Korean Job Discussion Forums

[soviet_man]

My co-worker recently asked me "are you impressed by Korean dynamism" and this got me thinking about how I (and how she) have different views this country.

WHAT KOREANS SEE:
* Rankings and statistics "proving" South Korea's superiority over Japan and the USA.
* TV Ad: "Dynamic Korea" (where the foreigner looks all amazed and dazzled at Korea).
* TV Ad Promoting: "Korea, where old and new collide!".
* Newspaper articles "proving" that Korea is the world's high tech powerhouse.
* Korean-made Maps of the world showing Korea bigger than it is in real life.
* "The Korean Wave".
* Making sure every sentence has the world "Korea" and "Hub" in it at least once.
* South Korea as a victim of imperialsm.

WHAT I SEE:
* Fights and vomit.
* Bags of rubbish and rotting food everywhere.
* Blatant Korean racism. I've been asked several times "...are you mixed?..."
* Children defacating on the sidewalk.
* Widespread anti foreigner sentiment.
* A visa system that deliberately creates red tape.
* Korean Tour buses where Koreans close all the curtains.

AS THEY SAY: There's only one way to describe this place ... Dynamic Korea!

[Real Reality]

Korea is wonderful.

[khyber]

i think that with everyone here, koreans and foreigners, there is a sense of a gap between the "idea' and the "reality".
Koreans think that it's the perfect place to be. Foreigners so often can't understand how people can live here and be happy.

Certainly both parties are right in ways. I do think it's funny how neither camp has a balanced and fair grip on the situation.

i'm guessing you could tell i was generalizing here...

[Gollum]

You're seeing face-saving at its best.

[Rock]

I recently went to Taiwan to teach. Was there seven months. This was my one impression and constant comment to my Korean friends.

"Taiwan has more variety." I sensed this difference between Korea and Taiwan right away. There was just a deeper sense of cultural creativity or something, more attractions to everyday life, making me feel glad to be away from Korea.

In no way does Korea appear to be dynamic to me, if we're speaking in terms of dynamic meaning versatile and different.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I think you have to have been in Korea for an extended period of time (I'm not talking about a 2 week vacation) to see the dynamism.

In my time in Korea, I saw it manage the peaceful transfer of power in elections. In a country that had a king, an occupying power, and a series of dictators all in one century, I was impressed.

I remember in '97 there were no PC bangs and then suddenly there were thousands of them. Then DJ got the whole country hooked up in about a year. That was pretty amazing.

I find it stunning how fast new cities are built. They just kind of appear out of the rice fields in about two years.

When I first arrived, no one smiled on the streets. That has changed a lot.

There was a time when there were no public displays of affection. Now there are.

Another cultural change. Korean movies are worth watching now. When I arrived, even the Koreans said not to bother.

Maybe the biggest change is the challenge to Confucianism. DJ said he thought it ought to be rooted out. Bit by bit, it seems to be weakening. Lately they tossed the hoju system. That's a big step. The Uri Party has promoted younger people over their seniors. Women have been promoted over men. Those are big steps.

Stick around a few years. Change is happening all around you.

[lastat06513]

[ulsanchris]

Look at korean history over this century and see what they have done. They have done a lot. I have my complaints about Korea, a lot of them, but give credit where credit is due. They have changed dramatically. In the 80's nobody took korean products seriously but now samsung is the "new" sony. thats pretty dynamic to me.

[bosintang]

I don't want to undermine Korea's accomplishments over the last 50 years, but I think it's just as easy to overstate them. Do you think Korea would have come as far as it has so far, if it hadn't already been accomplished in the West or in Japan?

[Cedar]

[namsanboy]

[jajdude]

Things do change fast here, like new buildings and economic change. The society seems a bit slower.