Korean Job Discussion Forums

[itaewonguy]

[Len8]

Apparently the Korean government is organizing a Children's Cultural Independence Army in order to inspire patriotism among children and to protect their "Korean Cultural Heritage" against foreign aggression. That smacks of Korean version of the Hitler Youth. They started out as ideological pawns, but slowly became more militant. They were indoctrinated, so it was easy to transform them into something more sinister. The idea of dragging children into the political arena is appalling , and makes one wonder about the shortsightedness of those who are in charge of the cultural policies of this country.
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[itaewonguy]

[Corporal]

[quote="itaewonguy"]


why dont I quote myself because you are trying to quote me but you are not doing a very good job!!
perhaps if you cut and posted the whole quote.. it would make more sense instead of just trying to provoke an arguement!

[periwinkle]

[STP]

I'm dating a Kgirl that�s pretty international; she got her undergrad in OZ and has traveled quite a bit by Korean standards. I've asked her about Koreans and how they perceive themselves. It's a real shocker; it's was almost like some Arian race nazi stuff. They are taught from a young age and truly believe that they are a pure race that is superior to all others (try explaining to them that they are ethically from Mongolia and I guarantee you�ll never be invited out again), that their language is perfect and will eventually be adopted by everyone and become the international language. Ask any of your students, and you�ll see what crap they are feed by their teachers and the press. Let�s face it, Koreans in general don�t travel, don�t read (comic books don�t count!), and have very little understanding of the outside world. I�m not even sure we can classify them as racist.

Any white ESL teacher that complains about discrimination, please!!!! Meet any of the SE Asian workers and listen to what they have to endure. If only half of what they say is true, the treatment they receive is disgusting. Then again the weak and vulnerable always seemed to be abused, regardless of where they are. It�s difficult to accept this stuff given that I love my girlfriend and I have several Koreans that I consider close friend.

In the end, it's none of my business, I'm a guest here, it's their country. I'm here to make a bit of money and when the time is right I'm out of here and taking my girlfriend with me. I've meet her parents and they were to my surprise very open to our relationship, said that as long as their daughter was happy and that I made sure to treat her with respect that I would always be welcome to their family.

[Dan]

I don't think Koreans are racists. I think they are isolated. People without exposure to other cultures and people just tend to be that way, no matter where you go.

Koreans do have an overly positive image of themselves, but at the same time, they have a massive inferiority complex. So take it with a grain of salt.

[Gopher]

[deleted]

[STP]

Moldy Rutabaga wrote:
When I came here I was quite ignorant of how little pan-Asian feeling there is in Asia.


This is a really good point, often overlooked



your forgetting that during the world cup, Korea constantly had "Pride of Asia" signs at the stadium. Now if that's not Pan-Asian I don't know what is, well at least to the Koreans!

[captain kirk]

Caucasian foreigners are seen as simply 'others', I've heard. Ghosts, separate, not in the loop or fold, 'true individualists', whatever they think. But who's looking? Depends on the particular Koreans. Those traditional markets are really down to earth and I don't think they much care to discriminate and just live. Simple life, the good earth, and all that. Or the foreigner, as a teacher, has more status and they lower. Or they just smile warmly to accomplish their objective which is sell vegetables, like Hwajangshil Ajumma.

Sure there are some dumbheads who want to vent their spleen but it's subtle. You'd have to be oversensitive to allow your day to be knocked. But you get a thick skin. Somewhere in the day some knucklehead(s) are going to strut, spit, preen, look down their nose, mutter, treat you like an incompetent, and be friendly all in the same encounter. The amazing thing is they are, in the process, testing all that they've learned about Koreans and foreigners in reality, in the moment, with an actual foreigner. Not the stereotype. The stereotype, I think they find, can't and won't hold up. But only after they try taking the piss out of you a little bit. They're bored with Korean this and Korean that, in the end. And are postive, energetic, down to earth folk. Relationships are important and, foreigner or not, Koreans one gets to know well are super kind.

Koreans are just isolated and the funny thing is, so is the foreigner. Except the Koreans are isolated as a group. Which is funny.

[Gopher]

[deleted]

[jajdude]

I founds what STP wrote interesting.

How many elementary kids have you heard claim they hate Japan and probably America too?

[matthewwoodford]

I think racism is endemic in this country but a lot of it is naive racism stemming from ignorance of the world outside. A lot of it also comes from Park Chung Hee nationalism, the diet of propaganda everyone is fed on. But there is very little racist violence - at least towards whites - in total contrast to racism in the west.

[Emu Bitter]

There isn't that much racist violence in the West these days either. Unless you have an effete liberal world view.

[Grim Ja]

The simple racism from random idiots doesn't bother me that much. I feel that is do to poor education and poverty.

What does bother me is the institutional rasicm.

Has anyone ever tried to get a bank loan, almost impossible. not because ther is a law but because it takes extra paper work and the banks just don't want to do that.

It was only a few years since foriegners coud get cell phones or credit cards. But you still can't get property in your name.

I feel that Korea is a good place for Koreans, outsiders beware.