Korean Job Discussion Forums

[I-am-me]

I was at my boss's apartment today tutoring his kids when suddenly a voice out of nowhere started announcing something. Lasted about 3 minutes. The kids ignored it, but i was dumbfounded. Why are there intercoms in some of the high rise apartments? The kids told me the message was from the security center, but to me sounded like a long commercial. If it had been my apartment i have found it too intrusive. Has anybody experienced this yet or do you have one of those connected in your apartment?

[jay-shi]

They are quite common in apartment buildings here. Best defense against the auditory assault is to either pry the speaker cover off with a knife or unscrew the cover if you can and cut them little wires leading to the speaker.

[Qinella]

I have them at the place I'm in now. They sometimes come on as early as 8 am, when I'm still sleeping. I actually like when they wake me up, though, because my most lucid time of the day is the first 30 seconds or so after I wake up, which means I am more able to understand what they're saying. My Korean listening skills blow, but I can usually understand the announcements and the talk radio that wakes me up. I kinda wish they'd have the announcements every day.

[thorin]

That's interesting. I usually can't understand anything until after I'm awake for at least five hours. As for the speakers, I cut the wires but I can still hear the announcements echoing off the walls of Concrete Ÿ��.

[Demophobe]

I have one in all of my places...they are standard in high-rise apartments.

As for their usefulness...well, they told me once the power would be out in 15 minutes, so I had time to turn off my computers. They once told me there would be no water from 6 to 3 the next day for water tank service. Other times have been equally useful regarding issues that may affect all tenants.

The last thing I would do is cut the wire or otherwise silence it. They are there for a reason, and it's usually fairly important when they use it for an announcement.

[Unreal]

Mine went off around 7:30 this morning. Most of the time at my apartment they're telling the guy who parked in front of the doors to move his car. I don't like it...it's too 1984ish for me.

[Zark]

A screwdriver is all you need. Take it out of the wall and undo the wires. I hate them! I'd rather put up with the surprises!

[joyfulgirl]

mine goes off once every coupla weeks, usually early in the morning. the cat jumps off the bed and stares at the ceiling. it's funny. i tell him it's god talking, and i have no idea what he's saying, but i hope it's not that we should all evacuate immediately. but i figure an alarm would go off, if that were the case, so i ignore it.

[Demophobe]

[JongnoGuru]

It's usually something unimportant. Like the building's on fire and your doors will automatically lock from the outside in 20 minutes, flee while you still have a chance. Or North Korean commandos have infiltrated the building and are heading for the weigook-nom's apartment on the odd-floor-only elevator. Stuff like that.

[Zark]