Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Swampfox10mm]

I've seen this happen several times over the years. It's personally happened to me four times.

First time -- drunk guy walking into the wrong apartment.
Second and fourth times -- maintenance guys from our school who had keys just walked right in.
Third time -- angry neighbor barged into my home with shoes on while the aircon guys were drilling a hole (we had apartment permission).


This issue cropped-up again, because a new teacher at our school was shocked when our school maintenance people arrived to work on his ondol issue (he lives in school housing at the edge of campus) and they just unlocked the door and walked right in without a word or a knock.

What is the psychology behind this? To simply explain it away as simpletons not thinking is not an excuse I will buy into. When I've asked Koreans about this kind of thing, they have ALL stated that they would be upset if someone did this to them. This is why I now consider the "barging in" as a sort of power/control issue based on a lack of respect. They would never do it to a Korean, because Korean would not stand for it, so why do they think they can get away with this with a foreigner?

I have really begun to notice all of the "little things" some Koreans do to make themselves feel as if they have some sort of control in a situation. This is an example.

[Dodge7]

It's not only adults that try to exert their dominance and authority and utter lack of respect, when kids use banmal to you 90% of the time, but use choandaemal with the Korean teacher the next minute, they are showing the UTMOST lack of respect. It's as if they spit on you. You're nothing, you aren't even WORTH the extra added breath they need to say "yo" at the end of their sentence...that is what they're telling you.
We are lower than the ajussi that pushes the cart load of cardboard boxes around.

Don't stand for it.

All they have to see is an angry foreigner and they'll back right the F down.
It's partly because they know you can't speak Korean, so what can you really call them out on?

I was once with my girlfriend and some guy at the parking garage booth that collects the money sort of bitched her out. She said if you were a Korean guy he wouldn't have done that because the Korean guy wouldn't stand for it.

I've seen the disrespect for too long.

Screw using Korean, they open your door again, say "NO!" They understand that, and push them out.

[emetib]

My first employer was really screwing me over with my school situation and I was pretty angry about them wanting to do unscheduled showings of my flat. I was also aware of the culture here where they just came in without knocking. I heard some men outside my flat as I was entering my bathroom for a shower. I could hear my flat door open with the men (one was the landlord) entering it. Wanting to end this once and for all, I just waltzed right of my bathroom wearing nothing but a towel and then shrieked in "suprise" when I saw them. Needless to say they made a speedy exit. Problem solved.

[myenglishisno]

This happened to me in Japan too.

It's not because they don't see you as human and so forth like one poster is implying (though I agree with some of what he said), but because in Korean (and Japanese) culture, the area where you take off your shoes isn't seen as part of your home.

In Western countries, your home starts at the door whereas in Korea, your home starts after the little depressed area where you take off your shoes.

If you don't like it, you really need to start locking your door when you arrive home. Adjosshi in Korea that have a job to do will stop at nothing to get it done. If a door is unlocked, they won't think twice about opening it and going inside regardless of where it is.

There are lots of locksmiths around too. It couldn't hurt to put on an additional lock if you want even more privacy.

[Steelrails]

[eamo]

It has happened to me on at least 3 occasions......and all 3 times it was the estate agent showing people my apt.

They would always just start turning the handle of the door without even knocking. Then, if my door was unlocked they would come right in. If the door was locked I would hear a key going in then they would come right in.......once very embarrassingly for myself and my lady friend!!

I complained to my respective bosses at the time and asked is it normal for people in Korea to go right into someones house without permission or even knocking. I was told no.

A Korean friend said it was probably because they knew a foreigner was living there, couldn't speak English, so guessed it would be no use trying to communicate with the tenant.

[Son Deureo!]

It's because they're inconsiderate. Now lock your door.

[edwardcatflap]

Heard the doorbell ringing one Sunday morning, thought it was Christians so rolled over and went back to sleep. Next thing I wake up and see there's an ajossi actually in my bedroom on a stepladder, trying to fix the ceiling light. People have been shot in the US for less than that. An Englishman's home is his castle, whether he owns or rents it.

Sorry Steelrails, maybe I should have looked into the whole thing and realised in the end it was my fault.

[Captain Corea]

Seriously, when you guys move in to a new place, do you not get the locks changed??

[cj1976]

Have you never tried to enter the wrong door when you are drunk? I've done it a few times. I live in an officetel and all the doors look the same to me- especially after a few jaeger bombs.

[Swampfox10mm]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Rutherford]

One summer evening I was sitting on the floor in my underwear eating dinner with my girlfriend. I had the door propped open for airflow. I heard the little wind chime on my door jingle and looked back to see the automatic light turn on. An ajumma appears, one of the room salon girls who congregate at the apartment next to ours. It's some sort of staging area where they meet and wait for the vans and cars to take them to work.

I call out "Why are you in here??" but she keeps walking in. She didn't stop until she was far enough around the corner to see my girlfriend, who stands up and confronts her about why she just walked in to our apartment. The ajumma made some awkward excuse about wondering if the apt. was an english school since she heard English. Afterwards we heard her talking in the hall and it sounded like she might be new and had the wrong room.

The strangest part for me was that she clearly saw me sitting there in my boxer briefs, made eye contact, and kept entering. Didn't stop till she saw my girlfriend.

[Rutherford]

One summer evening I was sitting on the floor in my underwear eating dinner with my girlfriend. I had the door propped open for airflow. I heard the little wind chime on my door jingle and looked back to see the automatic light turn on. An ajumma appears, one of the room salon girls who congregate at the apartment next to ours. It's some sort of staging area where they meet and wait for the vans and cars to take them to work.

I call out "Why are you in here??" but she keeps walking in. She didn't stop until she was far enough around the corner to see my girlfriend, who stands up and confronts her about why she just walked in to our apartment. The ajumma made some awkward excuse about wondering if the apt. was an english school since she heard English. Afterwards we heard her talking in the hall and it sounded like she might be new and had the wrong room.

The strangest part for me was that she clearly saw me sitting there in my boxer briefs, made eye contact, and kept entering. Didn't stop till she saw my girlfriend.

[The Floating World]

TUM and rails are just so completely