Korean Job Discussion Forums

poet13

I'm asking because my 4 year old had a little go-around on the first day of kindergarten with his teacher. I had told him that he shouldn't put his hand on his chest because he is not swearing allegiance to the flag or the country. I told him that he should stand either at attention or at ease facing the flag, and not talk, or look around. In short, respect it and their custom. I do the same. I've been given grief about it before, but it ends with a simple question. "Would you put your hand on your heart for my flag?" "No." is invariably the reply.
So his teacher tells him to put his hand on his chest.
He doesn't.
She calls him out (after the ceremony) and shames him about it in front of all the kids.
He told me about it when he got home.
I told him that if it's a problem again, that the teacher should call me.

So, what do you do, and how do you feel about it?

wayfarer · Joined: 05 Jun 2007

That teacher needs a bitchslap.

Btw you don't send him to an international school? this is a waeguk kid at a Korean school? That's horrifying.

catman · Joined: 18 Jul 2004

I've never done it period.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

If it ain't your flag, no need to do that. Just stand there quietly.

Straphanger · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea

I have saluted the English flag, the Union flag, and those of Ontario, Canada, and now, South Korea.

You do it because it's polite.

blackjack · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Location: anyang

Yes I do it everyday at hapkido.

Why would you tell your kid not to? you are simply pushing your hang ups on the kid and making his life difficult. As a foreign kid at a korean school isn't his life hard enough.

It is only a flag why is it such a big issue?

marlow · Joined: 06 Feb 2005

I don't pledge Korea's flag. Never will. My sons can since they are half Korean, but they aren't in nationality, so if they didn't want to I'd take issue with them being forced.

Underwaterbob · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Location: In Cognito

I do the same as the OP, standing politely, but no hand on chest. My co-teacher asked me about it and I explained I was showing respect, but that my loyalty was to my home country. He thought that was a great idea.

Still it is just a flag, and for an elementary school child it might be easier for him to just salute the thing rather than risk being ostracized from his classmates, even if Korea could really use the lesson in cultural diversity.

VanIslander · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:22 pm Post subject:

I'm waiting for them to make me.

NoExplode · Joined: 15 Oct 2008

There's another thread on this exact topic.

VanIslander · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:27 pm Post subject:

berrieh · Joined: 10 Feb 2009

Is your four year old half-Korean? In that case, I don't think it'd be awful for the child to do so. But that's a family matter.

As an American, I wouldn't salute any other flag because I'd consider it disingenuous (I'd stand though). Nor would I expect anyone in an American public school to salute the American flag if they were a citizen of another country.

Not that the same thing wouldn't happen in too many classrooms here if a child refused to salute the flag. Americans do this stuff way too much---I once had a co-worker try to convince me that the French weren't patriotic because of their disagreements with Americans. Literally those words! I tried to explain to her that patriotism for the French would be loyalty to France...not America. People are absurd all around.

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

That teacher needs a slap across the head. However, seeing how she could make things difficult for your kid - just have him or her hold their hand over their hearts and cross their fingers with the other hand.

poet13 · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:05 pm Post subject:

From the top....There are not international schools in a little city. This is apparently the best kindy.

My son is not Korean.

straphanger. I equate the hand on chest with allegiance. He knows to respect.

blackjack. I have plenty of hangups, but the flag is not one of them. See above.

berrieh. My son is no part Korean.

Xuangzang. See, that's the difficult part. It would be easy to compromise principles, but then what does that leave him with? The lesson that principles are only useful when it's convenient? I think as long as my son is respectful, and if necessary, his actions explained, then that should be the end of it.

Truly, I would rather my son have few friends and strong principles, rather than a world of friends and a life without. I think he would find that those few friends were more likely to be the truest of friends.

crusher_of_heads · Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:09 pm Post subject:

I stand at attention respectfully but I don't do that-if last semester's coteacher asks for my hand at her chest, then I will do that.