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Rapacious Mr. Batstove
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Location: Central Areola
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 Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:13 am Post subject: 18yr old South Korean joins New Zealand Police |
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'Born ready' for a career in policing
LANE NICHOLS - The Dominion Post | Thursday, 20 December 2007
He might be just 18 years old, but Yong Suk Lee doesn't appear to be suffering from new job jitters as he prepares to take on a career in policing.
"No - I was born ready."
The South Korean-born teenager came to New Zealand as an exchange student aged 11, without any English skills.
But yesterday he became the youngest person to graduate in this year's final batch of Royal New Zealand Police College recruits in Porirua.
He is set to start work as a constable in Auckland - just "a minute away" from his Henderson home - on New Year's Day.
Though short in the tooth, the plucky "Terry" as his mates call him said he had loved his 19 weeks of training - which included learning a haka - despite being singled out for special attention by classmates because of his tender age.
"If I do something wrong they'll say, `that's because you're the youngest'. I had 29 dads and 11 mums at the college. They all look after me."
Mr Lee has been a volunteer firefighter since the age of 15 and worked as a lifeguard at his local swimming pool.
He had been miserable in South Korea - "it's quite harsh over there for kids" - but loved New Zealand and now wanted to become an Asian liaison officer, to give something back to the community and help Auckland's Korean population.
"It will take me two years if I rush. I'm going to get there one day."
The hardest part of his training had been learning that people lied. "I didn't think about that as a young fella."
Thirty-eight recruits graduated yesterday, taking the year's tally of newly sworn officers to 722, including 132 former British officers. |
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Rapacious Mr. Batstove
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Location: Central Areola
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:17 am Post subject: |
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This is a cool story, I'm stoked for the young guy. Particularly interesting are his comments regarding his miserable time growing up in South Korea.
I can't see it happening the other way around though.
Can you imagine what life would be like if you were a waegook police officer in Korea? |
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renzobenzo1
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
Location: Suji, Yongin
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:18 am Post subject: |
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He would have been treated like dirt in NZ and now wants to punish locals to get his revenge.
"I was born ready" sounds like a sadistic Terminator-esque comment. |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:19 am Post subject: |
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| I hope he gave up his Korean citizenship when he had the chance, otherwise he'll be Army bound if he ever decides to come back here. |
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tfunk
Joined: 12 Aug 2006
Location: Dublin, Ireland
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:57 am Post subject: Re: 18yr old South Korean joins New Zealand Police |
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| Rapacious Mr. Batstove wrote: |
The hardest part of his training had been learning that people lied. |
Is that true? |
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Rapacious Mr. Batstove
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Location: Central Areola
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:04 pm Post subject: Re: 18yr old South Korean joins New Zealand Police |
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| tfunk wrote: |
| Rapacious Mr. Batstove wrote: |
The hardest part of his training had been learning that people lied. |
Is that true? |
Sure is.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4330017a6479.html |
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idonojacs
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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Rapacious Mr. Batstove:
| Quote: |
| Can you imagine what life would be like if you were a waegook police officer in Korea? |
I imagine it wouldn't be too different from this fellow's situation. Instead of doing general walk-the-beat duty, you would specialize in certain areas related to dealing with the West and Westerners.
Actually, if Korea's government agencies hired Westerners, they might avoid some of the problems we are seeing, particularly related to these new ESL visa regulations. A Westerner or several of them from different countries would have been able to research the regulations and procedures in Western countries and been able to provide more realistic procedures and rules for new visas. Not that a Korean is inherently unable to do this, but you need good English language skills and an idea of which agencies to contact.
But the more interesting issue this fellow raises is one I have been wondering about: How many Koreas move to other countries not because of so-called economic opportunities, but because they don't like something about Korea, such as the rigid conformist thinking, or dare I say it, the food?
I wonder if anyone has done a survey of expat Koreans to find out why they left? It sure would be an interesting project for an academic, or better yet, for the Korean government.
They might learn something interesting. |
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Rapacious Mr. Batstove
Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Location: Central Areola
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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| idonojacs wrote: |
Rapacious Mr. Batstove:
| Quote: |
| Can you imagine what life would be like if you were a waegook police officer in Korea? |
I imagine it wouldn't be too different from this fellow's situation. Instead of doing general walk-the-beat duty, you would specialize in certain areas related to dealing with the West and Westerners.
