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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Intrepid
Joined: 13 May 2004
Location: Yongin
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KorJen
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
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 Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:14 pm Post subject: Re: Amazingly Smart Korean People |
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Oh haha, I read that in the paper on the subway the other day... quite hysterical. |
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kimchikowboy
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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| OK, they're pretty smart. But sit one down behind a steering wheel, and the IQ drops 30 points instantly. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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That was hilarious. It's probably written by a foreign English teacher taking the piss.
And amongst all these smart, hardworking people how many respected academics can we name? I can think of exactly zero. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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| For the record, the real point of the article seems to be that the American educational system is superior to the Korean one. But the writer probably thought that he could only get away with saying that if he first praised Korean intelligence to high heaven. |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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Albert Einstein had really funny hair. He was very smart. People with really funny hair are amazingly smart. We should build more universities for people with really funny hair.
(Oh, and this means I'm a genius 'cause I have really, really funny hair, toooooo!) |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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| On the other hand wrote: |
| For the record, the real point of the article seems to be that the American educational system is superior to the Korean one. But the writer probably thought that he could only get away with saying that if he first praised Korean intelligence to high heaven. |
That's definitely it. A little sugar to accompany the harsh medicine.
| The author scathingly writes wrote: |
| If college education is so important to the people and the nation of Korea, shouldn't there be dozens and dozens of more excellent colleges? Korean people like drinking, and so, they have built many drinking establishments. Korean people prefer to drive their own cars instead of using public transportation, and so, the automobile companies are producing many cars. On that same rationale, since the Korean people want to send their children to top universities and their students are smart enough, shouldn't Korea build more excellent universities or upgrade average ones to leading universities? Why would a nation want to send their smart students to average colleges and produce average people? That just does not sound like good business. |
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jinglejangle
Joined: 19 Feb 2005
Location: Far far far away.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| On the other hand wrote: |
| For the record, the real point of the article seems to be that the American educational system is superior to the Korean one. But the writer probably thought that he could only get away with saying that if he first praised Korean intelligence to high heaven. |
My thoughts exactly. |
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Gwangjuboy
Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Location: England
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Another deeply insecure Korean American. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 5:25 am Post subject: |
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I'm going to disagree with some of the posters above.
The US changed profoundly in the early 60's (under the liberal--yeah, yeah, I know that's a dirty word these days thanks to right wing bigoted conservative propaganda) and that the doors to economic success were opened to everyone regardless of ethic/sexual background. Of course you can point to examples of failure, but the reality is that the old system was scrapped and a much more open system was put in place. Korean-Americans and all others who had a chance have rightly benefited by it. Good on 'em!
One part of the solution was opening the doors of education. Korea would benefit greatly by reforming their educational system. |
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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 8:07 am Post subject: |
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By the way, I have a personal revelation to make: I am Icelandic. You know, Icelandic people, I have come to realize, are incredibly, indescribably intelligent. Exhaustive research I have conducted by reading Icelandic newspapers and attending Icelandic universities and talking to Icelandic people has convinced me that Icelandic people are the most intelligent people on earth. I believe I should share my thoughts with an Icelandic periodical so that other Icelandic people can agree with my opinions and lecture down to foreigners about their relative genetic stupidity.
Ken:>
Last edited by Moldy Rutabaga on Thu Jan 02, 2014 9:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 8:23 am Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
I'm going to disagree with some of the posters above.
The US changed profoundly in the early 60's (under the liberal--yeah, yeah, I know that's a dirty word these days thanks to right wing bigoted conservative propaganda) and that the doors to economic success were opened to everyone regardless of ethic/sexual background. Of course you can point to examples of failure, but the reality is that the old system was scrapped and a much more open system was put in place. Korean-Americans and all others who had a chance have rightly benefited by it. Good on 'em!
One part of the solution was opening the doors of education. Korea would benefit greatly by reforming their educational system. |
I would agree with Kwangjuboy on this one. Most people, including other Korean-Americans, don't feel the need to brag about their achievements. Humility is a virtue and insecurity isn't. |
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EFLtrainer
Joined: 04 May 2005
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:21 am Post subject: |
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| I am not just saying this because I am an American of Korean descent, but I really believe that the Korean people are smart. |
If the writer ain't so smart, does that diminish his point? Note the use of "but" in the above quote.
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| Now, I am not talking about the "Miracle on the Han River" which describes Korea's fantastic economic development following the devastation of the Korean War. |
Note the lack of a comma after "River" in the above quote.
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| In my view, such a phenomenon actually describes the Korean people's "effort and determination" to eliminate the long-entrenched poverty and build a prosperous nation for future generations. |
Note the lack of "to" to balance the statement. (Debateable.)
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| These positions are so mainstream and so high-ranking that even the most educated and the most talented Americans can only dream of reaching. |
Where the HELL is the object???????
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| Some of these amazing Korean examples are Dow Kim who is president of Global Markets & Investment Banking for Merrill Lynch, Joseph Y. Bae who is the managing director and the head of Asia for a leading American private equity fund called KKR, and Richard K. Kim, who is a partner at a top U.S. law firm called Wachtell Lipton. |
I can't respond to this one. I will go completely apepoop if I do.
