Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rapier]

I have hopes that Korea will change along certain lines in the years to come- lets say 20 years:-

1)ENVIRONMENTAL awareness: I sincerely hope Korea implements tough laws to control the levels of air pollution. i hope that the green Korea and other movements grow rapidly in strength, and Koreans preserve their environmentally sensitive areas instead of sacrificing them to more building projects and industry. I want to see peoples awareness of nature and the value of wildlife, animals, and the environment take a giant leap forward!
2)RACISM: I hope Koreans will learn to see people of other nationalities and cultures as not simply "waegooks", but as interesting and diverse additions to the Korean identity. Interracial marriage should no longer be frowned upon, and foreigners should look forwars to equal rights and a wider spectrum of real employment opportunities.
3)CULTURE: I hope to see a vast improvement in the status of women, equal employment opportunities, equal status under the law, and greater personal freedom. I want to see the outdated traditional ideas and stranglehold exerted by the family and parental influence dissapear, in favor of freedom of choice for the individual.

REALITY:
1) I expect Korea to become an endless urban conurbation from one end to the next, with every coastal area reclaimed, ever river banked up, and only a few token wild areas to remain as overcrowded tourist areas.
2) I expect Korean nationalism and xenophobia to accelerate up to, and for decades after reunification and the departure of the American military presence.
3)I do see the culture changeing as regards women, but they will cling to their hanboks for as long as possible, and their related elaborate and complex cultural customs.

What do you envision? what do you hope for?

[sadsac]

It will be the same as it is now. They will just be finding someone else to blame for all their woes, as the US will have pulled out and left them to it. That could be the reality, I hope not.

I would love to see them educate the children on environmental issues and encourage the populace to be litter aware and have campaigns like the "Clean up Australia Day". Learn to be more accepting of differences within people and cultures, understand that just because it's Korean. it's not always the best. Build on their strengths. Instill some integrity into the nation, its lawmakers and upholders. It is a country with potential, step back and recognise it.

Only time will tell. I am hopeful that they will get it right.

[jajdude]

Bet you $100 it will not be reunified. In 20 years that $100 should be worth about $10.

The place outwardly changes fast but do people's thinking change so easily? I think that will take longer.

Bet there will be more English though, maybe Chinese too.

[Wishmaster]

Nah, Korea ain't gonna change. I expect to see the environment completely devastated in about 20 years. The racism(chronic racism) will still exist because Koreans have this strange feeling of superiority...even though they continually get their asses handed to them. They are a defeated people. The goal should be to contain them within the peninsula...don't want to see them go to other countries and try to invoke Korea there. Need some tough love on them.

[ohahakehte]

i totally agree about the environment. preserving the environment is just not the direction the world's leading economies are headed in, including korea.

i think the enfuriating and depressing reality is that if korea wants to continue to be on the map economically as a major east asian economy it will have to steamroll what remains of its "environment." nations like canada, the US, japan, etc didnt get rich by "preserving" their old growth forests and keeping their streams clean. its simply the price you hafta pay to get into, and remain in the Strong Economies Club. im not saying its right, but its how our apocalyptic economic structure functions.

[harri2002]

i hope to see none of the koreans eating dogs in twenty years. i wish the foreigners living in korea now would stop condoning such bad practices by being silent observers. i hope to see establishment of influential animal rights groups in korea.

[Gord]

[Saxiif]

[Eazy_E]

Despite the deep flaws in English education that we're all aware of, I expect Korea to be a much more proficient country in terms of English ability in another 20 years. It seems like everyone in Korea either knows English or wants to learn it, and if they fork over enough cash to us then sooner or later they'll get better at it. When that does happen, there will be less jobs for us, but God willing I won't need a teaching job here then. And it will be even easier for foreigners to get by without knowing any Korean... excellent.

[stevie rotten]

If you want to see what kind of society Korean culture creates if left on it's own just look north. I think that's what's in store for SK.

[rapier]

[Barking Mad Lord Snapcase]

[Ody]

[candu]

I fear that most Koreans will remain unhappy. I hope this won't be the case, but that is my hunch...

[nev]