Korean Job Discussion Forums

Korean-American. · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: US of A

I'm not out to bash, (unlike some people). It's just that picking up your bags and moving to Korea is as random as moving to Ecuador, Bulgaria or Zimbabwe.

2,000 dollars a month is not that much money in any decent Western country. I can understand why South Africans would go to Korea. But I've read posts about Australians who seem to dislike Korea with every bone in their body.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

I sense somebody who doesn't like westerners in Korea, do I not. Why the attitude like you are trolling or something? Question

Zyzyfer · Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2003 1:14 am Post subject:

$2,000 a month isn't a lot of money offhand, no...

...but it is a lot of money when included with a free apartment, and considering the occupation, you make out like a bandit.

If it wasn't good money, not nearly as many people would be doing it.

Hotuk · Joined: 10 Jan 2003

The post does have the heavy stench of the "you're a guest and are not entitled to criticize" argument.

I have family here and I'm a Korean taxpayer. I like much of Korea. Don't you dare tell me I have no right to speak my opinions, or that if I do so I must "hate" it here and should leave.

Korean-American. · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: US of A

That's not the case at all. I could really care less how many foreigners decide to move to Korea. I don't reside in Korea and therefore do not feel that you are intruding as a 'guest" and should not be made welcome.

Really, I could care less. It's just that there seem to be some people who dislike it so much. Why would you stay unless the money was going to your sick grandmother?

I'm just curious.

Alias · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

I can understand 'newbies' who hate the place. What I don't understand is people who keep re-signing to stay here and hate it. I know the money is good but I couldn't stay in a place that I loathed so much.

Korean-American. · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: US of A

I'm just really curious as to why people voluntarily pack up their bags to move to say Zimbabwe, or say Korea.

1. They move to Korea
2. They find out they don't like it.
3. They continue to stay year after year, and become bitter.

Most people rarely stay more than a year abroad, except maybe a 3year corporate stint. Or a 5 year stint in a they happen to love or is close culturally. (U.S to the U.K.)

Again, I have no ax to pick with fellow Americans, Canucks, Aussies, Brits etc.

dogbert · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Killbox 90210

I think the same question can be asked of the millions of Koreans who now live in the United States.

Some of them love it, many others have the attitude of the one who told me, "I'd never live in Orange County (California) -- there are too many white people there!"

Boggles the mind.

Korean-American. · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: US of A

dogbert · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: Killbox 90210

Witness the numbers of Maritimers and New Zealanders in Korea. But what's your point?

The Bombastic One · Guest

There are several reasons why people go to Korea or other countries. There was a thread a while back about this. Some do it for money. Others do it for adventure, and so on.

Why do people stay year after year? Who knows? Some common answers are: no future planning, not enough money, no will, etc...

That being said, it's a considerable investment both time and money to go and work overseas. I also think that a person may not want to leave right away because they don't want to admit that they couldn't hack it.

Mr Bombastic

Rand Al Thor · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Locked in an epic struggle

I think most of the people who are complaining are here for less than a year. 2 at most if they change jobs to see if it was the job that was bringing them down.

As for the rest of us, I don't think there are too many long-timers who have a negative attitude. I am staying because there is much to love about Korea, my wife & family, low hours for reasonable pay among others.

narsty dog · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

i think the "korea problem" is a complex one
i lived there for 6 years , have a long term partner , lived with her family for over a year and am now back in the UK . To be honest I miss the constant racism and stupidity of people in Korea. Why ? It' s like an edge, a grudge match that you kind of want to win . Does anyone else feel that ? I think i stayed before because I liked the idea of trying to argue, take the mickey out of Koreans who challenged me , and change their 'cultivated' narrow mindedness . When the anti- amercianism rose to the peaks of last year though it seemed no longer a challenge, just a boring record that gets stuck for eternity- so I bailed.

There are plenty of racists and narrow minded retards here in the UK too - but somehow here - it really is a 'lack' of edcuation - in Korea it seems that education actually cultivates the back against the wall , poor little nation attitude and gives it a life it doesnt deserve. What shocked me about Korea was the way many behave is a way people behave when they come into 'direct' conflict living side by side with other racial groups - bitterness, jealousy, envy, racism - But in Korea nowadays its a 'liberal democracy' and almost 100% homogenous - so why the level of hatred??

beats me why any society has to have that level of anger and bitterness toward foreigners yet attempts to 'globalise' - learn english , sell their products in foreign markets , etc. at the same time .
there's no understanding it -
and therefore many foreigners living in korea 'react' to the social setting - much of its interesting / welcoming ( in the sense of many EFL jobs ) foreign/ exotic yet at the same time directly hostile and combative.
The fact that living somewhere for a few years means you inevitably build up personal relationships - however, this can also mean distrusting the wider Korean society and its racial/ nationalistic exclusiveness , whilst loving Korean individuals -
the fact of having loved ones and friends means it's very hard to just up and leave - you go back to a place that has changed , and you are again an 'outsider'. this is why many stay but complain . closeness with friends, but alienation in a society where foreigners are never accepted or allowed real rights to participate except as 'yes-men' on TV - Robert Holley etc.

When foreigners who actually live in Korea get the chance in the media to be seen and interviewed as individuals who have say at least in how they are portrayed or treated in the county then maybe there' ll be some sort of 'dialogue' and development. as such there are only one way forums like this -
no dialogue - no Korean dvelopment and understanding - no foreign development and understanding -

therefore...no development of standard of living for foreigners in Korea .
And BTW , Korea is not Zimbabwe. It's a western ally , has a democratically elected government , is one of the word's largest ecomonies and has an insatiable desire for foreigners to come and live there teaching english. It s time for korea to grow up - not as petty nationalists but as a mature, well educated country that assumes the responsibilties that come with wealth, power and make a better society for all foreigners 'living' there.

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 24 Jan 2003 Location: Middle Land

kim jong il · Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2003 9:49 am Post subject:

narsty dog,
the monitor is barely visible due to the soju, but you're right on bro. the more koreans make me feel unwanted the more indignant i become. it has motivated me to learn korean, and i walk out the door every day armed with a new retort.

doesn't it make you feel good to know that 99.4% of the people around you don't know anything about the world outside of korea? i think i have a copernicus complex.