Korean Job Discussion Forums

ghostrider · Joined: 27 Jun 2011

I think that Korea was viewed as the "Wild West" of ESL teaching in the 90s. Contracts weren't worth the paper they were printed on. If you wanted to have a more professional experience teaching English you'd go to some place like Taiwan or Japan. I also remember posters on Dave's bragging about how they got away with submitting fake degrees to immigration and how much money they had been able to make. A lot of them claimed to be more successful than teachers they'd known with legitimate degrees.

I do remember, however, the average foreign teacher as being more knowledgeable and well read. I remember lots of interesting conversations that I had with other foreigners about topics such as politics, history, philosophy, etc... America has made the transition from being a book culture to a digital culture. People used to read books like War and Peace. Now they read facebook.

Most of the foreigners I knew didn't have laptops or cell phones. I remember a foreigner at my school who purchased a VCR for about 300,000 won. I thought that PC bangs were great- even though most probably only had a dial up connection. I used to spend quite a bit of time writing e-mails to family and friends back home. I also liked the bidiobangs (now DVD bangs). It was like you could have your own little private theater. The only English channel I got on TV was AFN.

I remember my first walk up hooker hill with a group of other teachers. About four or five girls in mini skirts stood outside of each bar and you'd get quite a bit of attention if you were a single male by yourself. One coworker told me that he liked walking up the hill because of all the attention he'd get from the ladies.

I don't remember ever feeling looked down upon because I was an English teacher. I do remember, however, Koreans complaining to me that US soldiers commit a lot of crimes in their country. I remember lots of stories about corrupt Korean politicians getting busted in the news.

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

tardisrider · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

Yeah, that's basically the way I remember it, Yaya. I lived in Taejon at the time (and that's how we spelled it back then!) and visited Seoul often. I didn't know much about Hongdae back then, but I know several places in Itaewon had "back door" entrances

I recall seeing an announcement in the newspaper that Itaewon was being declared a special tourist zone, so things would be allowed to be open later. I don't remember when the whole "curfew" thing fell away, but not long after that, I think.

Several people have mentioned how different Itaewon was in the 90s. I remember when the Nashville was only in the basement and before the original Geckos was there--it was an Italian place called "Red Pin" or something like that. Maybe Red Pin was above what became Geckos and Geckos was a pool hall. Or vice versa. Something like that. Ah, memories.

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

One of the funniest things I remember (I've been here since '96) was the advent of cell phones. They were these huge things with TERRIBLE reception! You'd see guys standing on a street corner yelling "Yoboseyo" into their shoe-sized phones.

A friend of mine and I decided that "Yoboseyo" was some kind of deity and that these folks were trying to make contact! Very Happy

And it's true that the contract wasn't worth the paper it was printed on...and if you had a good place you held on to it...and if if sucked, you ran...no questions asked on your return.

My first school was in a tiny town about 45 minutes by bus from downtown Ulsan. Seriously, city buses used to slow down so all of the people on board could get a good look at me!! I was there over a month before I saw/talked to another foreigner!

I understand WHY things have changed (immi-wise) but I can't help but long for the "good old days" when a big city like Ulsan had about 70 foreigners...and we all knew (or knew about) each other.