Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Zoisite]

Does every global franchise convenience store in Korea sell cigarettes to kids? I just saw a clerk selling cigs to one of my underage students... didn't even check for ID. I don't know whether to see this as culture shock or pure negligence. Any one else have any experience with this?

[fermentation]

Were they wearing their uniforms? It is illegal to sell to underage kids but I have rarely seen people actually check IDs here. They usually look at your face and if you look old enough, you're good. I guess you can report if it bothers you that much.

[pkang0202]

It shouldn't be shocking to you. Half my high school classmates smoked cigarettes when we were teens.

Then again, Philip Morris headquarters was 30 minutes away. Anyways, stores here don't card you unless you are blatantly underage. Most students don't smoke because if their parents caught them, it would be the beating of a lifetime. The ones that DO smoke, well, what's the difference if they start at 16 as opposed to 18?

If they wanna smoke, their gonna smoke.

With how strict the US is with carding for cigarettes, you still had a ton of peopel smoking in high school.

[highstreet]

Culture shock?

[detonate]

i'd report the store if u r bored enough. cigs are nasty, so anything that can be done to reduce sales... my exgf in her early 20s got carded often, she looked 16. at least in the US more kids are heading for weed over tobacco more and more.

[tardisrider]

Culture shock. The whole phenomena of age restriction and id checking is far less prevalent in SK than in countries like the US or Canada. I'd suggest you not worry about it. If you see students smoking on campus during school, then you can bust them. The only effect of complaining to the store or the cops or whatever will probably be confusion about why you're upset.

[andrewchon]

It's very common for older people to send younger people on errends (such as buying tobacco) and let them keep the change as pocket money. Happens everywhere in the world.

[IncognitoHFX2]

When I went to High School, a guy in the homeroom next to mine got stabbed six times by three of his classmates. He lived but it messed him up badly and if I dig, I can think of much worse stories about stuff happening in city schools.

Until stuff like that happens here at even a fraction of the scale it does back home, I'm not going to get on kid's cases about smoking. The way they study, some of them might actually need to smoke

[Nismo]

Informants get a kickback for turning in people who misdispose their garbage and people who illegally use automobiles that qualify for subsidized gasoline. Maybe you'll get a reward for reporting it.

[rollo]

Go home!!!

[ajosshi]

[ajosshi]

Indonesian baby on 40 cigarettes a day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4c_wI6kQyE

Smoking Baby in Rehab
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=M_3Xe89SeQE&feature=endscreen

[Charlie Bourque]

I've seen this in Canada. I grew up in Quebec and, until very recently, you could send an 8 year old into a "depaneur" and have them walk out with a 6-pack of beer, a dozen scratch-n-win lottery tickets and a carton of cigarettes.

*beep* yeah.

[northway]

[Charlie Bourque]