Korean Job Discussion Forums

Sooke · Joined: 12 Jan 2004 Location: korea

As I was walking home from the bar this evening, there was a huge fight outside the super. It was some university students vs. other university students. They were rolling all over the ground, and there were about 3 different fights going on, with about 35 students watching the brouhaha.

As I said, i was walking home when one student (wearing ROKMC pants, which I suspect means he was in the Marines) starts getting in my face. He was pretty drunk, and so being the older uni professor that i am, I ignorede him. He started yelling at me, "where's your car?". I pointed to a car that was obviously not mine, and he proceeded to kick this crap out of the passenger side.

As I live in a small village, and there is only one apartment complex, (4 buildings surrounding a parkng lot), there are many cars available to be beaten on. Anyway, this car gets the crap beaten out of it, and i think even the windshield was broken by these guys. So anyway, I hightail it to my apartment and then have a cigarette and watch these guys continue to fight and kick the crap outta his car.

Anyway, the kyeong-bi ajosshis (apartment guards) finally get their crap together and investigate all the ruckus going on. They see the car which has the crap kicked outta it and question the students as to what happened. At this point, i stopped watching the huge fight, and went into my apartment (I had been watching it for the previous 10 minutes or so, as i was waiting for the water to heat up and i had nothing else to do.)

So I have a shower to get the bar and kalbi smell off me. About 5 minutes after I finish my shower, there is a knock at my door. I open the door to see police men at my door. They are asking me what happened. (I am the only foreigner to live in the apartment complex, so pretty much everyone knows me.) Anyway, I tell them that the students are drunk, and that one student singled me out. I told the cops that I said that a different car was mine, and that the student decided to kick the snot out of it. (I guess the student had told the police that I drove up in said car and he tried to defend his actions somehow-I'm not sure because they were speaking real fast and I could only get the gist of the conversation).

So anyway, I phone my girlfriend, and she talks to the police, and the police are saying that it is MY fault that the other car was beaten on, and that I, not the student, should pay for the damages. As of right now, no one is sure whose car it is (it's about 5 in the morning as I write this), but the police and the kyeong-bi ajosshis believe that it is my fault the car is all smashed up.

So what i am asking is this: (to make a long story short), Am I responsibe for the damages to the car??? If this goes to court Am I going to be in crap??? How can I be responsible for absent-mindedly pointing to another car so some Korean punk can have his anti-waygook jollies satidfied by kicking the snot out of an innocent car?? The cops told me i can chill for now, but I'm afraid with all the hullaballoo going on lately that this will be my fault. I've already dealt with this for about 1 1/2 hours tonight, and I don't think I've heard the end of it. And my girlfriend is pretty worried for me after talking to the cops. Apparently, I should have told the student which car was really mine, and I wouldn't be in trouble. (By the way, I don't own a car, but I have 3 motorcycles.)

Any advice from the pros???

P.S. I'm not trolling. I think I may be in a bit of trouble!!!! Sad

Konundrum · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Boston

Dude...that's kinda effed up.
I would say, IMHO, in no way, shape or form are you the slightest bit responsible. If you were in the west, I would tell you to laugh it off and not lose any sleep over it...but you're not in the west.
I dunno man...I'd probably try to take it easy and try let things run their course. If they charge you with something or try to make you pay reparations, I'd say you have a strongly defensible case. I can't see a judge making you responsible..even in Korea...

MissT · Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: Korea

That is the most awful story I have heard! Shocked

You are in NO way at fault. How could you be?
What a bizarre situation!
Good luck. I hope to hear that this situation gets resolved soon for you��

Apple Scruff · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

Jesus F****** Christ, Korean cops are stupid.

shakuhachi · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: Sydney

You have to nip this one in the bud ASAP. Get a lawyer and have him give the police a phone call. It should end right there.

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Dude, get a lawyer...

Go to www.efl-law.com and post this on their forums. He can help you get a lawyer.

And if this story is absolutely true, I'll send my KBS friend to go talk to the police for you.

You can also contact your embassy on this. They can help you get a lawyer, and perhaps provide some advice.

Please tell us more about what the cops said. Were they just "student cops" who are doing military service, or were they actual cops? My guess is that they may be trying to extort money from you, too.

By the way, aren't you the Canadian guy working in Wonju who was fired from his previous job because your ex-gf said you sold ecstacy to 8 year-olds? http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?p=196223&highlight=#196223

Man, you've sure got a way of attracting bad luck. I'd say you've almost got me beat.

And I'd be taking photos of that car, if I were you!

And DEFINATELY update us on this (if it's real).

PolyChronic Time Girl · Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Location: Korea Exited

My opinion of most Korean cops just gets lower and lower...what a bunch of unprofessional, little boy scouts....
Their brain power is only suitable for cleaning windows...that's all they should be in charge of....

the eye · Joined: 29 Jan 2004

do you actually have a car?

if you do, tell the keystone cops that you pointed to your car. it's not your fault if dem punks were too tanked to follow.

better yet, tell them you even said "oh, the (insert color) one", and dem punks obvioulsy don't know enough english.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

You know you should have told the cops that these drunks were threatening you, or at least you felt threatened. That they were mumbling something about cars and you waved them off not knowing what they were trying to say or do.

Hands clean.

But truly, this logic is from the cops is pretty F******.

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

My guess is the korean guy and maybe the police will say that you knew that the guy was going to beat the crap out of the car and therefore responsible.

Why didn't you say you didn't have a car?

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

What the FFFFF??????

What if they asked "which is your gf?" and you pointed to some crowd and they went and raped somebody else's gf. The cops would be after YOU???? "Sneaky foreigner's fault!!!"

Shocked

Yeah, I would have said I don't own a car (whether I did or not), but come on! This is ludicrous! This is a case of Koreans hoping to screw a foreigner but screwing one of their own, and now they're livid about having to deal with the consequences of their own despicability.

Swear to God, if you can just manage to stay out of their gun-sights, this place is funnier than a Z-grade movie.

Barking Mad Lord Snapcase · Joined: 04 Nov 2003

The immaturity of South Korea absolutely staggers me. Stories like this make me proud to be a citizen of a more developed country.

Unfortunately, there has been racist violence and vandalism in my own country, but at least our laws ususally (in these instances) dish out punishment where it is due.

I agree with Weatherman's advice. Tell everyone that the racist twits were threatening you.

Barking Mad Lord Snapcase · Joined: 04 Nov 2003

ulsanchris · Joined: 19 Jun 2003 Location: take a wild guess

True enough.

I think that what the guy, who kicked the crap out of the car, is doing is BS. He kicked the crap out of the car on purpose.

FUBAR · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: The Y.C.

I don't think you are in any trouble. But, you as other posters have stated, you need to nip this in the bud.

Personally, I would go to the Dean of the English Department today and explain what happened with the students from the university. Tell them how they were idiots and wanted to attack you and your vehicle.

If that isn't an option, call a friend (the higher the stature the better) and ask him to help you out when you return to the police station. It sounds like some drunk pissheads, along with the cops, are trying to make you foot the bill for their drunken idiocy. Bring in a guy who will stand up for you and this situation will disappear. No offense to the women on the board, but from my experience, police have little or no respect for foreigner's korean girlfriends. That was probably the reason for the manner in which you were treated last night. Use a man and correct this today and you will be fine.