Korean Job Discussion Forums

[alinkorea]

Most of the foreigners I meet seem to hate Korea. This forum is very anti-Korean. I've worked in korea about a year and I've lived in a few other countries so feel somewhat qualified to tackle the issue.
Firstly Korea. The place isn't paradise. Koreans tend to be overly nationalistic, a tad racist, homophobic and generally conservative. But so is every country in the world. England is embarrassingly racist. Likewise the States, certainly Australia and South Africa. I'd be amazed if Canada and NZ weren't the same. Koreans are certainly more friendly than most. They, as a general rule, at least attempt to make you welcome.
Over the last few weeks I've met some foreigners who truely hate Korea. They seemed perplexed when I've asked them 'Why not go home then?' Which is what anyone should do who really objects to the place.
Secondly the job. We are paid well in comparison to ESL teachers in nearly every country. The work is not that hard. Of course it can be tiresome and infuriating at times. But try working in a real school back home, where you are constantly evaluated, have to do loads of marking, parents evenings...... for basically the same money. Most of the teachers here are either not qualified to teach and/or don't like to teach. If you fall into these catagories it increases the likelyhood of hating the work. It's unlucky if your in a terrible school, but its so easy to get a job here (no interviews etc) that this is bound to happen.
If you hate teaching that much. Don't do it anymore.
Sure Korea isn't amazing, but please get a grip

[Tiger Beer]

Depends on what posts you focus on on the board. Do you just quickly browse the board and click on the negative-oriented ones? Or do you look more into other things you are interested in? Often times what you are attracted to is a reflection of your perception of a place.

Secondly, where and who do you hangout with? I spend a lot of time with a completely different set of people then the ones you are hanging out with.. did you just arrive and get stuck in one of those sucky hogwans of the kind that everyone can't wait to leave? My 1st contract was like that, but everyone after that had a lot of employees who'd been either there or in Korea for a long time.. and has a significantly different feel about it.

[Gwangjuboy]

[alinkorea]

To be honest I've started reading these forums a few days ago. My perception was that the vibe was generally negative. The negative people I'm talking about are people I've met when I've been out and about in Seoul. I'd say 20% is a fair guess at size of the Korea-haters group within the ESL community.

[Ya-ta Boy]

To be fair to the whiners, they are trying to stick out the year contract, so aren't free to just up and leave.

The only way to handle them is to not respond and try to change the subject (it rarely works) or avoid them once you know who they are.

[Konundrum]

I loved Korea while I was living there, and it had a lot to do with what kind of support system/friends I had there, which, of course, would realign any negativity I had felt towards positivity.

I think it's normal to feel negative toward a place like South Korea, and I don't blame foreigners who work there for hating the place-c'mon, now, at times I hated it, too! But with a great group of positive peers, I was able to tolerate&enjoy my stay there--it really helped me stay positive and love it the way I do.

[turtlepi1]

Either you are a complete dork that has been lurking for the year you have spent in Korea. (which would mean you should know better the flavour of the board)

or

You have managed to spend your time doing something better than us wasting our time here. (Which it doesn't particularly sound like from your post)

or

You are someone's new sock out for a troll.

[the eye]

interesting how cyclical this forum is.
and yes, i meant to say cyclical.

[Apple Scruff]

Haha, the only people who are criticized more than Koreans around here are the ones who call everyone on it.

[uber1024]

I found this board to be a great source of stress relief when I was in Korea, as well as a decent source of information before I went. I've talked to a few people from the board and most were cool, some sucked, and one guy was possibly the biggest jerk I ever contacted in my life. Meh. Whatever. I stopped talking to him.

Just take this place for what it is, carve out your own niche in it if you want to, and let people just do what they need to do. Some days I came to this board so stressed and culture shocked that I could barely type coherently. Some days I came here after an amazingly fun night out (or in) and I loved Korea. It's no big deal either way, and if you try to be understanding you'll get the same in return. Then this place becomes a great place to kill some time or blow off some steam.

So I guess "chill out" is what I'm driving at. If you're cool with Korea ... fantastic!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I think most of us find it frustrating that Korea has so much potential really to be 'the hub of Asia' yet insists on doing so many things the wrong way. No where is that more so than in the education system, where we all work. Make no mistake about it: Korea is a very easy place to get by, a country with almost every convenience you could want, an easy place to save up money, and even at the worst hogwans there are some great students.

Now I'll go back to b*tching about my idiot boss and bratty kids on the Job Discussion Board.

[Swiss James]

I generally find most people I meet in real life have a much more well-adjusted attitude to korea than this board would suggest. In fact most of them refuse to read this board because they say it's full of depressing losers!

Wherever you go you'll find that most people spend half of their free time moaning and whining about their jobs- human nature I suppose. Like I always tell em though, if it was fun, no-one would pay you to do it.

[manlyboy]

I think an important factor here is that living and working in Korea clearly has the POTENTIAL to be a fantastic experience for all of us, yet the things that can get in the way for a lot of us often seem so arbitrary and unnecessary.
Why is the boss ripping me off even though he's making such a huge profit?
Why are those people abusing me even though I'm sincerely trying to adapt and fit in?
Why can't I date a Korean woman even though I'm not out to "defile" her?
These things can seem like such an unnecessary piss on the parade.

[Homer]

[Freezer Burn]

Its not that bad, its in our nature to bit*ch about things that bug us about living/working arrangements, if we were back home it would be the same thing when we went out with our mates on a saturday night, its called venting, and theres nothing wrong with talking about things that annoy you, be it on here or with your mates.
Im a huge believer of looking for the positives and not letting things get to me.
Also I think some North Americans whinge a lot more than other races, except maybe some brits, Im not trying to troll or start something I truely believe it.
And come on we chose to come here, there is always a flight home, and there are worst places we could be living, Baghdad anyone?