Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Knappstar]

Hey Guys,

I know there is a post going about this, but the comment I got was on a whole different wave length. It definitely was not nearly as funny as any of those, but was really shocking.

Anyway, I have only been here about 2 weeks, and am liking it so far, but had a pretty terrible experience my 3rd day here.

I went into a 'Morning Mart' to grab a bottle of water, and the guy behind the counter says "HI where you from?" So I say "I'm from New York." And he goes "AHHH yes new york" and then he procedes to make airplane noises while doing airplane motions with two hands, then he knocks over my bottle of water and goes "BOOM BOOM bin laden! very clever, bin laden."

Very clever?!? OK, I'm not trying to turn this into a political thing, and I know Koreans have different social norms, but this was just too much. This would be like me going up to an elderly survivor of Hiroshima and saying "AHH Hiroshima big bomb make skin fall off!" in broken japanese or telling an Iraqi who survived Desert storm how wonderful I think SCUD missles are.

I was really tempted to lie the guy out right there. But I nodded, took my change, and walked out. But I didn't use two hands to take the change...no respect for this one.

Anyway, I'm loving it besides that, but just wanted to vent.

[Tiger Beer]

My last U.S. address prior to 9/11 was New York City.. so I would use it when registering in hotels in such.

After 9/11.. just days afterwards.. I flew into the Philippines and registered at a hotel in Manila. The first thing the staff did was make the airplane noises all laughing about it (when I wrote NY, NY).

Really inappropriate. Frankly speaking though, some people just aren't all that smart.

I still had a really good time in the Philippines despite that though.

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

I had a similiar experience when my kid students were laughing about 9/11 and saying Bin Laden was their hero.
I completely got infuriated with the stupid little backwards students and I said, "ah, yes, 9/11--many Koreans died in the building! Skin burning from the fire. Many, many Koreans died! Didn't you know? Is Bin Laden a hero now?" That sure shut their mouthes and never said it again.
Just tell the next ignorant idiot who says that the most people who died in 9/11 were Koreans...see if that shuts his/her trap.

[VanIslander]

What would be incredibly insensitive back home is simply culturally ignorant here.

By the locals, and by you.

Stop feeling personally offended by what's typical in this country.

[Real Reality]

According to the Samsung Group's chairman, Lee Kun-hee, to succeed globally, Korea must forgo the thought that Korea and being Korean is superior, and foreign specialists must be treated with respect.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200206/14/200206142349223599900090109011.html

Not only inconveniences caused by different systems and customs in Korea, but also special discriminating practices, such as the practice of submitting two years of monthly rent in advance like a deposit, which is required of foreigners just because they are foreigners, are ubiquitous.
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448

For Housing Rentals, Foreigners Easy Victims
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200308/kt2003082818233111970.htm

Discrimination plagues migrant children
"Schools that foreign children attend will have to develop a curriculum of international understanding. An understanding of foreign countries and mutual respect will help solve the problem."
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200404/25/200404252243110879900090409041.html

Areastudies.org
http://www.areastudies.org/documents/anti-us003.html

One day on MBC (Korea) radio.
DJ: "Do you know the 3 most superior ethnics in the world?"
Guest: "Yes, the German, the Jewish and the Korean"
DJ: "Right!!"

(some links may be dead)
"There are 3 most superior ethnincs, the Korean, the Jewish, and the German. And the best one is the Korean."
http://www.dongacc.com/htm/special_edition/hwasul/hwasul_02.htm

"According to western record, Korean people have best looking in Asia.
We are handsome ethnic."
http://guno.pe.kr/05korean/korean1.htm

"The reason why we are so superior."
http://www.seoulqni.com/kreco.htm

The words From Kim Jong Il to Kim Dae Jung during FIFA World cup.
"Please show our superiority to the world"

"World cup contributed to show Koreans' superiority."
http://news.naver.com/photoread.php?type=all&office=goodday&article_id=46401

"Why superior Koreans accepted inferior Western culture?"
http://www.ceoi.org/seomoon.htm
Some quotes from
forum.japantoday.com/ m_82112/mpage_3/tm.htm

Anti-American Demonstration in South Korea (August 09, 2003)
Students intend to burn American flags in front of American soldiers.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/080803front8.jpg

Anti-American Images in South Korea (from AreaStudies.Org)

http://www.areastudies.org/images/anti-us-010.jpg

[saharzie]

[AJRimmer]

[Leslie Cheswyck]

Ah!

Schoolgirls!

Tank!

AHHHHHHH!

You say that next time you go there.

[Real Reality]

Anti-American Images from the Republic of South Korea
http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/uglykorea/gallery1.html

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/uglykorea/

[matthewwoodford]

Everyone encounters this kind of appalling rudeness once in a while and we're all usually too shocked or polite to react. Perhaps it would help enlighten at least a few people as to how offensive they are being if you just told them angrily what a rude idiot they were being and threw a few things around to make your point. No need to get an assault charge.


Kids are a different matter I believe. They don't know any better and you can just order them to be quiet and that's the end of it.

[Rock]

Feel sorry for you, Knappstar. It's something you'll have to put up with here. The legacy of life is that most are jealoous and envious and that this man, being a store clerk, was probably similar to many of the lower class people you'd find back in your home country. Perceive him as such.

But treat him kindly next time you go in there. Treat him really kind, smiling and all. This will gall him more than rudeness, in my opinion. To smile at tragedy is a lack of sensitivity and character, so apparently, he has neither.

[matthewwoodford]

Unfortunately, a lot of anti-Americanism even back home is kneejerk. People get so used to sheeplike agreement whenever they have a dig at America they forget they're talking about real human beings.


That's why I said get angry: no one else is likely to tell him off when he does it.


Hmm, back home very few would be so insensitive they'd joke about 9/11 to an American's face...

[Real Reality]

Rock,
Would you advise Rosa Park to smile and give up that seat?

"Treat him really kind, smiling and all. This will gall him more than rudeness, in my opinion."

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

Yeah...you can't change a low-life, backwards ignoramis like the one you encountered. Just brush it off as human stupidity and take the high road I guess.
Or screw the high road and next time you seem him, you can say "Happy Takeshima Day!"

[JongnoGuru]

Ground zero for the battle between China's anti-American groups and those who condemn the attacks has been bulletin boards at the country's two most prestigious universities, Beijing University and Tsinghua University. So far, anti-American screeds have won hands-down.

"We've been bullied by America for too long!" said one typical message posted on the electronic bulletin board of Beijing University. ...

"I'm happy not because I support terrorism," said another. "I'm happy because I hate America." ...

"It seems as if people don't really understand what happened in New York," said a Chinese journalist, adding that some people in her newsroom cheered when news of the attack broke. "They are just happy that America is facing a tragedy."

Shi Yinhong, head of the international relations department at People's University, said he believed that China's "silent majority" is supportive of the United States. The problem, however, is that backing the United States these days is unfashionable and potentially dangerous. ...

"The thinking goes like this: Because the United States is arrogant, you deserve your fate," Shi said.

http://taiwansecurity.org/WP/2001/WP-091401.htm