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		| Snowkr 
 
 
 Joined: 03 Jun 2005
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 9:22 am    Post subject: this student has threatened to kill his classmate... |   |  
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				| hi all 
 I've been back in the states for 1 month after a year of teaching in Korea. I work for a private language school in California where students representing close to 20 different countries including Korea, are studying English intensively.
 
 Generally speaking, the Koreans have been the most difficult to manage at this school according to the staff and I've already started noticing it during my first week. Now one of them has actually threatened to fight and KILL another student in his class because he feels insulted by a simple expression of sarcasm that wasn't even really aimed at him. This guy claims that the entire population of Korea would be outraged by this little comment.
 
 I realize this is the land of the homicidal maniacs where people shoot you if you look at them funny but this type of behavior from a Korean has completely blown me away.
 
 Is anyone out there really experienced working with Koreans in the states, Canada, Australia... etc..? Any personal input ON THIS TOPIC would be really nice...
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		| JongnoGuru 
 
  
 Joined: 25 May 2004
 Location: peeing on your doorstep
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 9:51 am    Post subject: Re: this student has threatened to kill his classmate... |   |  
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				| You don't want to hear from me. I have no experience or advice that comes from experience. But I will suggest this.  Get a Mod to move this thread over to General Discussion. It deserves it. 
 Now...
 
 
 
	  | Snowkr wrote: |  
	  | hi all 
 I've been back in the states for 1 month after a year of teaching in Korea. I work for a private language school in California where students representing close to 20 different countries including Korea, are studying English intensively.
 
 Generally speaking, the Koreans have been the most difficult to manage at this school according to the staff and I've already started noticing it during my first week. Now one of them has actually threatened to fight and KILL another student in his class because he feels insulted by a simple expression of sarcasm that wasn't even really aimed at him. This guy claims that the entire population of Korea would be outraged by this little comment.
 |  Are foreign tourists & foreign students permitted to own firearms in the United States?
 
 
 
 
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	  | I realize this is the land of the homicidal maniacs where people shoot you if you look at them funny but this type of behavior from a Korean has completely blown me away. |  It's not behaviour yet, it's just talk. Wait... no, it's not action yet, it's just talk. But the "behaviour" -- a Korean getting all bent out of shape over hurt National Pride™ because of what a non-Korean said or wrote? That's completely blown you away?  And you've lived in Korea before?
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		| Snowkr 
 
 
 Joined: 03 Jun 2005
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 10:00 am    Post subject: |   |  
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				| thanks a lot. 
 Anyone else out there want to contribute some REAL helpful input?
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		| The Bobster 
 
  
 Joined: 15 Jan 2003
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:26 am    Post subject: Re: this student has threatened to kill his classmate... |   |  
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	  | Snowkr wrote: |  
	  | I realize this is the land of the homicidal maniacs where people shoot you if you look at them funny but this type of behavior from a Korean has completely blown me away.
 |  Death threats and offers of bodily harm have been known to happen among the online expat community, too. I'm thinking there is something in the water here ... lately, I've been doing my best to drink nothing but soju chased with Coca-Cola - done wonders to curb my own homocidal tendencies.
 
 Hey just trying to help out here.
 
 (Mostly kidding. I've never threatened anyone, but I have been on the receiving end ... and isn't the internet a wonderful place?)
 
 Smiles.
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		| mindmetoo 
 
 
 Joined: 02 Feb 2004
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 4:10 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| Yesterday I was walking to the subway station. Two men were sitting on a wall. Out of nothing they just start throwing punches at each other. No idea what one said to the other. In all my life in North America, I can't think of a single time I've ever seen two old men duke it out in the street. In Korea, it's a fairly regular occurrence. |  | 
	
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		| rothkowitz 
 
 
 Joined: 27 Apr 2006
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 4:17 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| Its pretty common in NZ... 
 Anyhoo~dress him down firmly in Korean.He's not going to harm anyone,he's just being a twit.
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		| huffdaddy 
 
 
 Joined: 25 Nov 2005
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 6:07 pm    Post subject: Re: this student has threatened to kill his classmate... |   |  
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	  | JongnoGuru wrote: |  
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	  | Quote: |  
	  | I realize this is the land of the homicidal maniacs where people shoot you if you look at them funny but this type of behavior from a Korean has completely blown me away. |  It's not behaviour yet, it's just talk. Wait... no, it's not action yet, it's just talk. But the "behaviour" -- a Korean getting all bent out of shape over hurt National Pride� because of what a non-Korean said or wrote? That's completely blown you away?  And you've lived in Korea before?
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 In this day and age, just talk is enough to get you thrown out of school.  Better safe than sorry.
 
