smaller white guy, ready to fight him. The scene reminded me of the "You see these rocks?" guy on the bus, but in reverse. Worse, the Korean guy was holding a weapon and had friends with him. The foreigner looked scared and confused and wasn't saying anything back at all. All the other bystanders there waiting in line were watching, but no one was intervening. (Inside and surrounding the restroom was all Koreans except for the lone foreigner in the corner.) I ran outside of the restroom and motioned for other Westerners to come inside. The guy with the weapon shouted at us (none of us understood Korean, so we didn't know what he was saying) and acted like was going to hit us with the stick thing in his hand. Finally (after almost certainly calling us many bad names in Korean), he and his posse left. I watched him walk down a well populated street with his friends, weapon in his hand in plain view.

Are weapons legal in Korea? What sort of weapons? I know guns are illegal here, but I'm not sure of the others. What the guy had in his hand was something I had never seen before. My friend said he thought it was a billy club. It was bigger and longer though. (I looked online to find out what it was, but without success.)

After this happened, my friend inquired to a bilingual who had witnessed what went down, what the angry guy had said to him. The guy had said, "You English speaking m***********!"

I tried to find out if the foreigner and the other guy knew each other and if there was some past beef. The answer seemed to be no, it seemed like they didn't know each other, and people didn't know the motive for the guy going on a tirade against the foreigner. Also, I asked what would have happened had I not intervened, and the answer was that the foreigner almost certainly would have gotten beaten up.

I wondered if the foreigner had done something bad to the Korean guy. It is certainly possible. I wondered too if he was picked out at random to be a victim for being a Westerner (who was alone and therefore an easier target.)

I wanted to ask him the story, but I couldn't find him afterwards. (He was probably so afraid that he fled the scene quick.)

The unanswered questions were so vexing to me, and afterwards I kept thinking about what I could have done differently. I felt really bad about myself.

I should have video recorded what went down. No one did. I think they were too scared to, or didn't think of that in the heat of the moment.

Also, I felt bad for the way the situation was handled. What if that guy walked down the street and found another person to assault. Maybe that is what happened. I have no way of knowing.

My heart was beating so fast after that.

That night an attractive woman was interested in being with me, but I left and went home alone because I was so unnerved.

Then when I woke up today, I was in a bad mood as well.

I wonder:

Are there some young Koreans so racist, they roam the streets of Hongdae, looking for someone to attack? Or was what I witnessed not an attack of racism, but something else?

Some past posts have suggested racially motivated attacks in Korea. And I am guessing that for every one posted to a message board (most expats don't post on or even know about ESL message boards), there are many, many more we don't hear about. Honestly though, I don't know what to think.

Also, afterwards a foreigner told me I did the right thing by not getting physical. He said with the way the Korean legal system is set up, I could have gotten in trouble. Really? Even with the guy having a weapon? Is that true?

And here are some posts I saw. What do you think? (I have a very, very bad taste in my mouth. This is something I won't forget.)

[fermentation]

This is why everybody should take up a self-defense technique, carry a (legal) weapon and travel in groups if you're really worried about this kind of crap. People who do this kind of stuff for whatever motivation are absolute cowards. So they tend to pick people who look weaker, alone, while they themselves are armed and backed up by a group. What better way to prove your racial superiority than to pick on the weakest person you can find with your group of cronies?

If they don't meet any of the above criteria, they are just completely out of their minds.

I have observed and actually have been a target of racially motivated verbal attacks several times in Korea. In my own damn country. Although I have no yet seen physical violence, I don't doubt it happens from time to time. The only time I've seen violence was some idiotic crap between Korean Americans and local Koreans.

[sadguy]

people need to start bringing back the dance fight.

[valhor]

I was in Hongdae park for a decent portion of last night. When was this, and where?? I did see a few large clumps of people around random spots in the park, was it some where like that?

If I saw this, I would do the exact same as you man... It's weird I was with 4 foreigners yesterday walking around, and a lot of times I just wander by myself.. but not in Hongdae as I'm still new here. Do I need to be more careful?

[uklathemock]

[madoka]

[Chris.Quigley]

I was assaulted in Hongdae by a group of racist Koreans in 2009 - I ended up in the hospital. I had not done anything wrong - it's a long story how it started - I was trying to save my friend from them (who was also innocent) - I told him to run... I was too drunk to run for long...

I am really happy to hear that you stood up for the guy. It is possible that you saved his life.

Thank you for what you did - as someone who has been there - fearing for his life - thank you.

[Swampfox10mm]

[jvalmer]

Sounds like someone had a mix-up with some Korean gangsters. Of course the targeted foreigner would take off, since he probably isn't 100% innocent. Could have been something like swearing at the wrong guy, or something more involved like a bad 'deal'.

[eat_yeot]

You did not stop an assault.

[ajosshi]

[bekinseki]

I've been here almost eight years and I've never been attacked by a stranger. Roughly half of the fights I've been in were with other foreigners. Not sure what I've been doing differently.

Of all the foreigners I've seen/heard about getting attacked in situations like that, it was usually something they started. Not always, of course, and I wouldn't pass judgement on this person without knowing more details. One of my Australian friends claimed someone he didn't know tried to jump-kick him a few weeks ago in the same park. I don't really understand why any racist Korean would come to the park and let it all out on just one foreigner, when there are so many around to choose from.

The problem with getting in fights with Koreans is that other Koreans will see and automatically side with their countryman, sometimes even intervening or joining the fight on their behalf. It does not impress me that there are foreigners who have this same knee-jerk reaction.

[chrisinkorea2011]

ive only ever had 1 confrontation fight and it was my fault for being too drunk. but you live and learn, it was from when i first got here.

I would tell world traveller, you should count your lucky stars that they didnt attack you. I also agree that koreans are quick to jump in for other koreans, seen it happen all too much, but then again ive seen whites do it, blacks do it, asians do it. No one fights fair anymore honestly lol.

Thats why you should always go for nut shots, eye jabs, and aim to ALMOST kill because really if its you or them, it should be them. (keep in mind i DONT promote violence, but sometimes its a last resort)

[TheUrbanMyth]

[bekinseki]

It's a bit of a leap to assume the Korean was a gangster.

A group of my foreign friends once broke up a very vicious beating in which a group of Koreans were beating on one Korean guy in a different park. I think it's unwise to intervene, because you don't know what's going on (who knows, maybe the guy groped someone's girlfriend) and don't know what you're defending, but there's a point where enough's enough.

I don't know what I would've done in that situation, but I know for sure I wouldn't have stuck around and spoken to the cops (which my friends did, to no consequences for themselves).