Korean Job Discussion Forums

BoholDiver · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada

My MIL lives and works in one of those local outdoor, traditional markets. It's very old and crappy. It has one of those awning covers over the top that shields peope from rain and snow.

There is a now a construction project. The awning will be ripped down and covered with a new glass dome type awning. The finished picture looks cool.

A large part of the market is shut down for several days with no compensation to the shopkeepers of that area. The road is littered with broken glass, wires, all sorts of crap, with construction vehicles all over, and not blocking people from walking within inches of them. A basic minimal effort to ensure people's safety.

On Saturday, the goofs were ripping down the part in front of my MIL's shop and suddenly CRASH, they broke a window. Not only that, they somehow cut the gas line. On the upper floor, there was a gas hose spraying gas all over the place. Their solution was to try to duct tape it back together. My wife called Samchulli and argued hard with the useless twats. They finally reluctantly agreed to replace the gas hose. The window was without question. But no compensation was offered for the inconvenience of having no gas and a broken window on a cold day.

This morning (Tuesday) we got another phone call from MIL. It happened again. They not only broke another window, a pole jutted in and knocked the computer monitor from the desk onto the floor. Shards of broken glass were sprayed onto MIL's bed, which is right next to the window.

The twats came into her place to look at the damage, and didn't even take off their shoes. Tracking in mud and all that stuff. They took the blanket, shook it out, and gave it back.

My Brother in law came home and checked the computer. The monitor is fine but the main board is fried. The construction guys accused us of trying to get a freebee from an already screwed machine. They refused to pay, but only for the 2nd window. The blanket too.

My wife went there again and argued again. In the end, they're going to pay for the cpmputer but they refused to pay for the blanket, which may or may not have glass shards in it.

Moral of the story: if you want something done right, don't call a Korean construction crew.

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

BoholDiver · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada

I said nothing about the quality of the construction project. I talked about how the local people are teated.

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

The local people are treated as such by who? The workers on site? It seems to
me if you want to get treated right talk to management. Also, they must have been hired by someone, talk to that person. It is unacceptable that they could smash up her place twice and not give proper compensation. What would happen if she went out and slashed all the tires on their vehicles and broke the windows on those vehicles? Then refused to pay? The cops would be called, and it seems like that is what she should have done. I would have taken pictures. You can't argue photos in a court of law.

Octavius Hite · Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject:

This is a retelling of a friend's story, but very true.

This guy, we'll call him Bob, worked construction in Canada for sometime but then went to uni and went to Korea. Anyway, gets his place in a house in Itaewon and buys a new aircon. The guys come over to put it in and he is watching them. Now, the hoses have to go through the patio window, and Bob is watching this guy take out a hammer to just break the window. Bob stops him and explains that he expects the window to be drilled so the holes are neat and clean. The Korean guy is mad (face, whitie telling him what to do, etc etc etc) but he walks down and gets the drill comes up and drills the first window.

Bob goes to the kitchen and hears smash. Comes around and sees the guy just smashed a hole in the second door instead of using the drill twice.

Bob throws the air conditioning unit two floors off the patio onto the guy's truck.

One of the best stories ever. The bali-bali attitude towards construction is in part why the country is so ugly, and is it any wonder bridges and department stores have collapsed?

hagwonnewbie · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Location: Asia

nice story

i find it amusing that some guy who can barely change a light bulb is called an engineer here. talk about setting the bar low

crossmr · Joined: 22 Nov 2008 Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul

Octavius Hite · Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:59 pm Post subject:

Yeah, but in America (and much of the west) we are dealing with old infrastructure that is neglected because politicians cut maintenance budgets (rather than raise taxes or tolls which is what is needed). They do this is because its perceived as expendable, the bridge incident hopefully taught people the importance of maintaining infrastructure.

In contrast, the bridge and department store collapsed were relatively new and the time between collapses was so close that some overall issue was the problem (bali-bali), I would argue.

And in the case of the department store, it was bali-bali. The company moved the air-con units on the roof without taking the necessary time to consult an engineer or architect and they did it without proper equipment which is what caused the structure to fail. Bali-bali.

Davew125 · Joined: 11 Mar 2007

from my school we can see 6 new 2/3 story houses being built. They are truly horrendous. Not one of them had any foundations put in, not one! A thin concrete base was poured on to semi flat land that hadn't even been compressed. The interior brick work is awful and the cement is flaking already. I appreciate that buildings come and go in this country and i think I'm right in saying that there are laws saying that buildings are worthless after 20 years, but just a few extra days spent on the foundations of the building will at least stop it from cracking and moulding after a few years.

our school is a new, purpose built building and by far one of the most attractive buildings i have seen in this country but it is 6 years old and looks 60. HUGE cracks all over the place, space between door frames and walls, mould and damp in the auditorium in the basement. You can argue as much as you like that these things happen in other countries but the building standards in this country are incredibly low.

blue.sky · Joined: 31 Aug 2009 Location: a box on the 15th floor

BoholDiver · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Canada

Update: The computer repair bill is 220,000, and they're trying to weasel out of it. I came hme and my wife has been taking phone calls for the last hour trying to talk to joker #1 and jackass #2. I can't get a word in edgewise.

I am considering going down there and pissing on the seats of all the machines.

Octavius Hite · Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 8:05 am Post subject:

I can't remember what happened in the story, as its not mine and it was told to me a few years back.

Another story, just for comparison.

I worked for 5 summers in construction for my families contracting business. Before I went to university my uncle got an offer to go to North Korea and help build houses there. They were offering crazy money so he said what the hell, 9 months and tons of cash.

So he goes and it was all the crazy Norkiness we've all come to expect, but then he tells us about how they build things.

He was contracted to build "mansions" for the generals. But my uncle told us how they didn't build foundations, didn't have shovels, heay equipment, or even levels! They just eyeballed it! He said there was no way the houses lasted 20 years. We all had a laugh on the porch at these great construction stories.

Then I moved to South Korea.

lol