Korean Job Discussion Forums

[matko]

Indiercj,
I don't think this would even be an issue if it weren't for the fact that many Koreans claim there is no homosexuality in Korea.

At least it wouldn't for me.

[indiercj]

Many Korean insisting that there is no homosexual in Korea? When am i ever going to bump into one like that! Grrrr... It would be so funny to argue with a dumbhead like that. Why is it never happening to me. Hmmm Maybe i should start searching for old generation ajussis or confusian scholars in Sung Gyun Guan for this.

[gang ah jee]

yeah indierj, i've NEVER heard anyone try to claim that. i always feel like a lot of the posters on this board are meeting completely different kinds of koreans to the ones i meet.

[matko]

HAHAHA!


In my one year in Korea and three years of teaching English to Koreans in Canada I heard it on numerous occasions.

These were students in there twenties!

[gang ah jee]

fair enough... actually most of the koreans i know couldn't be described as typical (i mean, some of them are GAY), and it doesn't usually occur to me to discuss things like 'are there gays here' with taxi drivers, coworkers etc.

[matko]

Actually, the only reason the subject ever came up in Canada was that at parties, Korean guys would always be "touchy feely" with guys from other countries. Rumours would always fly around that so and so must be gay.

When the rumours would get back to the Koreans they would almost always emphatically say "that's impossible. He's not gay! We don't have gay in Korea!"

[Dan]

honestly, i don't see the big deal. so they act touchy feely. ok, don't do it to me, but whatever works, you know?

[sparkx]

Just wait 'till you are the recipient of the touching and see if you still think it's no big deal....I seem to find myself in this situation WAY too often and it isn't fun.

[The Lemon]

During my first month teaching at a hogwon seven years ago, I noticed a high school boy that had his arm draped around his friend next to him, and was fondling his friend's ear. He didn't look like he was trying to annoy his friend - it was an affectionate, loving grope. I had to ask him (gently but firmly) to knock it off.

[Dan]

in a recent elementary class, one of my kids attempted to stick his finger up my butt (you know what i mean -- and i caught him before he could do it, but the other kids were going, "don't do that you perv" so i thought that was kinda cute ^^

[steroidmaximus]

my first year teaching at a hakwan had me with a couple of evening adult classes. Both of these classes had individuals claiming on more than one occasion that homosexuality did not exist in Korea. 3 were males in the 30-50 year old range, one was a female in her 40's.

While teaching at a college last year, I had an 'over friendly' male student who would constantly monopolize my time during student get togethers. He would constantly talk to me while placing his hand on my thigh. On several occasions I told him that I found this behaviour unsettling, as would most 'straight' male North Americans, since not appearing homosexual in any way is such a big thing for many of us. but this went beyond anything, stroking my thigh as if we had already done the deed. I told him if he was female I'd take him up on his offer, but since he was male I wasn't into it. He would always laugh and say it was the Korean way, and that there was no homosexuality intended. I had to several times remove his hand, then finally on one drunken occasion caused quite a scene by yelling at him, telling him to **** off, go find another boy, etc etc. He finally got the hint and left me alone, thick skulled though he may have been. The end of the story has me finding out from some of his friends that they don't talk to him anymore because --- you guessed it --- he came out shortly after finishing school.

Denial can be found in Canada as well, for the same reasons you'll find it here. Hmmm, maybe I am partially gay, since I seem to attract gay men so well, and have several friends who are hard core lesbians.

[gang ah jee]

[desultude]

Steriodmaximus

What IS a "hardcore lesbian"?

By the way, I do know a bunch of steriod queens in the States, maybe that is the attraction? Gotta watch those mixed messagess!

Seriously, it sounds like your student made you uncomfortable. I guess I would think twice about going drinking with a student who made me uncomfortable in a sexual way.

[steroidmaximus]

when I say hardcore lesbian, I'm thinking the loud big boot wearin man hatin variety. . .very butch. I've gotten the "you're my only male friend" line from a few of em, not sure how I should interpret that maybe because I admire strong women, my wife and several exs being fine examples princesses are soooooo boring; I like women who can hike, bike, climb a mountain, and aren't afraid to express themselves. They're so much more. .. .'fun'

Yeah this guy did make me uncomfrotable, but when you go out with a group for a school sponsored activity, it can be hard to avoid people who make you uncomfortable. This guy was waaaaaaaayy overboard with the whole touchy thing though. . . At first I tried to be nice about it, explaining blah blah, but eventually had to resort to the 'you-touch-me-one-more-time-and-I'm-going-to-break-your-shoulder' spiel. oh well.

[kimcheeking]

split from let's be negative about Korea thread