Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Viaje]

Someone posted about some American suicides in Korea and when I read the listing by the State Dept. I noticed there was a homicide listed of an American. Also one poster here said everything was stolen from his apartment. How is the crime in general? Are there any hate crimes against Americans, an occasional beating? Is the crime most present in Seoul? Is it very safe in the smaller places or it it the reverse, safer in the cities?

[caniff]

Some random stuff happens ocassionally, but overall violent crime is pretty low (IMO). As far as property crime goes, I'd definitely lock up my shit if I were you.

[blurgalurgalurga]

Safe as houses...five years in and i've yet to get even slightly beaten up, though i probably deserved it once or twice!
I figure Seoul is probably the safest city of its size anywhere.
The countryside is safe too.
People drive badly here though, so buckle up.
Minimal thieving, in my experience, too. Theft is a serious crime here, so while there is a bit, it's nothing like you'd expect in a European or an English speaking ex-colonial country. Where I'm from, people steal anything that isn't bolted down; here, not at all. There are a few cases of B and E but they're pretty rare, I think.

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

Agreed, either that or flush it right away.

[blurgalurgalurga]

Yeah, definitely lock up your, uh, belongings. This ain't Little House On the Prairie, exactly; still, though, I've never known anybody to get mugged, and the break-ins are rare.

[bassexpander]

Koreans don't like to live on the ground floor, due to many break-ins. Teacher apartments tend to be ground floor because the school can get them cheaper.

If you can avoid living on the ground floor, I suggest you do so.

[Rusty Shackleford]

It's really surprising when you see a Bongo completely unattended with either the keys in it and the windows down or a load of cider and 2% on the back. Or both. That shit would be gone in a second back home.

[coralreefer_1]

Speaking of theft, I have lost my wallet on two occasions over the time I have been here. Once lost on a busy street, another in a subway station.

On both occasions the wallet was returned to me WITH THE CASH still inside! I can't even imagine that would be possible back home.

People are generally pretty honest, but of course there are always bad people around (See the recent thread about the stolen jacket at the local drinking hole)

[caniff]

I live on the ground floor, but have bars on the windows. So far, so good.

A few years back I lived in Ilsan on the third floor. The wife and I went to the store and came back 45 minutes later. Someone had gotten in through the mistakenly-unlocked kitchen window, apparently by climbing up the gas pipe (the only possible way). He must have been a monkey or spiderman.

I think it was a monkey, though, because he left all the expensive stuff (jewelry, cameras, etc.) and only took about a $100 in Japanese Yen.

[Jeff's Cigarettes]

Good for him. Sounds like you're jealous of his skill.

[riverboy]

Korea is ranked only behind Iceland for most dangerous coutries for women.

At least that was the report I read last year.

[caniff]

[Viaje]

I just googled crimes against women in Korea, and what came up was an old thread from here at Dave's, and it was disturbing... about guys beating their wives and girlfriends. It makes me sick to my stomach. There is almost nothiing worse to me to see that type of thing, and I have witnessed it too. I never know what to do when I see it or if I hear something and wonder what is happeningl. If you intervene you may find yourself in a fight with a crazy person and sometimes the guy takes it out ever worse on his girl when he gets her alone. This is one aspect of Korea I am not looking forward to. I wonder if this gives me a better chance of dating women though, maybe some of them are sick of Korean guys.

[ChinaBoy]

[caniff]