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| These institutions are some of America's most prestigious financial and legal organizations, and these Korean-Americans have reached senior positions at their respective organizations with little or no connection with or support from Korea. |
But with all the support "and connection with" the US. Duh!!!!
Organizations? Is a law firm an organization or a business? And where are the commas for "or support from" in that quote?
Um... had to skip that last... I was getting apoplectic...
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| Of course, many would remember perhaps the most well-known example, Wendy Lee Gramm, a Korean-American woman who served as chairperson of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission under President George H.W. Bush from 1988 to 1993 (who also happened to be the wife of a former U.S. presidential candidate and an influential U.S. senator from Texas, Phil Gramm). |
Oh MY GOD!!!!!!!
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| How do these Korean-Americans achieve so much in such a short period of time? |
How DID you get this crap in print?
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| Although the history of Korean immigration to the United States dates back to the early 1900s, only a handful went to Hawaii at that time to work in the pineapple plantations. |
I'm sure he thinks this is a logical statement. Sadly, it is not.
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| Most Koreans immigrated to the United States after the 1960s when President Lyndon Johnson liberalized the U.S. immigration laws. Thus, in a relatively short period of time, children of Korean immigrants have risen to many senior and influential positions in U.S. investment banks, law firms and corporations. |
Yes, there is a direct cause-effect relationship.... AAAArgh!!!!! "Immigrating" after the 1960's is what makes Korean-Americans so successful. AAAARgh!!!!
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| Although I am not a sociologist, that fact alone does not seem to explain why so many Koreans in the United States have accomplished so much, since success in the United States is often based on individual merits and is not hereditary. |
Well, of course not. None of those rich folks are rich because they inherited it.
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| My personal (though unscientific) observation tells me that the Korean success is rooted in Korean brilliance and America's excellent post-secondary educational system. |
Nothing like a little racism, and a complete lack of statistics, to bolster an argument. I do agree that the US post-secondary system is pretty good.
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| Most of them also struck me as hardworking. |
Though they don't seem to use hyphens...
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| When smart people work hard, the result is generally a "success." |
Now, is the result a success, or is success the result? 
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| Consequently, one frequently hears about hardworking Korean-American high school seniors getting into Ivy League colleges with excellent grades. |
As opposed to the remaining morass that gets into Ivy League schools with crappy grades.
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| However, while their counterparts in the United States go on to some of America's best universities and land excellent job opportunities on graduation, many high school students in Korea struggle to get into leading universities in Korea notwithstanding their brilliant minds. |
So.... these brilliant pupils (who can't speak English after studying the language for up to ten years) can't figure out how to apply to American universities?
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| In fact, it struck me as quite odd that in a nation whose national fervor is education, there is only a handful of leading colleges which the top students can attend. |
It struck me as quite odd that the writer can't figure out how to use commas, nor how to properly apply the rule regarding verbs and nouns needing to agree in number.
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| Other than the six or seven colleges which the Korean people would view as excellent and thus, ensure good jobs following graduation and perhaps, even career promotions, all of the other universities are classified as mediocre or poor. |
I... just.... can't.... take it.... any.. more......
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| If college education is so important to the people and the nation of Korea, shouldn't there be dozens and dozens of more excellent colleges? |
More excellent?
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| Korean people like drinking, and so, they have built many drinking establishments. Korean people prefer to drive their own cars instead of using public transportation, and so, the automobile companies are producing many cars. On that same rationale, since the Korean people want to send their children to top universities and their students are smart enough, shouldn't Korea build more excellent universities or upgrade average ones to leading universities? |
Please stop.... I can't take any more...
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| Why would a nation want to send their smart students to average colleges and produce average people? That just does not sound like good business. |
Ah, the bell curve just doesn't apply to Koreans. They are ALL brilliant.
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| Korea is a nation blessed with many smart and hardworking people. Wherever they are located, the people of Korean origin through their brilliance and hard work seem to be producing accomplishments which are the envy of the world. |
Yes, I gnash my teeth over the quality of his prose and the utter lack of intelligence inherent in not being part of the Korean race.
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| Unfortunately, however, in their own country, with its antiquated and inefficient post-secondary education system, Korea is not utilizing its blessing to the fullest extent. |
Damn!!! No errors!
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| If Korea has risen to the 11th largest economy in the world with such unproductive college educational system, imagine what Korea can achieve with a more effective and productive educational system. |
Just imagine what they might do with the proper use of "an" and/or "could."
Given all the above, the following is the scariest part of the article:
| Quote: |
| Kim Jong-han is a Hong Kong-based partner of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, an international law firm. He is a graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and its law school. - Ed. |
Last edited by EFLtrainer on Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:09 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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EFLtrainer
Joined: 04 May 2005
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:22 am Post subject: |
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| Hollywoodaction wrote: |
| I would agree with Kwangjuboy on this one. Most people, including other Korean-Americans, don't feel the need to brag about their achievements. Humility is a virtue and insecurity isn't. |
I'm completely humiliated by that comment. |
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Bo Peabody
Joined: 25 Aug 2005
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with EFLtrainer. It's scary that a guy with these credentials wrote that article.
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| Mr. Kim received a B.S.F.S. degree in 1986, magna cum laude, from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. He received his J.D. degree, cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1989. |
Georgetown must be curving grades for foreign students. |
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