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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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Having worked for many Korean companies myself, I can attest that many staff APPEAR to be working and busy but aren't. People with master's degrees or higher in economics or MBAs from abroad are most often underutilized and such.
Low productivity in Korea is one of the gripes of many a foreign company or investor here, and things haven't improved that much in the 16+ years I've been in Korea. |
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2012 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Moondoggy wrote: |
| Konglishman wrote: |
| alongway wrote: |
| Quote: |
| That is fine and all, but what is the excuse for being at 47%? |
I wouldn't call intentional misrepresentation "fine and all"
As for being at 47%, well we'd have to compare all the reasons they may be at 47% with the reasons other countries are at the levels they're at. GDP level isn't something you just draw up on a bar room napkin. But it probably has a lot to do with collectivism, and how a lot of people still work "for the company"
e.g. unpaid overtime and things like that. They've got one of the highest amounts of hours worked, second only to Mexico, but their raw GDP puts them at only 15th in the world. They haven't had massive success on a per unit basis, but if the economy tanks, do you want to be in a country where the citizens are known for buckling down and getting stuff done, or in a country where everyone has been making their income on mediocre work but doing well because the economy was just so great? |
That sounds a lot like Korea. People will spend hours in the workplace just pretending to be busy and will get promoted this way. Meanwhile, the rare productive individual who worked efficiently and even came up with some interesting ideas, gets punished just because he wants to leave at the end of the work hours. |
hah! how many korean companies have you worked for? right, ignorance is bliss. |
In fact, while I was living in Korea, I had an Uzbek roommate who was working as a translator at a Korean company. I also had a Russian friend who was working as an engineer at another company. Needless to say, I got to hear a lot about their complaints. And of course, I was acquainted with a number of their friends who were also working at Korean companies. The basic story was usually the same.
Despite that, I in fact had considered the idea of taking an entry level engineering position, but my friends talked me out of it for precisely the reasons I already mentioned. I was told that I would be crazy to leave a nice teaching position as a calculus teacher for a Korean company job.
Anyways, I guess that ignorance must be bliss for you. Enjoy it while it lasts. |
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JustinC
Joined: 10 Mar 2012
Location: We Are The World!
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 1:34 am Post subject: |
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| I love the rock scene here, bloody good guitar players everywhere |
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transmogrifier
Joined: 02 Jan 2012
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:02 am Post subject: |
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I meet really good people here, both Korean and non-Korean.
That's what keeps any place interesting. |
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transmogrifier
Joined: 02 Jan 2012
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:04 am Post subject: |
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| JustinC wrote: |
| I love the rock scene here, bloody good guitar players everywhere |
Can you recommend me a bar with great live rock music?
Stuff like Sonic Youth rather than, say, Slayer. |
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rabidcake
Joined: 10 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:28 am Post subject: |
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| pugwall wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
| mike1two wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
| Moondoggy wrote: |
| it's fun to read all these negative posts in this thread. say whatever floats your boat but remember that you're living in a country that exports products and culture that please the rest of the world. don't lie to yourself because the tables have turned and no one gives a crp about you being a foreigner in korea anymore (if you still have that mindset). |
You mean that bubblegum crap pop music videos--the ones that are a direct rip off from the ones in America? Or Samsung ripping off Apple technologies? Korea is obsessed with the west and there's no originality going on anywhere in this country, and especially none where the West is copying and importing it besides electronics, cars and tae kwon do.
Yeah, I'm sure the guys in the West are soon going to be dressed down in white capri pants with a purse and wearing make-up any day now. It's coming....wait for it....... |
Do you think American song are original American songs? The only original American music is jazz, and that was developed through the genius of stolen people. America was the only court in however many countries that actually won its court case against Samsung. What does that mean? American juries, made of American people, could be biased beyond their ability to judge fairly. And a society who considers toughess not about how many balls you can hit far but bout how hard you work is is an evolved society in my book. You should book that one way ticket back to wherever you're from. |
Pop music was made popular and globally recognized and watched because of the way Americans did it. The music scene IS America. Why do you think most musicians want to break into the American market? If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere in the world. It gives them legitimacy. Everyone rips off our music videos and style. Look at the dances you see in Korean music videos--you'd swear they just spent 100 hours in front of Youtube watching Usher and Justin Timberlake videos.
And just like how English didn't originate in America, it is BECAUSE of America that English is the international language of commerce (it sure isn't because of some broke town in Northern Ireland, but many of these teachers from there--and everywhere else--piggy back and make money on America's successes by making the language what it is today).
You should give a little more recognition to the States. |
Wow. As an European in the post-Bush global climate that I love America. I see America as a friend of Europe and we have and always will have close cultural links. I love, like so many Europeans, so much American comedy, culture, food and music. I love the blues, Coca Cola, Motown, Jazz, Seinfleld and so much more.
