Korean Job Discussion Forums

gigi · Joined: 05 Feb 2003

my school recently hired a teacher, flew him over two days ago and is now firing him because he is fat...i know koreans base alot on appearance but come on! they had a pic before hiring him. does this occur frequently?

JackSarang · Joined: 28 Jan 2003

Can't give you incidence numbers but it does happen.

Not going to comment on the ethics but I've heard of teachers who send 8 year old photos of themself.. then they arrive and have gained about 100 pounds since then and got fired. Or they look "light skinned" in their photo but in person they're too "dark skinned" to make an acceptable teacher.

One teacher got fired after arriving because he sent a head-shot of himself, but he only had one-arm.

Other crap like that. So yes, it does happen.

Just depends on how big of an asshole the Director is... since there are black teachers here, the one-arm teacher got another job, there was a guy in a wheel-chair who got a job here, plenty of fat people.. old people etc...

PootyTang · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Valley of the sun

Back in 97, we had a couple come over from Canada....the dood had one eye that kind of floated to the right a little.

The first night they showed up we all got together as tradition had it that when a new teacher(s) showed up we would all go out for Kalbi.

Yep, within 2 days Mr. & Mrs. Eyefloat had been disconnected from our presence.

ExpatriateJoe · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

I've been here since 1996 and I have heard of such incidents.

Myself, when I came to Korea I was a size 38. Within 6 month I went down to a size 34. When I got married, I was still a size 34. But, after being married a year and a half, I was a 36. I went up to a 38 and back down to a 36. However, I went up again and this time my weight didn't fall. Now, I'm a 40. I feel guilty about it and sure would love to go back down to a 36. I believe a 36 is an ok size for a foreign man.

But I have stopped counting how many times my Korean freinds have told me I should loose weight. Do they think I'm a daft *beep*?
My wife says I'm too sensitive. Well, maybe I am. But I honestly believe that Koreans sometimes should stop and think about what they're going to say before they say it.

My opinion: 'San-gwan Ha-ji masaeyo'- mind your own business. The fact that I'm overweight doesn't make me a bad teacher.

kojangee · Joined: 11 Mar 2003 Location: Canada

'San-gwan Ha-ji masaeyo'

Thank-you!

I have been told that "mind your own business" does not really exist in Korean vocabulary!

I am soooo happy to learn this!

Thank-you! KISS KISS KISS (excuse me, just ecstatically happy!)