Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

A 24-year-old father killed his two young children Friday by throwing them from a bridge over the Han River, police said on Sunday. Lee married his wife, identified by her surname Cho, when they were both in high school. Lee ran up 35 million won ($29,000) of debt in July 2000 through frequent gambling on horse races.

Before committing the crime, Lee reportedly had a huge fight with his wife over the expensive price of his children's Christmas gifts. Lee left home with his children, telling his wife that he will exchange the gifts and take the children to an amusement park in Seoul.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200312/kt2003122114335211950.htm

Man who drowned his kids has big debts
In recent months there has been a spate of similar incidents. Police say that 12 such cases have been reported since July, resulting in child casualties of 23.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200312/22/200312220133361839900090409041.html

[rapier]

I heard that one from some Koreans the other day.
Business debts are one thing, gambling debts are another entirely.
Disgusting. the guy spends all his cash at the bookies, then makes his kids pay the ultimate price for his addiction.
Is "giving your kids up for adoption/ foster care" not an option here?

[Mr. Pink]

Guys that is why there should ALWAYS be a death penalty.

That is a pretty cold blooded murder. Killing kids, even your own should warrent a death penalty no matter what country you are in.

[Real Reality]

Debt too much for some Koreans

Police believe the father, overwhelmed by mounting debt, decided to end it all and take his family with him. Investigators said the father, who was in his 40s, poisoned his wife, 11-year-old daughter, 9-year-old son and finally himself.

"Many Korean families think kids are their possessions, not individuals," said Bae Suk-ill, president of Incheon Women's Hot Line. "Children are not parents' possessions. Parents must know they don't have the right to take the lives of their sons or daughters."
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/03/17/200403170042.asp

[batman]

[just because]

The problem is that if the parent chops themselves there is a tendancy here to take the kids to the other side as well.

The reason being is that how can the children live now they have no parents, life as an orphan is terrible so the father(most of the time) thinks that he is doing his children a favor hence they die together.

[Ya-ta Boy]

The most bizarre one of those I ever heard was back during the financial collapse.

A father came rushing in to a cop shop with his son all wrapped up in a bloody blanket. When the cops unwrapped him, they found his finger had been cut off. The father said someone had broken into the house and cut off the finger trying to force the dad to hand over money.

When the cops couldn't find any evidence of a break in, they finally got the father to confess to doing it himself in order to get insurance money.

The reason I remember it is because none of my students were sympathetic to the kid. They all expressed sympathy for the stress the father must have been under to do such a thing. They all said they 'understood' him.

[The Man known as The Man]

[buddy bradley]

[Real Reality]

rapier wrote:
Is "giving your kids up for adoption/ foster care" not an option here?
Batman wrote:
Only during time of divorce it would seem.

Divorcing parents want to shed kids with spouse
"It is good for the mother to take her child, considering the child's education," the husband said. The wife protested, "I have no money." After a two-month trial, the Seoul Family Court on Saturday assigned the boy to the unwilling father. "Mothers used to take the children upon divorce," Judge Hwang Jeong-gyu noted. "It's not like that any more, because mothers do not want to risk their future." As the divorce rate rises, more couples are trying to avoid custody of their children. Not only economic reasons but also future concerns such as the possibility of remarriage may make the children seem excess baggage. A recently divorced couple, in their 20s and both working, both tried to avoid taking their 3-year-old daughter.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200210/21/200210210030445169900090409041.html

Is Korea similar to Japan?

In Japan about 58% of mothers said they cherish their children compared with 93% in the U.S. and 79% in Turkey. Fifty-two percent of Japanese fathers said they treasure their children, a much lower figure than 91% in the U.S. and 79% in Turkey. Asked if they love their children very much, 71% of mothers and 68% of fathers in Japan said yes compared with 96% of mothers and 95% of fathers in the U.S., and 93% of mothers and fathers in Turkey.
http://www.japantoday.com/gidx/news234197.html

[Ryst Helmut]

Though not exactly in sync with this thread...

Last November my father-in-law's friend commited suicide. The cause? His grief of his college-aged son's $100,000 (US dollars) debt by credit cards and what not. His note stated that his wife were to sell all the land of his farm and pay off the debts (leaving the wife and 3 girls with nothing).

I don't know who's worse.

Shoosh!

DH

[intergalactic]

But Koreans love their children more than westerners! I know this is true because Koreans cuddle their children lovingly in the car, but westerners coldly and callously tie them up in a horrible strapped-in car seat.

(sorry, having a bitter day)

[The Man known as The Man]

[Real Reality]

The Man known as The Man wrote to Buddy Bradley,
Please don't ever change your avatar

What happened to his avatar?