Korean Job Discussion Forums

[andrew]

xxxxx

[Real Reality]

(Letters to the Editor) Giving foreigners here a hard time
While I have learned to read hangeul and enjoy practising it every time I take the bus, it is the feelings of anti-Americanism that impede my average workday. For instance, I have been turned away by galbi restaurant owners at the door. "No miguk (America)!" they say. Another time, at one of Korea's bigger department store chains, I was refused the right to purchase an electronics item. Again, "No miguk!" was the reason. When I asked, in my broken Korean, to speak to the manager, I was laughed at by the young university-aged service clerk.

Aside from these issues, there's the one prevailing issue that no foreigner in Korea enjoys. Being gawked at. Everywhere I go I am stared at in shock as if I have green horns growing out of my head....Many foreigners in Korea, myself included, genuinely enjoy Korea and Korea's rich culture and history. However, there are some fundamental changes that will have to be made in the perceptions of individual Koreans if Korea is to truly become a world-class nation.
by Nathan Drescher, Korea Herald (October 13, 2004)
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/10/13/200410130012.asp

Seoul restaurants bar US diners
BBC NEWS, Asia-Pacific (November 28, 2002)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2523237.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38523000/jpg/_38523663_restaurant300ap.jpg

Foreigners Experience Difficulties in Living in Korea
Overall living conditions, including education, housing, medical care, transportation, immigration, and access to the Internet are pointed to as inconveniences. 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.
by Jae-Dong Yu and Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (July 4, 2004)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004070522448

"No chair for foreigner" GM Daewoo head told
He may be the president of GM Daewoo, but he is still an outsider in the Korean car industry. The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association has decided that Nick Reilly, a Briton, cannot be the new chairman of the organization. The automobile association's rule states that only Koreans can lead the industry grouping. Mr. Reilly has thus stepped aside to allow his vice president, Lee Young-kook, to head the organization.

"Mr. Reilly said he could not understand why in a globalized nation, whose president stresses free trade agreements, there is a rule that does not allow a foreigner to serve as chairman of the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association," a GM Daewoo official said yesterday. The "no-foreigners" rule was first made in 2001 when then-Samsung Motor was being sold to Renault. An official at the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said it was unthinkable in a global era to have a regulation that denies a foreigner chairmanship. He added that Carlos Ghosn, Nissan Motor president, could head the Japanese association.
by Kim Tae-jin and Lee Ho-jeong, JoongAng Daily (January 18, 2005)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200501/17/200501172228551609900090509051.html

Discrimination
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200212/200212250002.html

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

[JongnoGuru]

[dogbert]

I got that too, two years ago, except their excuse was not "No Americans", but "No one without a Korean citizen ID number", which I expect is actually still the case.

Of course, it still sucks.

[Real Reality]

JongnoGuru,
Is that around the corner from the Hitler Bar?


http://libertes.cust.nearlyfreespeech.net//archives/images/hitler_bar_korea.jpg


"They Dressed Well" A troubling fascination with Third Reich regalia elevates the Nazi look to what's chic in South Korea
By DONALD MACINTYRE
http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2000/0605/southkorea.trouble.html

[JongnoGuru]

Yeah! You know the place, RR?

Just a few doors down from here...

[Real Reality]

JongnoGuru,
Your time machine works much better than mine.

[Cedar]

I can't help but think this is a Korean language problem. It's easier when there is a problem and they can't communicate to dismiss you because you are a foreigner, but I have never had an experience like this, because they can explain what's really the problem and we can work it out.

[Real Reality]

Cedar,
Are you a man or woman or transgender or alien?

[JongnoGuru]

Well then, climb aboard, RR! I'm setting the date to 1939. The place: Memphis, Tennessee. Beale Street, to be exact.

Yep, you heard that right -- Beale Street!! Home of the Blues....

[Real Reality]

JongnoGuru,
Memphis?

I will tweak my time machine.

Oops, too far back in time. Well, I picked up a few books on the way back to the present.


http://www.civilization.ca/civil/egypt


http://free.freespeech.org/americanstateterrorism/bibliographies/WhiteSlavery.html


http://www.antislavery.org


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/031327987X/103-0756847-2688605

[turtlepi1]

[mithridates]

Usually when that happens the best way to get around it is to make a fuss. If you feel up to it, that is. Not a getting upset kind of fuss, but just a fuss so that everybody knows what's going on. I got a point card at that clothing store, Giordano, by making a fuss. They said 'you can't have one without a card' and I said 'let's try! Come on! I think we can do it!' After a few minutes of talking back and forth one of them tried it out and lo and behold, I had a card.
Heres what I would have done: turn to the person next to me and say: "Hi, I'm American and I'm not allowed to use this card. Could you be a dear and help me buy a donut? I want that donut." If they say no, keep asking people until the manager gives in or somebody takes the card and buys you a donut all the while badmouthing the donut store for being so silly. The customers will do that. "You know, I can't believe I have to be the one to buy a donut for this guy, what's wrong with your store?" - the manager will be all "�˼��մϴ�, �˼��մϴ�" and you'll get your donut. Just remember to be overwhelming. Envelop the whole store and everybody in it with your donut issue and it'll get solved.

[jajdude]

Mith... is right. Cause a fuss if it matters enough to you. Be a negotiator.

But if not, reflect on how sad people can be. Racism or whatever is alive and well. So my CDN passport will help me, but not a US passport? Ok where's my gun I'm ready to do it.

[Tiger Beer]