Korean Job Discussion Forums

[AbbeFaria]

I was talking with this guy and the topic of my impending move to Korea came up. North Korea came up as a point of worry, but I informed him that I wasn't concerned with that. Then he said what I should really be worried about is being kidnapped and tortured. I told him I'd been researching Korea for the last several months and hadn't come across any report of an American being kidnapped, tortured and killed in Korea. The whole idea of me going to korea came from a friend of mine who lived and taught there for a little over two years and he never mentioned anything like that in his advice to me. His response to this was "well of course not, you think they'd let the word out that this sort of thing goes on..."

So, while I am very critical of this bit of information, I figure it couldn't hurt to check out his statment from people who are actually on the ground there. Does this or has this gone on? He did have some pearls of wisdom amid this, like staying in touch with embassy, keeping an emergency bag packed incase the fit ever hits the shan, etc. but I figured the kidnapped thing was either rumor or wild speculation on his part.

Any thoughts?

-S-

[sublimeshawn]

poppycock, more likely to be die from the crazy buses or cab drivers

[ubum]

The only time I am even the slightest bit nervous is while walking around town, not because of kidnapping or anything like that, but like the previous poster stated, the roads. Koreans can��t drive. If anything happens to me here, there is a 99.983% that it will be traffic related.

I haven��t heard of any kidnappings, this is the Middle East or Columbia.

[ubum]

*isn't*

[numazawa]

Nah, forget about that... Right now I'm more worried about disappearing threads on "Dave's" -- I just saw one called "Is Seoul the babe capital of the world?" vanish right before my eyes. Ha! As if they could keep a secret of these things. Darn, I didn't even get a chance to check for embedded pictorial evidence.

[peppermint]

I wonder if your friend was thinking of the US soldier that got sorta kidnapped and dragged to a protest rally against the US military back in 2002. The guy wasn't hurt, and was released after a few hours.


That's the only time I've ever heard anything remotely close to what your friend was suggesting.

[cruisemonkey]

[Babayaga]

[SPINOZA]

No pic evidence, you're quite right. Is it really necessary? The evidence is all around us...on the subway, in Family Mart. Standing in line at a grocery store is like being at a Miss World competition here!

Damn shame the thread was removed. Deary me. Apologies to those who found it offensive. There's really no need IMO but if finding alternative viewpoints offensive and snitching to moderators is what floats your boat, so be it.

[Ya-ta Boy]

OP:

I think your friend has been visiting too many conspiracy theory sites again. This sort of thing does not happen in Korea.

Also, it is not necessary to keep a bag packed for escaping. If things were to get weird with the North you'll know it in plenty of time to get ready.

I doubt if most people even register with the embassy. I know I never have.

One good thing is to keep a list of phone numbers/e-mail addresses in your pocket so someone can contact your friends here if you turn into a corpse.

Korea has a very low violent crime rate. You'll be surprised how safe you feel walking on the street alone at 2AM.

[Babayaga]

[AbbeFaria]

[The evil penguin]

Amercians dissapearing from Korea??? Alrighty..... Maybe now we might have a chance to teach the kids the correct way to spell and pronounce......

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Dan The Chainsawman]

I worry more about fan death.