Korean Job Discussion Forums

[coolsage]

There is the potential for lively debate here between such people as Homer and his ilk, who suggest that Korean mores such as spitting, shoving, puking and queue-jumping should be respected, if not uplifted, and certainly not questioned as 'traditional Korean values', and those who feel that if Koreans simply cleaned up their act and gained some basic courtesy, they might gain more respect in the real world (which they don't have now.) The so-called Korean Wave notwithstanding, Koreans are not liked overseas. This is because they take their obtuseness( which doesn't register here, because everyone else is equally obtuse) abroad. Other opinions are welcome here.

[coolsage]

damn that double-post.

[Old fat expat]

No, I like it. I like it alot.

I'm looking forward to this string.

[Homer]

who suggest that Korean mores such as spitting, shoving, puking and queue-jumping should be respected, if not uplifted, and certainly not questioned as 'traditional Korean values', and those who feel that if Koreans simply cleaned up their act and gained some basic courtesy, they might gain more respect in the real world (which they don't have now.)


You must truly enjoy missing the target coolsage....really you elevate it to an artform.

Also, how can there be debate when you present one option as badly as you did?

To start a debate by citing the position of certain people, perhaps you should try and get that position right. It would help your credibility a lot.

As it is, this is just one big and tired ole bear trap you lay out periodically.

[coolsage]

Homer, don't get me wrong. I think that you are probably a worthy fellow, and the fact that you have somewhat assimilated into the local tribe while maintaining your sanity says something positive about you. What I was getting at, (after wiping the spit off my pant-cuffs in the bathroom because the previous occupant chose to unleash his throat as well as his bowels), was that Korea still has some way to go in terms of what we in the west would regard as civility. In the runup to the Olympic games, the Chinese have mounted a campaign to clean up their collective act, so as not to be seen as , well, spitting and puking inheritors of the Middle Kingdom. Perhaps such a campaign would work here, but without the heavy hand of a communist government, I doubt it. Let's face it; there is little of what we would call 'civility' here, and for the locals that doesn't matter much, because that's all they know, but for those of us who are fortunate enough to be 'guest workers' in this country, this behavior diminishes the quality of life every day. I believe that it's not wrong to suggest that the spitting and queue-jumping should go,to begin. But I know that I'll never live long enough for that to happen. Cheers.

[thepeel]

I don't really know why the OP started this, but he/she is right.

Koreans are not a civil people. I find them to be rude, defensive, very dishonest, dirty and incapable of accepting responsibility for their actions.

On Thursday night I was in a taxi crossing the Han. The bridge was totally gridlocked due to a horrific accident. It took over 45 minutes to cross. When we finally arrived at my destination the dude said, in Korean, "I'm sorry, I didn't know that the traffic was so bad" and gave me a 500won discount. I nearly sh$t my pants. I cannot recall another Korean ever once acting truly kind for the sake of being kind. It is amazing how much the random kindness of one person can change your perspective on things.

My students (uni) also lament the lack of 'warmth' in this society. But they also require a big drunk (MT) to facilitate friendship creation.

In the end, I think it is a despicable culture of hate-filled materialistic brats. I just don't see any redeeming qualities in their culture.