 Does the principal know about it?  Do the student's parents know about it?
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		| Snowkr 
 
 
 Joined: 03 Jun 2005
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 7:53 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| these are adult students. The Korean is 22 yrs old and had recently gotten out of the military. The Russian guy he threatened is only 19.. half his size and was just trying to use a funny American idiom.
 They are both here in the states studying English in an intensive course. They're both awesome students with personality issues.
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		| ChuckECheese 
 
  
 Joined: 20 Jul 2006
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 7:59 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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	  | Snowkr wrote: |  
	  | these are adult students. The Korean is 22 yrs old and had recently gotten out of the military. The Russian guy he threatened is only 19.. half his size and was just trying to use a funny American idiom.
 They are both here in the states studying English in an intensive course. They're both awesome students with personality issues.
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 Tell the student that threatens to kill the other student that it is serious crime just by threatening to kill someone.  It's considered battery (a felony) in the state.  You can call the cops and they'll be their to arrest him and put him the the county jail.
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		| MantisBot 
 
 
 Joined: 28 Nov 2005
 Location: Itaewon, Seoul, SK
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 9:32 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| From what people have told me during my first and (so far) only week of teaching in Korea, Korean students have a large amount of pride that is easily bruised.  Perhaps the best course of action would be to pull him aside after class and discuss the in-appropriateness of his actions rather than dressing him down publicly.  If he still has a problem after that take it up with your boss.  From what people have told me, there's no worse thing to do than to humiliate a Korean amongst their peers.  Tell him to lighten up in private and he'll probably be much more receptive. |  | 
	
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		| ChuckECheese 
 
  
 Joined: 20 Jul 2006
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 9:38 pm    Post subject: |   |  
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				| No!!!  If he like to express his anger by threatening to kill other people.  He needs a good spanken.  Call the cops, let them take him to little county motel and let him learn to swallow his pride sometimes.  It'll be excellent lesson for him. 
 You don't go around threatening to kill someone over hurting national pride...............ridiculous.  He's not in Korea.  He's in the United States of America.
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		| ttompatz 
 
  
 Joined: 05 Sep 2005
 Location: Kwangju, South Korea
 
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				|  Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 9:52 pm    Post subject: Re: this student has threatened to kill his classmate... |   |  
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	  | Snowkr wrote: |  
	  | hi all 
 I've been back in the states for 1 month after a year of teaching in Korea. I work for a private language school in California where students representing close to 20 different countries including Korea, are studying English intensively.
 
 Generally speaking, the Koreans have been the most difficult to manage at this school according to the staff and I've already started noticing it during my first week. Now one of them has actually threatened to fight and KILL another student in his class because he feels insulted by a simple expression of sarcasm that wasn't even really aimed at him. This guy claims that the entire population of Korea would be outraged by this little comment.
 
 I realize this is the land of the homicidal maniacs where people shoot you if you look at them funny but this type of behavior from a Korean has completely blown me away.
 
 Is anyone out there really experienced working with Koreans in the states, Canada, Australia... etc..? Any personal input ON THIS TOPIC would be really nice...
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 Bad news for him. He is NOT in Korea now, he is in the States and "uttering threats" is a criminal offense.
 
 Let the police deal with it. It is NOT your job (unless you are a cop moonlighting as an ESL teacher).
 
 If he is actually stupid enough to do something then you may be liable for contributory negligence in a civil action.
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		| bellum99 
 
  
 Joined: 23 Jan 2003
 Location: don't need to know
 
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				|  Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:03 am    Post subject: |   |  
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				| I have an idea....mind your own business.  What do you care what they do to each other?  Put your nose in someone's business and you deserve to have it cut off.  Do your little monkey dance, take your money, and keep to yourself.  Is your life so pathetic that you have to run around looking for trouble....? |  | 
	
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		| tzechuk 
 
  
 Joined: 20 Dec 2004
 
 
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				|  Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:14 am    Post subject: |   |  
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	  | Snowkr wrote: |  
	  | these are adult students. The Korean is 22 yrs old and had recently gotten out of the military. The Russian guy he threatened is only 19.. half his size and was just trying to use a funny American idiom.
 They are both here in the states studying English in an intensive course. They're both awesome students with personality issues.
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 That's your problem right there, then.  From what I see, the Korean military does anything but discipline its soldiers.  At 22, most of us consider ourselves adults, not so in Korea.  My step-daughter, at 22, wanted to move in with her mother to be *served* by the mother.  You can give him a right dressing down and he won't refute - plus because you are the teacher and they are supposed to respect their teachers.
 
 You need to get it in his head that if he keeps threatening other students - which is a serious matter in the US of A, as homeland security is on high alert - that he WILL be expel from the school and he will bring SHAME to himself and his family and to Korean people in general.  Make sure you keep repeating the word shame and loss of pride.  He might be more subdue, hopefully!
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