Korean Job Discussion Forums

mercury · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Pusan

my theory..............

While looking at the Korea Times today I think I finally figured out the enigma of the Korean mind. Really. In big letters were the Name 'BIG CHOI'. He is the Korean baseball player who is playing for L.A now. The Koreans love that word. BIG. Korea is always in competition to become the BIGGEST. The ship makers boast of their NUMBER ONE output. The MOST wired place in the world. The BIGGEST screen t.v for Samsung. On the front stage, the people show what many have interrpreted to be arrogance. They think they are superior. They brag, they boast, they seem to be the most nationalistic people in the world.

Well, if this were true...............they should be able to take any type of critic on their society. And laugh it off.

But...........this arrogance is on the front stage. What is going on back stage? What is behind the DYNAMIC KOREA, and RED DEVIL fans? What is behind all of the 'arrogance'?

I will tell you. Students are leaving this place to go to England, the U.S, Canada, to study. Mothers are having their babies abroad. Koreans are trying to immigrate to Australia, New Zealand, etc..etc... BY THE DROVES!

The front stage is 'everything is awesome', the back stage is 'we NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE, we are small, we need to learn English in order to remain competitive, our society might oneday be forgotten, why are there soldiers in our capital, how can we become recognized, why are we trying to be like the west, but the west is not trying to be like us, are we special, are we, I hope we are.. please tell us we are special......"

Now, I can see confidence in conversation with the English. Yes, they have a confidence that I admire. The Italians, the French, even the Greek friends I have. There is an inward stability that gives them self esteem. Maybe it is based on their histories. These people rarely fish for compliments. They can take criticism. Tell an Italian that "pasta sucks" he will just laugh. Tell a French man that Paris is dirty, he will agree. Tell a Mexican man that the police are corrupt and his country is dangerous, he will probably buy you a CORONA. Logic, clear thinking, and self esteem.

I would like to compare Korea with a short man who is surrounded by big guys. We all know what the little guy in the locker room is like. He shouts,he brags, he wants to compete with a big guy, he loves the chance to compete, winning is his chance to become big, he has a big mouth, he is always talking trash, we call this "little mans disease". But, if you EVER tell the little guy 'shut up, your little' you had better get ready to fight him, because he will be all over you. He has no true self esteem. Criticism will destroy the front.

In the world of Psychology, a person has a high risk of becoming dysfunctional based on a history of dysfunction. If a person's parents were dysfunctional, or he had some tramatic event happen in his life, the risks for dysfunction goes way up.

This country has been full of trama. The Chinese, the Japanese, the Korean War, even right this minute their 'brothers' are trying to build nuclear bombs. Maybe this is the source of the dysfunction. A sad history. Stress. Conflict. Crowds. This can take a toll on the micro world as well, look at the soju bottles everywhere. Look at the suicide rate. Look at the craze to learn English. It is a system, a system that many will blindly call normal.

It can be transferred as well. If a western guy marries a Korean woman, the "blindness" can transfer to him as well. Any critic of the country will cause him to become emotional. Well, that is my next theory, time for a Corona!

Swiss James · Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Location: Shanghai

exactly how long after touching down at Incheon did you have their entire society figured out?

mercury · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Pusan

The Lemon · Joined: 11 Jan 2003

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

Choi Hee Seop is kind of big -- 6'5, 240 lbs.

Slow start to the season but his stats are starting to pick up. Batting .273 & his 5 home runs are respectable considering he platoons. Likely never an all-star but solid journeyman material.

Thats all I know about anthropology.

indytrucks · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Location: The Shelf

Wehey! Yet another sociology/psych/lib arts grad with his fingers on the pulse of Korea! Absolutely profound stuff! Congrats!

Now get in line and take a number.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

You can hardly criticize koreans for wanting to go abroad. Thats what we're all doing here!

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

What Indy said. Basically.

But I also want to congratulate the OP just for climbing up on stage and belting that one out. It definitely takes a pair to try that in front the usual Monday night crowd here. New talent is always appreciated. (reviled by some, perhaps, but appreciated for the entertainment value)

Homer · Guest

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Now that you have all slapped down the uppity newbie, can we get to the point of the post?

All he's saying, as I understand it, is Korea has an inferiority complex. That has been said many times on Dave's before without anyone jumping on the poster. I've even heard it from Koreans. There is a great deal of truth to it. It isn't the only thing going on, but it is a factor in the explanation. There is a desire among many Koreans for respect on the international stage. That is understandable. I once met two guys from Gambia (a country that is essentially nothing more than a river bank in West Africa) who claimed their country is the greatest in the world--best-looking, most accomplished people with the most admirable culture.

For the purposes of discussion, I'll suggest that maybe the Confucian obsession with hierarchy is more important. Everything in Korea is ranked, it seems. They even exaggerate their 2,000 years of history into 5,000 years so they can be as old as China and Egypt because that is automatically more respectable. The newspapers are always reporting the success of Korean students in international science and math comparisons because it makes Korea #1.

mercury · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Pusan

Theories are fun! Your turn, who can formulate any kind of theory, build a theory and you are a master! Anyone can tear them down, but try to build one, that is where the true genius of this board can be found Laughing

He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper.

More input Wink

schwa · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Yap

A theory to explain "the enigma of the Korean mind"?

Youre not getting it, mercury. Its presumptuous, naive, & asinine to attempt to pigeonhole the thinking of 50 million people.

Youre not alone though. There are quite a few PNA's on this board.

Reflections · Joined: 04 Jan 2005

Actually Swiss James, that piece by Mercury was more spot on than anything that I have read in your blog diary.

Swiss James · Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Location: Shanghai

the purpose of my blog is to get cheap laughs and show the folks back home what I'm doing. Not to dissect an entire nation and culture.

But hey, thanks for stopping by!

Universalis · Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Location: Seoul

The funny thing about "Big Choi" is that occasionally you'll see the sports tabloids writing his name in Hangeul as "Cho-ee" (kinda rhymes with toy). I'm told they do this because of the notion that foreigners have a hard time pronouncing "Choi" in the manner that Koreans say it.

Not being a baseball fan, I wonder how the LA sportscasters and fans say his name...

A student tried this stunt on me... mispronouncing his name (Choi) for my convenience. As is usually the case when Koreans enthusiastically cater to my supposed linguistic ineptitude, I was left baffled.

Brian