Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tfunk]

The Irish have been compared to the Koreans. A few similarities occurred to me today:

1. Psychology. In Korea depression, going to a psychologist and issues related to a lack of mental health are taboo. Ireland was the same only 25 years ago.

2. Terrible language skills. The Irish learn their native language in school for around 12 years. Yet, just like the Koreans learning english, they are woefully bad at using it.

3. Twenty years ago...the Irish were 'happy-go-lucky' folk in front of tourists and the world-stage, in everyday life they were moaning begrudgers.

The Koreans are proud of their country on the world-stage, in everyday life they litter, argue, and have no love for their fellow countrymen outside their clique of immediate co-workers, family and other 'invested interest' groups.

4. There is a high level of alcohol dependence in both countries.

Then there is the whole colonial history thing.

[Newbie]

***SAME***
Love of music/Love to sing

Unique musical styles (not U2 and not that Kpop crap)

Too much drinking

Tempermental

(do Irish men freak out about foreigners dating their women?)

They are their neighbors' biatches

"Strong family ties"

Would anyone really notice if either country fell into the ocean?

***Different***
Ireland is beautiful.

Irish folk are unbelievable kind to foreigners (open for debate, I know)

Never noticed that desperate, "ooh ooh look at us, we're so special" coming out of Ireland.

Ireland's drink is great. Soju, not so much.

[JMO]

I always thought the Irish economy was the polar opposite of the Korean economy. People wise, I think we are similar in some ways especially when it comes to widespread acceptance of alcoholics.

[GuinnessGuru]

I have heard this in passing a few times, however never by an Irish person. Many a time in fact in a bar in Bundang, an elderly Korean has come over to talk to me , and quite often his opening line would be "you know Korea is the Ireland of the Orient"not too sure how correct this would be geographically actually but anyway.....
he would then proceed to mention many of the things mentioned already in previous posts... fondness of the drink...singing ability...family closeness..border between North and South... history of colonisation by a neighbouring country...and then he would toast me in Korean. I would toast him as Gaeilge...slainte.. and we would have a few drinks and get on with it. There's really nothing in it though. We really have NOTHING IN COMMON . In fact I suspect the phrase "Ireland of the Orient" may have been coined by an enterprising employee of Enterprise Eireann over here on a workshop week-end and stuck for an opening line.

[ED209]

I was looking at one of those Korean comic book style history books kids read in school. Several pages showed the occupation of Ireland by Brits and followed it with the occupation of Korea by the Japanese.

But here are some similarities,

Both have four seasons

[bobbyhanlon]

-small countries that were colonised by more powerful neighbours
-music, singing, dancing
-drinking
-a diaspora
-being divided in two
-dare i say it, pretty girls

[JMO]

[Oreovictim]

I heard someone say once that the Irish are like mages in World of Warcraft. Drink, fight, drink, fight, drink, fight.

Okay, I'm sure someone gets the joke.