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Korea compared to Japan
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austhai



Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Location: Thailand

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2003 6:21 am    Post subject: Korea compared to Japan Reply with quote

Simple quetion....How does Korea compare with teaching in Japan.
I have not worked in either country but am considering one or the other.
Japan appears to be more hassle free as far as regulations are concerned and I seem to not read as much about teachers getting ripped off and badly treated.
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Tiger Beer



Joined: 07 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2003 9:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i read this link.. and it seems to be pretty accurate..

http://www.geocities.com/esl_korea/TaiwanvsKoreavsJapan.html
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The Great Wall of Whiner



Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Location: Middle Land

PostPosted: Thu Apr 10, 2003 11:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Depends what you want to compare:

Teaching? Night life? Fun?

Korea has a lot more..."weird" foreigners compared to Japan.

Japan seems a lot more modern, but as well all know, more expensive.

If you are under 30, you can get a working visa and just change jobs at will (which is nice, so if you get screwed, you can walk).

I found learning how to read/speak Korean was easier than Japanese (except for a few words).

Koreans tend to stare at you and hate foreigners compared to Japanese.

HHmmm....

That's all off the top of my head.
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Homer
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 3:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great wall...nice list man

Depends what you want to compare:

Teaching? Night life? Fun?

Korea has a lot more..."weird" foreigners compared to Japan.

That seems to be true indeed!

Japan seems a lot more modern, but as well all know, more expensive.

True again....

If you are under 30, you can get a working visa and just change jobs at will (which is nice, so if you get screwed, you can walk).

True

I found learning how to read/speak Korean was easier than Japanese (except for a few words).

That depends on the person but hangul is an easier alphabet to learn in my opinion too.

Koreans tend to stare at you and hate foreigners compared to Japanese.

Now thats where I disagree mate. Koreans may be more obvious in their feelings towards foreigners but it does not follow that japanese are more tolerant....in fact I put it you that the japanese are just better at concealing their true feelings about foreigners. Just because you don't see it does not mean it is not there man.
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matko



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: in a world of hurt!

PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 3:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your last point is true Homer, to a certain extent.

The Japanese do tend to keep their "racism" hidden better. I also agree that it is there. I've felt it on a number of occasions. However, I still think it is stronger in Korea.

I don't think the wall was saying it doesn't exist. I think he just was saying that it exists to a lesser degree.

I know what you're trying to say, but do you honestly think that the average Korean is more open and accepting of foreigners than the average Japanese?

edit

I just read Tiger Beers link. That link hit the nail squarely on the head in terms of a comparison with Japan and Korea (don't know about Taiwan, never lived there).
Everybody considering teaching in Korea or Japan should read that link to get a general overview of what to expect!!
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Homer
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 5:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Of course not Matko,

I think both are pretty much on par as far as racism to fotreigners is concerned.
The main difference being their demeanor.
My brother is working in Japan, has been there for 6 years now. He works for Sony. He loves japan (like I love Korea). He does however notice the racism and how its hidden. We have visited each other many times (me to japan, he to Korea) and both noticed the levels of racism seem to be about the same. In our humble opinions of course....
In Korea its in your face. In Japan it hovers just beneath a rosy exterior.
to me its just a question of picking your poison.... Wink
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matko



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: in a world of hurt!

PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 5:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Homer,

"picking your poison"

I like that one Very Happy

Just to make a slight point.

If we assume that the average Japanese and the average Korean harbour the same amount of anti foreigner sentiment (which I don't, but besides the point)

If we do, and the Korean acts on it ie. yells "Puck you Miguksaram" and the Japanese doesn't ie. Looks at you and "thinks" "bloody american" and walks away .... which is more racist?

I would assume that the person who harbours racist feelings but doesn't act on them is less racist than a person who harbours racist feelings and does.

Just my take

What do you think?


Last edited by matko on Fri Apr 11, 2003 6:06 am; edited 1 time in total
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Homer
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 6:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting point Matko,

I would think that a person's way of approaching racism is largely determined by the norms of the society he or she lives in.
In that sense, a person who hides is racism is to me just as racist a person who expresses it.
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The Lemon



Joined: 11 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 6:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I would assume that the person who harbours racist feelings but doesn't act on them is less racist than a person who harbours racist feelings and does.

This makes sense to me, too. Defenders of Korea against charges of racism like to say, "Koreans are no more racist than the Japanese/Americans/Canadians/etc...." Which, in their hearts, might be true. But so what? If someone pretends not to be racist, that's far more civil and preferable than bashing others with it.

When my wife lived in Canada, it never happened that she got called any racist slur while walking down the streets of Halifax. She says she got treated differently at the grocery store sometimes, but as far as public epithets - nope, never happened. Ever, even if we were walking together, holding hands (in fact, we had a beautiful wedding in a small community).

And when she visited small towns with non-existent Asian populations, she still never got unwanted stares. Ever. Were some people thinking, "dirty Asian..."? Maybe. Who cares? They left her alone.
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matko



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: in a world of hurt!

PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 6:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fair enough Homer,

I would prefer a place where people leave me alone and I can live in relative "non abuse" to a place where the abuse can become a very annoying and distracting part of life.

Then again, "pick your poison" right Very Happy

I feel we have kind of hijacked the op's original post to a certain degree Embarassed

Sorry
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Homer
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 9:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah Matko..we did...oups... Embarassed

As for me...I dislike both forms of racism...I just have a strong dislike for hypocrisy...so that makes a person who pretends not to be racist worse in my mind..but thats just my opinion....
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The Great Wall of Whiner



Joined: 24 Jan 2003
Location: Middle Land

PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Everyone has good points here, but as for me, being able to understand Japanese (I was married for 5 years to a Japanese girl) and Korean I can tell you this:

Sitting on a subway in Seoul late at night, and being white, is not all right (wow, that was outta sight!) Very Happy

They want to fight, get uptight, not always..but they might. My plight is the sight of Koreans saying to me "go fly a kite". (O.K...not so funny)

I mean, the subject is not light....

O.K. sorry.

Seriously, in Korea I hear "I wish the Americans go home" etc etc. and they assume I or my friends with me do not understand Korean.

In Japan, they do not rudely blurt out "Huh. I wish those Americans go home." because (A) They know all white people are not American, and (B) They know some foreigners might understand them.
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Zyzyfer



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?

PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 5:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I dunno, I feel that the only reason Japan is less xenophobic than Korea is because of increased Western exposure. Long, long ago, I'm pretty sure they were parallels.

I, like Homer, prefer to know who my enemies are. If someone wants to tell me to f*** off, that's fine, so long as I'm aware of their sentiments. What bugs me are people who don't make their feelings clear.

I'll take the cyanide, thanks.
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austhai



Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Location: Thailand

PostPosted: Sat Apr 12, 2003 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks everyone for the informative replies.
I live in Thailand and this topic has made me realise what a great place Thailand is for a foreigner to live. Here it is an advantage to be a foreigner, I get better service than the locals, the cops leave us alone, the people go out of their way to be friendly. Example, went riding in the mountains on my motorbike last weekend, stopped at a little shop to get a coke, rode away with a basket full of fresh fruit complements of the village people.
Only problem with Thailand is the money for teachers is very poor. I get US$500 per month. I have to go to Korea or Japan for twelve months (if I can get a job that is), to top up the bank account.
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chi-chi



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sun Apr 13, 2003 3:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mods you may delete

Last edited by chi-chi on Sat Jul 30, 2005 7:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
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