Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Stalin84]

I lived in Korea long enough to know not to take the Nork's actions seriously. I was there when they tested a nuke, when they fired missiles into the Pacific... I was there when the Cheonan was sank and numerous other "antics." Every time the Western media was quick to jump on the "brink of war" bandwagon, riling everyone in the West up more than South Koreans themselves were riled up.

I'm heading back to Korea in the end of December. Everyone in my rural town here in Canada has a son/daughter/cousin/relative teaching in South Korea and everyone seems to be on edge about the "upcoming conflict." The locals here have got my otherwise logical parents concerned. Someone saw me in the grocery store with my dad today and was exclaiming about how he was paying for his son's plane ticket out of Korea because it obviously "isn't safe to be there anymore."

I've used up all my arguments and my folks aren't budging. Of course I'm an adult so I'm going to be heading over whether they like it or not but I'd prefer that they weren't worrying so much about it. Apparently people in my family are even losing sleep.

Anyone have any good, rational, to-the-point, logical arguments I can wield the next time I'm confronted with this sillyness again? I've exhausted all that I could come up with but they're not buying it. They're convinced that I'm going to go to Seoul and get bombed, no question about it.

Any advice/reason would be appreciated.

[GoldMember]

Just show them this article. You are being protected by Korea's finest.


A string of fatal accidents in recent weeks has the Korean military scrambling.

The mishaps have been so frequent that there has been criticism over an apparent lack of military discipline.

Minister of National Defense Kim Tae-young apologized yesterday for the military accidents.

�Minister Kim expressed deep regret at a high-ranking meeting this morning and ordered each military branch to come up with substantial safety measures,� Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said at a media briefing.

Won said the minister also ordered �ministry-initiated countermeasures� to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents.

Three Army soldiers died on Wednesday after a inflatable rubber raft carrying eight soldiers capsized in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, during a river-crossing exercise. One of the survivors was still unconscious and in critical condition, according to the ministry as of yesterday afternoon.

The ministry said the soldiers were all wearing life jackets at the time of the accident, the cause of which is still under investigation. The military also said on Wednesday that a 22-year-old soldier surnamed Lee was found dead in a restroom on a military base in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi, around midnight on Tuesday with three bullets lodged his chest.

�A soldier ran to the scene when he heard the gunshots and performed emergency first-aid procedures on Lee to no avail,� said a military official.

Authorities think that Lee�s death could be a possible suicide but the exact cause of death won�t be disclosed until an autopsy is performed with the family�s consent.

Earlier on Tuesday, during a training exercise, an armored military vehicle another armored vehicle, causing the car in front to tumble 2 meters (6.56 feet) down a cliff off a road in Hongcheon, Gangwon. Two soldiers in the car that fell off the cliff are being treated for severe wounds. Two other soldiers in the first car were unhurt.

In addition, a 150-ton Navy patrol boat with 30 sailors aboard sank near Jeju Island on Nov. 11 after colliding with a commercial fishing vessel on its way back from a routine mission. One sailor died and two others are still missing as of yesterday.

The Navy is now working to pull the vessel from the ocean floor - about 120 meters in depth. Two pilots died the next day during a surveillance mission in a reconnaissance airplane, which crashed on a mountainside in Imsil, North Jeolla.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2928600

Be afraid, Be very Afraid!

[jvalmer]

You're an adult, if you really want to come, just come.

[Kurtz]

I wouldn't listen to any "advice" from dave's peanut gallery. Everyone seems to think they're some kind of military expert with mind reading abilities. Next time I read "The north aren't going to do such as such is because...." I'll friggin scream.

Use your experience from living in Korea, read whatever informed commentary you can find from reputable newspapers and use your own reasoning why you should return to Korea with an unpredictable regime possible armed to the teeth on its doorstep.

[Vagabundo]

actually, that is not what you need HELP with/for.

what you need is to grow a set/pair of balls to show them to the family, saying "Mom, Dad, these are my balls" and I'm an adult and I will go and live and do what I want to. Thanks.

you must be a product of the overprotected and cocooned Y generation. As an Xer I don't have such issues. I fought my independence wars with my parents at 18, while going to college. By 20 I did what I pleased.

[comm]

[T-dot]

Id first ask for permission to be allowed to be out past my bedtime.

[Steelrails]

[Vagabundo]

[Stalin84]

Why is everyone on this thread assuming I'm a pathetic douche whose balls haven't dropped yet?

I want to spare my parents a bit of worry because I think they're overreacting to something. This doesn't mean I'm a complete wimp. I just don't like there being anxiety/conflict where there doesn't need to be and I'm going to Korea either way.

The lot of you try to brand yourself like you do what you want to do regardless of how it makes others feel. Silly internet posturing is all that is.

[Kurtz]

Check your government's travel warnings, SK is still on the lowest level

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=153000

To add balance, my country's govt. has (Indonesia) Bali on the 2nd highest level which puts it as high risk.

[recessiontime]

People in your town/city are concerned for your safety?

Tell them to put their money with their mouth is and get you a good stable job in Canada so you don't have to fly thousands of Km to work. That'll shut them up.

[northway]

[Vagabundo]

[Steelrails]

Or you could be sneering.

"People like you who think I'm moving into a warzone are exactly the kind of sheeple I am looking forward to exploiting when I move to Korea and start privately teaching English."