Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

Koreans Ignore Smoking Ban on International Flights
Korean travelers have built a reputation for making a nuisance of themselves by ignoring international flight regulations. Some passengers had to be released on bail in foreign countries after being detained for violating smoking bans.

"Even though some of our passengers violate in-flight regulations, they are still our precious customers, which means we should be extremely careful in handling such troubles," an official of Korean Air said.

According to a document for the National Assembly inspection, a total of 58 cases of disorderly behaviors took place this year on planes belonging to the two Korean airlines, which was 2.4 times higher than the same period last year. Excessive drinking, at 36.6 percent, and smoking, at 25.9 percent, accounted for some 60 percent of all troubles on flights.
By Lee Jin-woo, Korea Times (November 25, 2004)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200411/kt2004112518345211970.htm

[Cheyne]

Yeah, on the way over here the first time on Asiana Airlines, a Korean man was found to be smoking in the toilet. He got busted but I doubt any charges would have been laid.

What's with the constant need to go to the toilet on an airplane? There was ALWAYS someone waiting to go to the toilet. The plane was made up of 90% Korean people. I found that weird and annoying...especially when I was drinking beer and had to go too.

[Wisco Kid]

If anyone smokes on a flight I'm on, I hope they spend at least one night in jail and have to shell out a big fine.

Seriously not cool.

[FUBAR]

My favorite part of the article

[Wangja]

This raises an interesting point.

In the happy days when one was allowed to smoke on aircraft, the airlines had to change the cabin air very frequently to rid it of the visible pollution. As that was done, the invisible pollution was also removed.

These days, and largely at the arilines' behest, smoking is not allowed and the visible pollution does not have to be removed. Which means that the cabin air changes have been reduced as each air change costs energy. Which means that the invisible pollution remains. Which means that many people now get off planes with illneses that did not have when they boarded.

(And FWIW, I have not seen anybody smoke on a plane for many years and I take on average 30 flights or so a year).

Why is it, btw, that the only airlines you have to PAY for a beer are US airlines? Is there any special reason? And it ain't cheap ... especially for American beer ...... an oxymoron I know)

[Blind Willie]

You know, for years now I've been trying to figure out if Real Reality is posting these things as a way to justify some sort of anti-Korean bigotry on his part, or if he's trying get back at the kid who first tong-chimmed him in some weird round-about way.

Regardless, the cafe wouldn't be the same place without his scouring the web looking for any and all news of the evils of Koreans.

[gomurr]

I just got back from the Philipines. The plane was full of Koreans coming back to Korea and although no one was smoking alot of Koreans were getting up as soon as the plane touched the ground, getting their stuff from overhead compartments and rushing to be the 1st off even though it would still be 15-20 mins until we finally stopped. The stewardesses and stewards wre really pissed off and yelled at them for a good 5 minutes to sit down. I was kind of annoyed myself at the Korean passengers for causing the disturbance in the 1st place and for not willing to wait their turn and exit the plane in an orderly fashion.

[J.B. Clamence]

[Real Reality]

Blind Willie wrote,
"he's trying get back at the kid who first tong-chimmed him in some weird round-about way."

Exactly.
I was traumatized by serial dong-chimming. The violations were numerous and painful. The boss and local authorities just laughed at my protestations. The only way I could indirectly express the shame and violation was through the CAFE.

[fidel]

Hah! Some personality from Real Reality, nice one. See, posts without news links can also be fulfilling!

[sistersarah]

geez....koreans on flights......since i'm flying home in a week and a half, i have to admit, i'm a little nervous....

last year when i flew home, i got an aisle seat and to my left was a korean family...mom, dad and cute little 2 or 3 year old girl. naturally, the little girl was restless for most of the flight and the father would get up with her to walk around every so often -- that's ok since i don't sleep much on flights.

what bothered me was that every time he wanted me to stand up so he could get out, he was so rude about it! he would just nudge me and point, no apologetic smile or excuse me, or thank-you or anything! one time, i thought they had settled in for a while, so i had a drink, blanket out and had my MD player out.....well, all of a sudden, he had to get out again. fine. but, the guy wouldn't even give me time to secure my stuff and get out of my seat properly. i was attempting to get out of my seat in a hurry because he wasn't very patient....he starts to push through before i'm ready and i spill my drink on me and my MD player.....HE DIDN'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE IT....just pushed through, no apology or concern. i'm sittin there with spilled drink, tangled up MD player, blanket on the floor, totally fuming! he was lucky it was so late in the flight.

at the end of that flight, all the koreans on the flights did exactly what everyone described, got up in a hurry....and you know how air canada flight attendants don't hold back...they yelled at a bunch of people real good.

whew. i'm ok now, i swear.

[Sooke]

Geez, i'd rather have sex with 10 pounds of snot than go on another airplane with Koreans.

Korea, here's a little tip: the airplane isn't a movie theatre. Don't toss your garbage everywhere. Also, keep contol of your kids.

Last time I was on a flight, the kid next to me was hopping up and down on his seat. He was about 7 or 8 i guess. Literally jumping on the seat, like, with his feet. When the little bugger wasn't doing that, he was running around and around in circles (as we were at a bulkhead seat just in front of the bathroom) between the aisle and around the bathroom. As i am over six feet tall, he was alwats stepping over me or jumping over me. Finally I stopped him, and his dad laid into me. And his language in Korean was very very rude. Then the Korean stewardesses came and told me to stop causing problems. Later on (this was a flight to Canada, so it's long.) dad is totally blitzed and cussing me out, calling me ship-seki, me-gook nom, and his face is getting redder and redder as i ignore him. Finally he rips off my movie earphones and asks me "Chigoolae?" I could literally kill this guy, and now he's drunk so it's easier, but instead i ask for a new seat. I think even the koreans around me thought he was in the wrong.

Finally, I get to Vancouver, and guess who's waiting to talk to me about all the problems i (?) caused. The Airport authority. So, after about an hour and a lot of questions (ie: was i drinking, no, did i talk back to him, a little) they let me go. They said the only reason they stopped me was because the Korean stewardesses told them that i was causing problems and i was out of control. They thought it was a little amusing, because the stewardess reported that i had one beer, which i did, but she said i was out of control drunk. By looking at my size (over 6 feet, 200 lbs) they said they knew it wasn't true. So anyways, i ask them if they often have troubles like this, and he said the only times Koreans get in trouble is on foreign planes, but only forigners get on trouble on Korean planes. Then, he told me that his son also works in korea, and he knows how they can be, especially when they've been drinking. He told me not to worry.

So, I took Air canada back. Crappy service, but at least the stewardesses can lay the smackdown when they have to. Nothing is more priceless than seeing a Korean Ajosshi put in his place by a woman, and he cant do nothing about it.

BTW i'm not a troll and this story is true. Don't give me any grief and say stupid crap like "hey troll, troll much?" etc.

[Mashimaro]

have a good look around the plane next time you get off a korean air or asiana flight, there is rubbish absolutely everywhere, it's disgusting.

[crazylemongirl]

My brother has first long haul international flight (he's done australia-new zealand) to come visit me. He will spend 12 hours on an asiana flight. Given some of their more notrious behaviour he may hate koreans before he sets foot in korea.

I've managed to avoid the problem on my trip home by flying to japan and then changing onto air new zealand to go home

[TJ]