Actually, if Korea's government agencies hired Westerners, they might avoid some of the problems we are seeing, particularly related to these new ESL visa regulations. A Westerner or several of them from different countries would have been able to research the regulations and procedures in Western countries and been able to provide more realistic procedures and rules for new visas. Not that a Korean is inherently unable to do this, but you need good English language skills and an idea of which agenrcies to contact.
But the more interesting issue this fellow raises is one I have been wondering about: How many Koreas move to other countries not because of so-called economic opportunities, but because they don't like something about Korea, such as the rigid conformist thinking, or dare I say it, the food?
I wonder if anyone has done a survey of expat Koreans to find out why they left? It sure would be an interesting project for an academic, or better yet, for the Korean government.
They might learn something interesting. |
I agree with you mostly about the waegook policeman's (persons) job description pertaining to all things Western.
Interesting point about emigrating Koreans too. You just don't hear too much about why they left, and yes the statistics would be eye-opening.
By my final comment/question
| Quote: |
| Can you imagine what life would be like if you were a waegook police officer in Korea? |
I was facetiously implying to the internal work related problems a waegook would more than likely face working for the Korean police; similar to what I have to face dealing with the Confucian hierarchy system which plagues the public school system, and the absurd decision that go with it.
I can only begin to imagine the terrible communication, parading, time wasted on bad decisions and drastic repercussions for attempting the logical one would face working in the KPF. |
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itaewonguy
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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well goodluck to him.. because this is whats waiting for him on the streets of NZ...
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shetan
Joined: 24 Apr 2006
Location: In front of my PC.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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| renzobenzo1 wrote: |
He would have been treated like dirt in NZ and now wants to punish locals to get his revenge.
"I was born ready" sounds like a sadistic Terminator-esque comment. |
well I hope he doesnt turn out to be another 'Woo Bum-kon'. He was a cop too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woo_Bum-kon#Uireyeong_massacre
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| Woo Bum-kon (February 24, 1955 � April 27, 1982) was a Korean police officer who carried out the largest known incident of spree killing in modern history. After the rampage concluded, 58 people (including himself) were dead and 35 were wounded in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea.[1] |
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hellofaniceguy
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Rapacious Mr. Batstove"]
| idonojacs wrote: |
| Rapacious Mr. Batstove: Interesting point about emigrating Koreans too. You just don't hear too much about why they left, and yes the statistics would be eye-opening. |
The only problem with korea is that it has too many koreans in it. Nothing wrong with the country...it's just the things the people do that defy logic and common sense when compared to the rest of the world. I don't see any foreigners beating down the doors or jumping borders to enter korea...but a whole mess of koreans are wanting out! |
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tsgarp
Joined: 01 Dec 2003
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="hellofaniceguy"]
| Rapacious Mr. Batstove wrote: |
| idonojacs wrote: |
| Rapacious Mr. Batstove: Interesting point about emigrating Koreans too. You just don't hear too much about why they left, and yes the statistics would be eye-opening. |
The only problem with korea is that it has too many koreans in it. Nothing wrong with the country...it's just the things the people do that defy logic and common sense when compared to the rest of the world. I don't see any foreigners beating down the doors or jumping borders to enter korea...but a whole mess of koreans are wanting out! |
Really, so all the white collar bean pickers here in Korea were coerced? |
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Billy Pilgrim
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
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| Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:07 am Post subject: |
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[quote="tsgarp"]
| hellofaniceguy wrote: |
| Rapacious Mr. Batstove wrote: |
| idonojacs wrote: |
| Rapacious Mr. Batstove: Interesting point about emigrating Koreans too. You just don't hear too much about why they left, and yes the statistics would be eye-opening. |
The only problem with korea is that it has too many koreans in it. Nothing wrong with the country...it's just the things the people do that defy logic and common sense when compared to the rest of the world. I don't see any foreigners beating down the doors or jumping borders to enter korea...but a whole mess of koreans are wanting out! |
Really, so all the white collar bean pickers here in Korea were coerced? |
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Atavistic
Joined: 22 May 2006
Location: How totally stupid that Korean doesn't show in this area.
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potin14p
Joined: 04 May 2006
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| Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:29 am Post subject: |
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| 18? he's 18? wow, he looks a lot older. |
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