Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Newbie]

I don't buy into the whole "Koreans are so polite" that you tend to hear on these pages, but one area in which they come across as much more caring than us is health issues.

When you mention you are sick, they really do go out of their way to help you and make sure everything is ok. Of course, this could just be because I am so devilishly good looking and all my co-workers love me, but who knows

Hey, am I gonna get flammed here for generalizing about the kindness of Koreans the same way I would if I had done a negative generalization?

[Demophobe]

I agree. Every time I have mentioned this in the presence of friends or co-workers, I have been fussed over quite carefully.

I think that they are over-the-top on this though. As much as I like the attention (being sent home early!), they do go to the hospital for evey little thing. To the hospital for a cold? I mean a common cold, not pneumonia, of course. Indeed, westerners do go the pharmacy to get some NyQuil (mmmmm......NyQuil) or Dristan, but not many think of actually seeing a doctor.

[HapKi]

Doctor visits are cheap in Korea, if you have medical insurance, so why not go?
Its the only way to get things like cough syrup.

[Njord]

I had a bit of a cold a while back. The Koreans at work kept telling me I should go to hospital. I said that the doctor would probably take a fee, tell me to get some rest, and laugh at me. Is this really how it is done here? Why should I go to the doctor for a common cold? What could a doctor possibly tell me that I don't already know? If hospitals are at all like they are back home, it would be a massive waste of time if nothing else.

[xeno439]

What they call a "hospital", we would call a doctors office. And even without insurance, it is really, really cheap.

[schwa]

[antoniothegreat]

bottle of nyquil: 5,000 won
doctor visit: 3,000 + 5 minute walk.....