Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cymro]

I was just asked by a police officer in Daehangno, Seoul, if I was busy and, although I was a little, I told him I wasn't.

He said he wanted to know the "merits and demerits" of living in Korea, then pulled out his MP3 player to record my views.

Being as he was the police, I set straight into the apparent lack of law-enforcement evident on the roads and how I'm almost killed every day on my bicycle by drivers who've seemingly no care for anyone else on the roads, or off them.

My next moan was about the banking regulations. It's something that's irritated me for years, and I was actually just in the middle of some transactions when he stopped me. I was on my way from Family Mart, where I'd withdrawn 800k on my UK credit card (showing the cash helped illustrate the matter), to the bank. It frustrates me beyond reason that banking regulations here require amounts sent abroad to be written in our passports, but anything we bring in to the country goes completely unrecorded. Well, now, I'm collecting receipts and statements.

My third and final complaint was the inconvenience, though not so much as it was, of not being able to register on Korean websites.

Walking home, I couldn't help but wish I'd had my time again. I'd been caught offguard at a pretty traumatic time (the banking), and would have answered, if not differently, at least in somewhat a kinder manner.

I'm not sure if there is some campaign on at the moment to gather our opinions, if it's just a local thing or what. It may even have just been for his own interests, as it was followed up with "I want to be your friend."

Make my life just that little bit easier, Officer Kim, and I'll treat you to a beer, my friend.

[thursdays child]

What do you think it was all about? Asking other people? Just wanted to practice some English?

Know whatcha mean though - had similar situation and wished I had been in a better frame of (or organised mind) at the time.

[Chow]

hmmm . . . I was recently asked by my department secretary to parcipate in a "meeting" with some government officials about life in Korea. Unfortunately I'll be picking my mom up at the airport that day.