I love that America.
But I simply have no connection to people like you and the close minded ideology you represent.
Get over yourself man. Rome burned. America is going to burn because of people like you.
Nobody worships your country and your music. If you remember, the whole of popular music as we know it was shaped by a little known band from Liverpool.
Korean music and culture is HUGE. Not because it is good, but because for whatever reason it appeals to people. Korean dramas are the most popular shows in random places like Egypt and Romania and Korean bands top the charts in most countries in Asia.
The world is changing. Like most Europeans and English speakers, i have a vested interest in America staying number one. However, it is doomed with attitudes like yours. |
Don't worry, this simple creature doesn't represent all of us Americans. Sometimes I wonder if these are Americans that would serve the world better by staying in their own country, but yet again do we really want these people coming back to America and influencing the "America is number 1" culture? |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 6:30 am Post subject: hi |
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| rabidcake wrote: |
| pugwall wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
| mike1two wrote: |
| Dodge7 wrote: |
| Moondoggy wrote: |
| it's fun to read all these negative posts in this thread. say whatever floats your boat but remember that you're living in a country that exports products and culture that please the rest of the world. don't lie to yourself because the tables have turned and no one gives a crp about you being a foreigner in korea anymore (if you still have that mindset). |
You mean that bubblegum crap pop music videos--the ones that are a direct rip off from the ones in America? Or Samsung ripping off Apple technologies? Korea is obsessed with the west and there's no originality going on anywhere in this country, and especially none where the West is copying and importing it besides electronics, cars and tae kwon do.
Yeah, I'm sure the guys in the West are soon going to be dressed down in white capri pants with a purse and wearing make-up any day now. It's coming....wait for it....... |
Do you think American song are original American songs? The only original American music is jazz, and that was developed through the genius of stolen people. America was the only court in however many countries that actually won its court case against Samsung. What does that mean? American juries, made of American people, could be biased beyond their ability to judge fairly. And a society who considers toughess not about how many balls you can hit far but bout how hard you work is is an evolved society in my book. You should book that one way ticket back to wherever you're from. |
Pop music was made popular and globally recognized and watched because of the way Americans did it. The music scene IS America. Why do you think most musicians want to break into the American market? If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere in the world. It gives them legitimacy. Everyone rips off our music videos and style. Look at the dances you see in Korean music videos--you'd swear they just spent 100 hours in front of Youtube watching Usher and Justin Timberlake videos.
And just like how English didn't originate in America, it is BECAUSE of America that English is the international language of commerce (it sure isn't because of some broke town in Northern Ireland, but many of these teachers from there--and everywhere else--piggy back and make money on America's successes by making the language what it is today).
You should give a little more recognition to the States. |
Wow. As an European in the post-Bush global climate that I love America. I see America as a friend of Europe and we have and always will have close cultural links. I love, like so many Europeans, so much American comedy, culture, food and music. I love the blues, Coca Cola, Motown, Jazz, Seinfleld and so much more.
I love that America.
But I simply have no connection to people like you and the close minded ideology you represent.
Get over yourself man. Rome burned. America is going to burn because of people like you.
Nobody worships your country and your music. If you remember, the whole of popular music as we know it was shaped by a little known band from Liverpool.
Korean music and culture is HUGE. Not because it is good, but because for whatever reason it appeals to people. Korean dramas are the most popular shows in random places like Egypt and Romania and Korean bands top the charts in most countries in Asia.
The world is changing. Like most Europeans and English speakers, i have a vested interest in America staying number one. However, it is doomed with attitudes like yours. |
Don't worry, this simple creature doesn't represent all of us Americans. Sometimes I wonder if these are Americans that would serve the world better by staying in their own country, but yet again do we really want these people coming back to America and influencing the "America is number 1" culture? |
I was lazy and didn't want sift through the posts. Dodge7 said that English is popular because of America. I would argue that English is popular because of England and the colonialism that they did to the world. At the height of British Colonialism the sun never set on English soil.
