Korean Job Discussion Forums

HaleyShaw · Joined: 08 Nov 2006

I'm speaking with a man "x y", who signs his emails "x y". He writes to me using my first name. Should I continue to use his full name, Dear X Y or should I jsut write Dear X? (And is the first name the first name written down in the name?)
confused...I just don't want to be rude!

Roch · Joined: 24 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul

In all due respect: You must be taking the urine outta us!!! :)

If not, carry on and send me a P.M.

I am,

Roch

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

bellum99 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: don't need to know

I recommend calling him "D!ck". Soon enough that is how you will refer to him...might as well start now.

say it after me ..."That D!ck".

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

A director who treats you well should be addressed as wongjongnim (there seems to be some regional variation as to whether the ending is pronounced as 'nim' or 'neem' or something in between).

A director who does not treat you well should be addressed as shebal-gaesaki.

Ramones · Joined: 23 Oct 2006 Location: In Hell in my own mind...

In all seriousness, you should ask him how he wishes to be addressed.

My exwife is a nurse and I attended many parties with her at the homes of doctors. usually i would simple call them Doctor. However some of them said call me by my first name. So I usually ask them, should I call you doctor or...

One day i saw the elected sheriff of my county at the country fair. i said hello Sheriff! he said call me ken.. ( the name I used to call him before he won the election...)

I met a Catholic priest one day in jerusalem. We became friends and had some good conversations. Out of respect i would call him father. he said No, call me Doug.

heydelores · Joined: 24 Apr 2006

I'd rather make the mistake of being too formal than too casual. You should either ask the person how you should address him or use a title until you're told to use his first name. You could also ask a coworker how he/she addresses the director.

You asked about the order of names. The first name in a Korean name is the family name. However, I know Koreans who reverse the order of their names for foreigners. If you don't want to post his real name here, you might want to ask a coworker.

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

poet13 · Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:01 pm Post subject:

Not completely sure of myself, but I hear Koreans addressing other senior Koreans as Director (family name), Principal (family name), or teacher (family name).

rhinocharge64 · Joined: 20 Sep 2006

Dip *beep*. Yep, at some point in your contactual year the name dip *beep* will be used, oh and crzay. Do i like Hogwon bosses? I love them but i thank the dear lord every day that i no longer work for them.

Samantha · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Location: Jinan-dong Hwaseong

Personally I never called my hagwon bosses anything but Wonjanim (owner) and Samonim (his wife) (sp? that's what it sounded like to me). We all called them this. I actually can't remember their real names. From what I remember they translate to something like boss/owner and the 'nim' part is an honorific suffix. The OP could always use these terms unless told otherwise or just Mrs. Kim or Mr. Park.

Oh and for the OP remember that married Korean women do not take the husbands last name, I almost made that mistake Embarassed

though if you have their children in your classes the kids take the father's name.

Hope that helps a bit.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

I would never call a director by their first name. Even if they insisted on it, I think it's important to maintain the distance between you. I would go with Mr. FamilyName (if you can figure out which one that is.) When you are working there, if the dominant language you use for work is Korean, I sould go with wongjongnim. But if you speak only English at work, I would stay with the English language style of Mr. FamilyName.

I wouldn't use Director FamilyName, Principal FamilyName, or teacher FamilyName in English.

Edit: I can't type and don't care what language you use a fork in...

Samantha · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Location: Jinan-dong Hwaseong

That is a good theory that OiGirl has. At my last school I went with the majority, all of the foreign teachers (English teachers, Chinese teachers and Japanese teachers) as well as the Korean teachers called them Wongjongnim/Samonin. It would have made more waves if I had refered to him as Mr. Jeong.

I also can't speak Korean to save my life outside of survival tourist stuff, though I can read and pronounce it relatively well. I just have no idea what I am reading.

Banana Bender · Joined: 24 Jun 2003

야 요

I may be be wrong though. How would you address someone in the country you are from ?

BB