Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Howard Roark]

Is anyone else tired of hearing how "kind" Korean people are?

I've been here about 4 years and if I hear how kind Korean people are one more time I think I'll scream!

Consider these examples:

I once said to a Korean teacher that it was cool that Korean restaurants would deliver something small and cheap such as kimbap. I explained that back home you usually have to order something big and there may even be a delivery charge. She explained that this was such because "Korean people are kind".

Just a few days ago I was telling my class (adults at a company) about how on the previous Saturday I left my sunglasses at the bus terminal snack shop. When I returned 2hrs later the snack shop lady had them and gave them back to me. I said "Gee, I was sure lucky hey?" My student replied that this was more likely to happen in Korea than any other country because........."Korean people are KIND"!

A few weeks ago we were having a discussion about crime in Korea compared to North America. One guy says "when foreigners come to Korea, Korean people are very kind and helpful. But when oriental people go to America, nobody wants to help them". The most hilarious part about this is that this guy has never been abroad in his life!

I've never heard any other country's people rave so much about the "kindness" of its citizens.

I guess what bothers me most is that I don't find Korean people particulary kind - certainly no more than any other country. And I've lost plenty of things in Korea that I didn't get back. One returned pair of Ray Bans doesn't send Korea flying off the Kind Meter for me.

I don't usually feel the need to point out Korean shortcomings. We all know what they are and we're all tired of their reprisals.

I guess 4 years of Korea have built up to this one little rant on one boring night.

Also, I wonder if they really think Korean people are especially kind. Or is that just something to say in response (I mean given the language difficulty)?

[djsmnc]

Man, you're not being too kind. You should be more kind. Like Koreans. Koreans are kind!

[Real Reality]

A Society that Spares Greetings
Professor Han said that due to the "rushing modernization," referring to a mad dash to accomplish one's goals such as attaining social success, Korean society is seriously lacking in consideration of other people.
by Yi-Young Cho and Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (January 7, 2005)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005010857368

"Stingy Korea" for Refugee Support
by Yang-Hwan Jung and Soo-Jung Shin, Donga.com (December 9, 2004)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2004121098248

Individual Selfishness Damages Economy
People are more concerned about having their own share of the pie rather than cooperating with each other to help society in a general way.
Donga.com (June 30, 2003)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=020000&biid=2003070115228

Korean foreign aid policies criticized
by Hoi Kui-seek, JoongAng Daily (December 27, 2004)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200412/26/200412262239216809900090509051.html


Contributions to the International Committee of the Red Cross (in Swiss francs)
Australia: 10,632,044
Canada: 32,004,237
Iceland: 794,166
Italy: 9,388,420
Japan: 18,808,000
Germany: 24,234,153
Greece: 816,500
New Zealand: 1,911,900
Norway: 30,474,008
Portugal: 451,450
Saudi Arabia: 541,600
South Korea: 400,530
United Kingdom: 113,685,048
United States: 221,142,398
http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/622MA6/$FILE/icrc_ar_03_Finance.pdf?OpenElement



78 Percent of Koreans Consider Corruption Level Serious
Donga.com (June 17, 2005)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005061709768

Schoolgirls Held for Brutal Bullying
Chosun Ilbo (April 21, 2005)
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200504/200504210014.html

Police: Fatal fire was set by man mad at girlfriend
by Kwon Ho, JoongAng Daily (July 24, 2006)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200607/23/200607232228163139900090409041.html

Suspect in 82 rapes nabbed in eastern Seoul
by Kim Bang-hyeon, JoongAng Daily (January 21, 2006)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200601/20/200601202145519779900090409041.html

Korea Ranks 5th in Female Homicides in OECD Countries
By Yoon Ja-young, Korea Times (July 23, 2006)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200607/kt2006072317471210160.htm

[gang ah jee]

Yup, Real Reality has just proved that Koreans are not kind. There's your answer.

[Gwangjuboy]

[Howard Roark]

[gang ah jee]

[Troll_Bait]

I think that "Koreans are kind" is one of those phrases that's drummed into them in school, like "Korea is unique in the world because it has four seasons" and "Kimchi is spicy and so foreigners have difficulty eating it." They're just repeating what they've been taught without thinking it through.

[ronnie]

"There are no gay people in Korea"

"WOMEN ARE NUMBER ONE IN KOREA. WE TREAT THEM ALL WITH RESPECT!"

"We're so kind to older people that we watch them struggle with a heavy load up a long flight of subway stairs, only because we don't want to offend them by offering help!"

[Guri Guy]

Interesting...Korea which has 200 times more people than Iceland, contributes 1/2 as much to the Red Cross. The UK contributes 283 times more than Korea with roughly 50% more population. I don't know about Koreans being generous but it looks like Icelanders and United Kingdom people sure are.


Contributions to the International Committee of the Red Cross (in Swiss francs)
Australia: 10,632,044
Canada: 32,004,237
Iceland: 794,166
Italy: 9,388,420
Japan: 18,808,000
Germany: 24,234,153
Greece: 816,500
New Zealand: 1,911,900
Norway: 30,474,008
Portugal: 451,450
Saudi Arabia: 541,600
South Korea: 400,530
United Kingdom: 113,685,048
United States: 221,142,398

Anyway, I think there are kind people in Korea and not so kind people as well. We shouldn't generalize and say Koreans are kind should we? Or are positive stereotypes ok?

[laogaiguk]

[Homer]

The stats for donation to the red cross are indicative of what?

That Korea gives less than Iceland? Yes that is true.

Anyone consider factoring in GNP here? Debt, Defense cost, Wealth......


That would ad perspective to the stats and deflate them of much of their "flash" value. Be careful with stats...they can be used to mean most anything.

Are Koreans kind? Some are, some are not. That is pretty much par for the course as far as humans go.

Some are kind sometimes and unkind sometimes...some are kind to a fault while some are so unkind that they enter the realm of crassness.

By the same token, some here seem not to have experienced kindness from Koreans while others seem to experience it a lot. Once again...par for the course no?

As for the "link"...lets have some fun here...


Individual Selfishness Damages Economy
People are more concerned about having their own share of the pie rather than cooperating with each other to help society in a general way.
Donga.com (June 30, 2003)


Wow...really??? People are selfish and put themselves before the good of the group when it comes to money and goods..noooooo that is impossible!



78 Percent of Koreans Consider Corruption Level Serious
Donga.com (June 17, 2005)
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005061709768

This is related to kindness or lack of it how..??


Police: Fatal fire was set by man mad at girlfriend
by Kwon Ho, JoongAng Daily (July 24, 2006)
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200607/23/200607232228163139900090409041.html

What? A wack job with homicidal tendencies was unkind?


Korea Ranks 5th in Female Homicides in OECD Countries
By Yoon Ja-young, Korea Times (July 23, 2006)
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200607/kt2006072317471210160.htm

Korea follows the United States, Hungary, Finland and Luxemburg.

U.S. topped the list with the highest rate of 3.2 per 100,000 females, followed by 1.8 in Hungary, 1.7 in Finland and 1.6 in Luxemburg. So by the rationale behind the links festival the US would be the most unkind nation on the planet correct? Along with bad guys Hungary, Finland and Luxemburg!

[doggyji]

[laogaiguk]

[Qinella]