Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PatrickGHBusan]

So bascially Ed, all you are saying is that in your opinion, Koreans simply have less free time to read because they work so much.

This of course has nothing to do with interest in reading, intellectual curiosity towards literature...it is just a lack of time.

Got it.

[edwardcatflap]

[PatrickGHBusan]

Not necessary since you finally made yourself clear. See, it was not that difficult Ed.

Be well.

[edwardcatflap]

[cronolegs]

I understand no Korean.

I sometimes enjoy the crappy comedy with morons doing pointless things like racing eachother to remove the tops off glass bottles.
The random !!!! and ???? all over the screen make it easy and enjoyable to follow.

What I dislike is when I watch a documentary/crappy production of a murder mystery or something supposedly scientific. My girlfriend takes everything as fact.
She sits there making the "MMMMM" noises as if to say "aww I agree, how interesting".

The shows are poorly presented, clearly massively edited and generally useless content.
In the UK we have loads of these mystery shows - interesting garbage but nothing to be taken as fact.

I hope most Koreans are aware of video editing and mis-leading questions to manipulate interviews.

[Mr. BlackCat]

Several points:

First, I have to agree that TVs are much more prevalent here in public spaces than in European and North American countries. No judgements here, just an observation. If I remember correctly, there was a court case here a few years ago that said cab drivers had a right to watch TV while working. That's where I would draw the line. I don't care what individuals choose to do in their free time, but it's the same as talking on a cell phone. Limit the distractions. Other than that, it's just a cultural difference in my opinion.

Second, I have noticed that Koreans, in general, tend to read novels less than in my home country. However, we'd have to also look at the quality of what many people in our home countries read. And let's be honest here. The majority of foreigners in Korea are college grads, or white collar professionals. Thus, the sample is skewed in this group. I would also agree that there are cultural differences again that add to this. Again, I can make this observation without making associated judgements.

Third, I believe as a reaction against the quick rise of visual media in Western culture we've deemed the written word as superior to anything else. Someone could probably write a thesis on this issue, but one could argue easily that it's the bourgeoisie's rejection of mass media in general, similar to the printing press hundreds of years ago. The fact is, film and TV have offered a high level of art and entertainment that's easy to consume and appreciate even among the working class and that threatens a certain type of people who believe they have dibs on culture. It's the same with the recent appreciation of vinyl over digital. Rare, hard to get media is viewed as more valuable than those that are mass produced and easy to access.

I'm not saying books are passe, or that TV is all good. I'm saying that believing one is inherently better than the other in all cases is flawed. Most cultural critics agree that we are in a TV golden age. At the same time, most would agree that TV offers the worst that we have as a culture. But, one could say the same about Dostoevsky and dime store romances. Just look at the Bible. It could be viewed as an amazing collection of allegories that have found relevance through millennia or as a prop to control and abuse the masses.

Fourth, I have to agree about Steelie, UM and Patrick. I've had interactions with all three here over seeeeeeeeeveral years and while I'll say they're all perfectly reasonable (eventually) and even nice (usually) there's no way any of them will ever concede anything that could ever be even remotely construed as negative to Korea. It sort of ruins their credibility, especially in discussions like this where they are in fact totally informed and even right (I'll pay for that later). If the OP would have framed the discussion like, "I love how Koreans have visual media everywhere, it really makes the country seem as technologically advanced as it is!", then they would have been on board at the get go. That's the thing, even when they're right they're really only arguing a platform, not the point at hand. Even the most insane teabagger is right about some things, but when they react so strongly against every perceived slight, their logic is lost among the noise.

But unlike Sarah Palin, I'd have a beer with Steelie, Patrick or UM. Well maybe not UM. He seems like he'd shoot moose out of a helicopter, too.

[slothrop]

edit

[fermentation]

[Died By Bear]

I used to hate watching Korean dramas until I discovered MBC America on Hulu plus. I watch a couple of them now and I love them. The English subtitiles done right definitely help.

Currently watching CHUNO. Amazing swordplay and good storyline/cinematography. Love it. Only on episode 6 - ending has a good fight. Still can't understand where the hot chick gets all her make-up in 17th century Korea though. every scene, she's flawless - even when she's been hiking through mountain passes and sweating her buns off through the forest.
haha

[Steelrails]

Korean dramas = yawn.

Korean pop = meh, post-2000.

Korean movies = sublime.

[edwardcatflap]

[chellovek]

[nora]

http://www.oecd.org/berlin/42675407.pdf

A study from the OECD on leisure time. Points to note:

1. Korea has been working less since 1985.
2. Koreans between the ages of 15-24 use 24% of their day as "leisure time." This is 3% lower than the OECD average.
3. Koreans between the ages of 25-44 use 22% of their day as "leisure time." This is 2% HIGHER than the OECD average.
4. Koreans between the ages of 45-64 use 25% of their time as "leisure time," which is the same as the OECD average.

This means that the argument that Korean workers have less time than other countries is false. In fact, they have 2% more time.

If the discussion is about children (15-24), they DO have less free time, which is something that I don't think anyone would really question. We've all seen the lives kids here lead. They are busy, to say the least.

A few other points on television specifically:

1. Watching television is the preferred activity amongst ALL the OECD countries. Koreans spend 35% of their free time watching tv, which is 1% LOWER than the OECD average. USA is 44%, UK is 41%, Australia is 41%, Canada is 34%, and New Zealand is the winner at 25%. Also, if anyone has a hard-on about Japan, they spend 47% of their time watching tv.

2. If you want to talk about sports, Koreans spend 7% of their time playing sports, same as the OECD average. Of the previously cited countries, only Canada plays more sports at 8%.

So, the statistics show that Koreans watch LESS TV than the OECD average, and of us English teachers, everyone except Canada and NZ. While there is no specific information on reading, we can also point out that Koreans play sports at higher levels than all of us, save the Canadians (by 1%).

[PatrickGHBusan]

[chellovek]