Other than that, I just like not having to pay car payments, insurance, and paying for gas. |
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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Konglishman wrote: |
| alongway wrote: |
| Quote: |
| That is fine and all, but what is the excuse for being at 47%? |
I wouldn't call intentional misrepresentation "fine and all"
As for being at 47%, well we'd have to compare all the reasons they may be at 47% with the reasons other countries are at the levels they're at. GDP level isn't something you just draw up on a bar room napkin. But it probably has a lot to do with collectivism, and how a lot of people still work "for the company"
e.g. unpaid overtime and things like that. They've got one of the highest amounts of hours worked, second only to Mexico, but their raw GDP puts them at only 15th in the world. They haven't had massive success on a per unit basis, but if the economy tanks, do you want to be in a country where the citizens are known for buckling down and getting stuff done, or in a country where everyone has been making their income on mediocre work but doing well because the economy was just so great? |
That sounds a lot like Korea. People will spend hours in the workplace just pretending to be busy and will get promoted this way. Meanwhile, the rare productive individual who worked efficiently and even came up with some interesting ideas, gets punished just because he wants to leave at the end of the work hours. |
This isn't a one off thing; it is quite commonplace. I couldn't begin to count how many times that I have heard "I'm so busy". It happens at my job here in China working with Ks as well. Funny that if you glance at their computers while they "are so busy" that you will see them on FaceBook, internet shopping, browsing Naver, or whatever. Yeah, you look really busy to me. I really like all of my co-workers in my dept., btw, but, come on already.
Hours spent at the job do not equate to anything if you aren't using those hours productively. |
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JustinC
Joined: 10 Mar 2012
Location: We Are The World!
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| transmogrifier wrote: |
| JustinC wrote: |
| I love the rock scene here, bloody good guitar players everywhere |
Can you recommend me a bar with great live rock music?
Stuff like Sonic Youth rather than, say, Slayer. |
I don't live in Seoul but visit occasionally, you'd be better asking someone else. Sorry! |
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transmogrifier
Joined: 02 Jan 2012
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| JustinC wrote: |
| transmogrifier wrote: |
| JustinC wrote: |
| I love the rock scene here, bloody good guitar players everywhere |
Can you recommend me a bar with great live rock music?
Stuff like Sonic Youth rather than, say, Slayer. |
I don't live in Seoul but visit occasionally, you'd be better asking someone else. Sorry! |
Cool, cool. |
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korwan
Joined: 24 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Scorpion wrote: |
| MetaFitX wrote: |
Off the top of my head:
-Korea today is what Japan was in the 80's and 90's. THE place to be in Asia. K-Pop is HUGELY popular in Asia and is increasingly popular elsewhere (where you at Gangnam Style haters???). Korean dramas are likewise just as popular.
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LOL. Japan was never (ever) this filthy. Never will be. K-pop is an abomination. It is very unlikely that there will ever be a second Korean pop song on Western charts. That gangnam crud was just a one offer. K-dramas are the worst thing ever to appear on television. (remove the yelling, crying and melodramatic music and you've got a two-minute program) Pathetic.
Korea is rising.  My lunch is rising. |
I agree with this.
I am not hating on Korea, but I wonder if MetaFix has even been to Japan after making a statement like that.
The one thing that Korea does better, however, is the presence of English, or even just Romanized station names, in the subways. Japan is getting better about that though. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:44 pm Post subject: |
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| korwan wrote: |
| Scorpion wrote: |
| MetaFitX wrote: |
Off the top of my head:
-Korea today is what Japan was in the 80's and 90's. THE place to be in Asia. K-Pop is HUGELY popular in Asia and is increasingly popular elsewhere (where you at Gangnam Style haters???). Korean dramas are likewise just as popular.
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LOL. Japan was never (ever) this filthy. Never will be. K-pop is an abomination. It is very unlikely that there will ever be a second Korean pop song on Western charts. That gangnam crud was just a one offer. K-dramas are the worst thing ever to appear on television. (remove the yelling, crying and melodramatic music and you've got a two-minute program) Pathetic.
Korea is rising. My lunch is rising. |
I agree with this.
I am not hating on Korea, but I wonder if MetaFix has even been to Japan after making a statement like that.
The one thing that Korea does better, however, is the presence of English, or even just Romanized station names, in the subways. Japan is getting better about that though. |
Not quite. I was in Tokyo last year and couldn't believe the near lack of anything in English. |
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korwan
Joined: 24 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:02 am Post subject: |
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That's exactly my point. Korea is more English friendly than Japan. While Korea was more English friendly in their signs, I found that in Japan more people knew English and would actually talk to you if you needed help. I spent a month traveling across Japan last summer and it was everything I expected and more.
Aside from that, and the awesome fact that unlocked wifi is readily available in Korea, there isn't much you can do to compare Korea to Japan. They are completely different so I don't think that it's fair to compare each other, but with that said, there is no way that I will believe that in the next few years Korea will achieve the global recognition that Japan has.
In a few decades, yes I will believe it, but Korea still has some growing to do. |
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Unibrow
Joined: 20 Aug 2012
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 10:08 am Post subject: |
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| I like the drinking culture here. And a lot of stuff is open late. Then again I'm from the South in America, where most things close at 2 so YMMV and all that. |
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Scorpion
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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| JustinC wrote: |
| I love the rock scene here, bloody good guitar players everywhere |
The most ridiculous post in the history of the internet. |
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