Korean Job Discussion Forums

KOREAN_MAN · Joined: 01 Oct 2006

I see so many kids swear here in Seoul. They almost never swear when they're talking to adults, but when they're talking to their friends it seems like every sentence contains some cursing. Not just boys either; girls do it just as often I think. Is it because adults swear a lot here in Korea? But I don't think ajusshies and ajummas swear as much as children do. In my experience, most kids in the U.S. did not swear at all.

Jellypah · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Location: ROK

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

They do so much less in the country. However, I do seem to have noticed an increase in it in just the past 2 1/2 years, espcecially with girls.

I had a kid swear in my class last week after I took away a letter she was writing when she was supposed to be doing a listening excercise. She quickly learned how saying '시발' in the presence of the waegook could ruin her entire day, which ended with her bringing me an apology note.

mikekim · Joined: 11 Aug 2006

KOREAN_MAN · Joined: 01 Oct 2006

Ginormousaurus · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Location: 700 Ft. Pulpit

I always swore when I was a kid. All boys do. It's funny how you can just switch off the foul language as soon as your mom comes around. Laughing

Chillin' Villain · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Goo Row

ardis · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul

I remember what it was like to be in middle school...and kids swore all the time. I didn't, but most of my friends did. Smoking, drinking, sex, cursing--you name it, my 7th grade class did it. So I just see the Korean teens as much of the same.

huck · Joined: 19 Jan 2003

They swear around you because they don't think you can understand it....American kids don't swear around you because they know that you understand.

If you were Korean and visited the States, you'd be like, "Why do these kids swear so much when the sweet, innocent Korean kids never say any bad words?"

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

I think we (westerners) swear more if you include using the F word for emphasis, and other uses of swears that are not insulting.

But if you mean swears for the sake of swearing, I'd say Korea has us beaten.

stevemcgarrett · Joined: 24 Mar 2006

jaderedux2 · Joined: 09 Jul 2007 Location: lurking just lurking

Please they are kids! My students don't swear in my classroom in Korean or English. But when they are in the halls it flies like nobody's business.

Funny when I was in middle school you could get in trouble if a teacher heard you swear. But out side of school you would have thought a majority of us were brought up by drunk sailors on leave.

Right of passage I think. I got over it hope they do too.

Please remember especially middle schoolers are teens they are testing their boundaries and limits. Don't let them do it in your classroom but I don't think they swear anymore or less than your average annoying teen in any country.

Jade

Chicoloco · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Location: In the ring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvB6oHE0ePg&feature=related

Scotticus · Joined: 18 Mar 2007

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I've never been down under but have been to most English-speaking countries and lived in Canada and the States. While many Americans swear a lot, on average Americans swear a lot less than Canadians and Brits. Some Americans I knew even thought that saying 'crap' in public was rude. Fortunately for me they had no idea that bloody and bugger are very rude words.