Korean Job Discussion Forums

[dalpengi]

Seems a thread has disappeared. Well here is my response to the comments that Wellington, despite being x30 times smaller than Seoul, is less safe.

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Yes, that�s also true. NZ in terms of life quality is good but there seems to be an increasing trend in random, unprovoked attacks. I don�t know why. Could be a (mostly) global thing. Or it could be the result of social changes that not everyone wants or understands.

Or it could be something as simple (though at the same time complex) as our drinking culture. I sometimes feel that when fellow NZrs get drunk, anything goes and almost everything is acceptable. Maybe I�m wrong but sometimes I feel we, as country, have Jekyll and Hyde personality.

On the other hand, and that worrisome statistic aside, I think NZ has a lot going for it. One of the major problems we face actually, is that many people don�t realize how lucky they are and rather then being upbeat they seem to have a completely wrong attitude to many things in life.

[RACETRAITOR]

I would say any North American or English city is less safe than Seoul as well. For men, of course.

I have noticed though, the majority of Kiwi males I've met seem to be always spoiling for a fight.

[crazylemongirl]

One thing I haven't really enjoyed in NZ has been the pressure to drink to until you fall over drunk culture. It also seems that if you don't enjoy being fondled by some letchrous drunk guy then obviously you are precieved as being a frigid cow by both men and women. I would agree the drinking culture being a huge contributing factor to violence. Because when you combine the drinking culture with the rugby culture, be hard man don't need to talk about my feelings you've got a major problem.

And it's not just out on the streets. NZ leads the developed world in non-accidential child deaths, some of the high-profile child abuse cases make me sick to my stomach. Particularly the two year old who got put in a dryer. After any major rugby match in which the all blacks lose, there is spike in reported cases of domestic violence as husbands take their feelings out on the nation's lippy girlfriends.

There are many things I like about NZ but the drinking/rugby head stuff is not part of it.

[Cheonmunka]

I am from Auckland (West) and have seen a lot of violence there.
I think the link is poverty, a lack of education, certainly a lack of policing, and also in NZ there really is a weak societal fabric - many don't really care about anyone else. Maybe it's something to do with beer and male macho. However, nowadays there are kids with knives, and they don't drink. They just lash out with anger. Why are they so angry??

I've been driving in Korea now for about three years, lived here for a lot longer, and never seen a road victim. I know it happens a lot but ... I did see it a lot in NZ. I lived in Christchurch for a year as time out from here and had to attend a guy killed off his bike by a drunk driver right outside my house.

If I compare NZ and Korea, NZ is a violent place.

[kiwiduncan]

NZ can be very brutal and nasty compared to Korea. Korea has a big drinking culture too but Koreans are generally pretty well behaved drunks. Here I hardly ever encounter the random drunken thugishness that is so common in New Zealand.

Kiwis need to stop worshiping rugby. It's just a game. One or two of the Kiwis I've met in Korea have been classic rugbyheads - rude, aggressive, racist and ignorant. Having said that though, there are lots of decent Kiwis who are into rugby but can still be pretty cool and civil about things.

Recently I've be lamenting the seeming lack of really eco-friendly, socially concious, left-leaning social liberals in Korea, and I think this lack of alternative lifestylers is largely due to Korea's rigid, conformist society. On the other side of the coin, this same conformity also means that Korea has far fewer thugs, bludgers and random arseholes too.

Compared to Korea, Western society offers us much more freedom to be different, but not everyone uses this freedom in a sensible or considerate manner.

[WoBW]

I think it's much safer here,too!

In my hometown in England they have mounted police in certain areas on Friday and Saturday nights.

It's like a bloody war zone.

[jinks]

On New Year's Eve a friend and I were wandering around Chunggyecheon after midnight. Not only was it a lot colder than Wellington, it also felt a lot more, well...civilised. Everyone was there: families, courting couples, groups of young guys, groups of young women, old people and random photography keeners. Hardly anyone was obviously intoxicated, and despite the huge numbers of people it was surprisingly orderly and hassle-free (unlike the subway!).
I love New Zealand, and I really love my darling Welling-town, but I can't deny the dark and dangerous streak that contrasts our laid back Kiwi joker image. I do think a lot of New Zealand's social problems are caused - among other things - by our inability to handle alcohol as a social lubricant and the way many Kiwis chug on liquor at a speed and quantity that turns them into instant arseholes. Unfortunately, the result of binge culture, too long dressed up as laddish high spirits, leads to violence and tragedy.

[Justin Hale]

I'm of the view that Korea has the West beaten soundly with respect to crime and safety. It's always a surprise to discover someone take the opposite view.

[Yaya]

I've had great experiences with Kiwis, so I guess I'm not seeing the whole picture. My first friend in Korea was a Kiwi, and I've had a great time with them since.

Sorry to hear about the problems in New Zealand.

[shetan]

Unfortunately very high crime rate per capita. We consistantly rate in top 5...
some stats....

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri_percap-crime-total-crimes-per-capita

number 1 for rape victims! great!!!

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rap_vic-crime-rape-victims

Young male suicide

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_sui_rat_you_mal-health-suicide-rate-young-males/AFR

[Ya-ta Boy]

Wellington is a pretty city and beats Seoul hands-down for climate, but I think (to use a glittering generality) all English-speaking countries have much worse drinking cultures. It's clear that the vast majority of Koreans learn to drink and have a good time without turning violent. That just cannot be said about our western English-speaking home countries.

The US condones drinking; Korea practically requires drinking, but there is a world of difference in attitudes toward drinking. Many of my students have told me stories about having roommate problems--and their solution is to go out drinking together to solve the problem.