Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DanseurVertical]

Friday I got dinner at the food court in the 금천 Homeplus: http://place.map.daum.net/8177044

This particular food court, instead of ajumma, has a staff of young men to clean the tables and do other related jobs.

This was a little unusual... But what was just plain bizarre were their uniforms. They were dark colored and cut just like a military uniform. They bore flags of various countries. On the right sleeve is a South Korean flag. On the left sleeve is generic military emblem embroidered with golden thread. Below the left pocket is a British flag as part of some emblem. Above it is a horizontal row of small flags from various other countries.

And what's at the right pocket? An obvious Nazi eagle, complete with a red swastika.

---

Granted they have jobs, but these guys really looked like they are at the bottom of Korean society. Their uniforms gave them some appearance of dignity. But a Nazi emblem? Who thought up that idea?

I don't think there's any implicit Nazi sympathy behind the choice, but it makes one wonder... Since Germany and Japan were allies in WWII, what do Koreans think of that era in German history? Do they even learn about it?

[PatrickGHBusan]

[DanseurVertical]

[Mr. BlackCat]

For an ally of the supposed Great Satan, to Koreans anyway, the Nazis sure do get a lot of play here in Korea. This incident isn't unique. There have been Nazi bars and Korean 'academics' who wax romantically about Nazi practices. In a country that thinks everyone around the globe should care about some tiny islets in some far off sea, Koreans seem incredibly insensitive about the greatest monsters of the 20th century.

I wouldn't blame the guys, they probably have no idea (though if they've played any one of a dozen video games (or read a book) in the last 10 years they should have a clue). It's like a 20 year old Walmart employee wearing an Imperial Japanese sign on his shirt. Though, Walmart would probably get killed publicly for that decision. Here, a swastika will likely be unnoticed by 99% of the people who walk through the doors of HomePlus. Those that do notice it, like you, will be called over-sensitive. And then another protester will set himself on fire over Dokdo and everyone will forget it ever happened.

To be fair, Korea isn't the only Asian country that gets it all wrong on the subject:
http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/4-baffling-ways-continent-asia-loves-hitler/

Not to mention the biggest joke of them all, Japan (and Germany) ignoring that whole superior race thing as allies. Wonder how they thought that was going to turn out.

[WadRUG'naDoo]

Could be a religious symbol. They had those in Taiwan. Nothing at all related to the Nazis.

[spilot101]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

[War Eagle]

[fermentation]

Would like to see some pics.

[optik404]

Would like to see pics.

[DanseurVertical]

[Threequalseven]

I once caught my elementary students watching Nazi videos in class... You know, the ones from the concentration camps where they're throwing all the malnourished corpses in a big pile. So, the kids at Homeplus almost certainly know about it.

At the same time, Nazi symbolism is still western which automatically makes it trendy. I once saw a kid walking through town with a Republican elephant sweater on. I guarantee he didn't know what it meant - it's just a cute elephant with stars and stripes. I guess it would be akin to a westerner having a Japanese rising sun flag.

[Steelrails]

[DanseurVertical]

[byrddogs]

[Seoulman69]

Get a life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9-xvxEqjtw