Korean Job Discussion Forums

[yangtheman]

My 20-month-old son is getting bored at home with all the toys he's played with for a while and mom's attention paid to a newborn. So, I decided to take him to "Five Sense Adventure" being held in Coex mall.

I should have thought twice about going in when I saw a long line, but I traveled all the way from Bundang! So we went in and I began to realize that there were just way too many people.

BTW, "Five Sense Adventure" is like a convention where rooms are divided into five and kids are encorage to use each of five senses for full experience. First one was for smell, and from then on I knew that our time there wouldn't be very pleasant. There were just too many people. A kid couldn't spend enough time to smell different things and parents explain. Besides, kids were just rude and pushy. As we went on, it was getting worse and I just couldn't stay any longer. My son was getting frustrated, too.

What really disappointing were the parents. It was the parents actually pushing their kids to do stuff in each room. In US, you'd hear parents say "John, please wait your turn" or "John, you have to get in line." But yesterday, all I heard were (of course, translated) "John, look at that, go touch (smell or listen to) it" while physically pushing his/her kid. Argh! Where is the order! It was always me, me, me, my kids, my kids, my kids first. It was a totally chaotic zoo. I left with my son maybe in half an hour. This also reminded me of plane ride to Korea, where little Korean kids were absolutely horrible.....with no freaking manner whatsoever.

BTW, any playgroup in Bundang area?

[rapier]

I think this behavior is becoming more fashionable the world over.
Its considered advantageous to raise your kid with poor manners, because they grow up to know no boundaries, and are more confident- pushy and so on.
I'm from the old school: raised to ask to leave the table, be respectful to elders, wait in line, help ladies carry their shopping etc. At school we even had to stand aside and greet every teacher that passed, and take our caps off. We even adressed older students by their surnames.
How the world has changed. But I think these manners are suited to Korean culture as well- every little boy is an emperor, carrying the hopes of his family line. Thus, he must have special treatment above all other rival parents kids. You just have to listen to the hagwon mothers to know how competitive they get.

[Reflections]

Hakwon mothers are a breed to themselves. Most of them that I have encountered seem to possess this over zealous edge that I find quite disturbing. It's then passed down to their children, especially the boys, who seem to have no concept of manners or social interaction. I think that this increased trend is all to do with pushy parents.

Once had a competition in my hakown with the students having to read a prepared speech to the class. The winner got a gift certificate. Up stands little Jimmy, a 10 year old, who announces that he intends to be a diplomat when he grew up. I got the korean teacher to ask him if he knew what it meant in Korean and surprise surprise, he had no idea. What happened to the fireman, police and nurses?? For me that is a sign of a lost childhood.

I was then unfortunate enough to meet his mother two weeks later in the school foyer. She tells me that her older son who was attending middle school willbe a doctor. I had taught the older son the year before and his marks were the lowest of the class. But, maybe, just maybe, he could get a job as an actor studying medicine in "Love Story in Harvard", that would probably appease his future disappointed Mum.... [/quote]

[Real Reality]

A Society that Spares Greetings
Seoul National University Sociology professor Han Sang-jin pointed out that the extremely low level of maturity of people's mindsets, which lacks consideration for others, is associated with a social culture in which people do not exchange greetings. Professor Han said that due to the "rushing modernization," referring to a mad dash to accomplish one's goals such as attaining social success, Korean society is seriously lacking in consideration of other people.
by Yi-Young Cho and Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (January 7, 2005)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005010857368

[coolsage]

[Cthulhu]

Back home the media has been feeding people the lines "look at me" and "attitude is everything" for some time, from sports to entertainers to selling kids products. This, coupled with ever-decreasing attention spans means that in general kids appear to be turning out worse and even more self-centrered than before, if such a thing is possible. Or perhaps they are just more aware of what they can get away with in a permissive society. On the upside, it's turning them into great consumers.

Where kids are concerned, Koreans have simply been more permissive in general from the start. However, we're getting there too, though not necessarily by choice.

Reflections wrote:

[itaewonguy]

koreans and manners??? hahahahah sorry...
but na.. yeah koreans can be very nice and kind when meeting you for the first time bow bow anyong hasayo? bow bow bow.. BUT!!
put them into a room with other kroeans.. subways, buses, lines, etc..
run for the hills!!

they have no idea.. its all about the home education!
coughing with their mouths open, chewing with their mouths open!
not asking before doing something.. not having any idea about right and wrong.. still we cant blame koreans.. its the governments fault! they create this kaos. they dont educate their people!. in my country during all kids shows afterschool the commercials will have some safety messages
or something like that..

of course we have rude kids back home too..
but also there many well mannered korean kids too..

I agree it all depends on the parents..

I have met alot of ajumas who seem they have just been released from a zoo!
while other ajumas have just had supper with the queen!
and you can tell their kids apart!