Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jaganath69]

After a day out playing football (soccer) with my team in Daejon, we returned to Seoul on a 10 15 train. 4 of us sat facing each other, drinking a few beers, talking quietly, except for the occaisional outburst of laughter, which was by no means raucous. 10 minutes or so into the trip, a Korean man in his 30s leaned over the seat and said "be quiet! this is OUR PLACE". By "our place", I take it he meant "this is our country". I promtly told him of our status as residents, and requested if he didnt like it, he could attempt sexual congress with himself. What is particularly galling about this incident, is that I like opposite 3 pubs/restaurants, and the good citizens of "our place" cannot find it in themselves to cease singing/violently puking/beating their girlfriends/screaming/fighting beneath my window during the hours of 3-5 am when I am usually trying to get some rest. Another case of one rule for the natives and another for whitey I guess. Anyhow, does anyone have similar experience of being told to shut up on public transport? I have been told by friends that they know of several instances of this happening. I'm interested to hear your stories.

Cheers

Jaga

[peppermint]

I've been told that I was too loud and asked to be quiet a few times on buses, but usually the person wouldn't dare say it to me, they'd mention it to a gyopo friend or something.

There was never a sense of racism either, though again, the complaints came second hand.

[Swiss James]

I've been with people who were told to be quiet on the subway a couple of times, one guy saw us talking on the platform, walked down from where he was in order to get onto our train then waited till we got going and started telling us to shut up. The girls I was with were pretty loud though.

[lush72]

In before Homer apologizes!

[SarcasmKills]

Funny.. I had the same thing happen to me on my way back from playing soccer in Cheongju last weekend...

I was just talking with an American guy I met on the bus when some old man started yelling "shut up!" and "speak korean" at us along with some other Korean babble.. after a brief pause of shock, we both started laughing out loud... we weren't the noisest people on the bus by far, yet our English must've just been giving him a headache..

I do think the guy had a few drinks in him.. but regardless, we kept on talking while ignoring him.. he eventually shut his trap and passed out

[The Lemon]

I'll fill in for Homer (who's getting an unfair rap here lately) - These people who are complaining about all the English are obnoxious idiots, and every culture has its share of those. I doubt Korea held an election and chose these guys to represent the nation to telling English speakers to shut up.

I've experienced this a few times over the years, but only a few. There are two choices - shrug them off as random drunk God-complexed idiots and not at all representative of the local population, or take them as evidence that Koreans hate foreigners, must be speaking out loud what many more Koreans are thinking.

[Mr. Pink]

[The Lemon]

[Leslie Cheswyck]

[weatherman]

It usually isn't the volume that is the problem when the local want to controll you, it is his problem with hearing a language that isn't his own. For being loud, Koreans can be damn loud in coffee shops, pc bongs, anywhere... only we seem to take it as apart of Koreans being earthy, and so loud and so forgiven... but it is all bull, Koreans are loud and it bothers me sometimes....

[jaganath69]

[just because]

I'm not an apoligist at all as I got told the this is my country speak the language story so i just fire back at them in Korean please don't ever come to my country, you are not welcome line.

However...as Lemon said most of these guys are jackasses who are pretty insecure because they can't understand what is being said. I lived in a pretty multicultural city when i grew up with many different languages so when getting on the train with a bunch of loud foreigners(usually Thai or Chinese) they were the centre of attention due to their language.

Everybody focuses in(subconciously or not) because it is different so if I guy feels like being a tosspot he will be due to this.

[The Lemon]

I'm not so sure it's not ONLY the language issue. Volume does play a part in some of these exchanges. I've been around Western friends and colleagues who speak *seriously* loudly, by personality or by virtue of where they come from, and it's freaked me out, and I'm English.

One of the few times I experienced the blustery-Korean-man-"shut-up-foreigner" thing was on a bus with a friend from New York a few years ago. The old man was rude and intolerant, but then again, my buddy was WICKED loud.

[rudyflyer]

Its happened to me (us) a few times before. The most ridiculous one came as as a bunch of us were taking the subway from Itaewon to the World Cup Stadium for the opening match at around 6P. There were about 10 of us from all over the world singing dancing cheering et all psyched for the match. These old guys were contantly telling us to sit down and be quiet. We of course ignored them then told then to stfu

This happened many times during the world cup when going to games...and it still happens

talk about insensitive

[jaganath69]