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Canuckophile
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:15 am Post subject: Anyone ever reported discimination in Korea? |
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I live in a sucky little town that just hates foreigners. Recently a doctor told me to do some therapeutic swimming. I just found out that the sucky little town's swimming pool Will Not Admit Foreigners. (Not entirely a surprise - when I first moved here and tried to use a PC Bang, they tried to turn me away also.)
Has anyone ever actually tried to report cases of discrimination in Korea? How do you do it? I sent in a complaint to KNTO, but doubt that means squat.
This is in Gyeonggi Province.
Thanks.
CANUCKOPHILE |
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Julius

Joined: 27 Jul 2006
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:28 am Post subject: |
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I got the same treatment once. Excluded from a health club which had a swimming pool, because "my tattoo would scare" off the customers.
Fortunately there were many more that would accept me.
The silly thing is that waeguks do scare away customers. Koreans feel very nervous around foreigners in most situations. If you're a businessman and you lose customers by allowing in foreigners, what are you gonna do?
Most koreans are scared bigots and can't handle being around someone of a different race. This whole constant tension that emanates from them is the ridiculous and unforgiveable fact of korean society.That mixed feeling of Korean superiority and fear of foreigners that is apparent in many encounters.
KNTO was a good start. You could try also the town council of your city I guess.
PS: anyone know how to say "Chill out dude, i'm not going to bite you!" in korean? |
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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:43 am Post subject: |
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Like trying to hand out speeding tickets at the Indianapolis 500. |
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kermo

Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Location: Eating eggs, with a comb, out of a shoe.
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:43 am Post subject: |
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I doubt there's much in the way of political pressure to bring to bear on the situation, but it might make an interesting news article-- suppose a journalist asked those people why foreigners were excluded? If you can get the media interested, you might get some leeway.
Anyway, I'm sorry to hear about your experience. It sucks, and I sympathize. |
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Imbroglio

Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Behind the wheel of a large automobile
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:55 am Post subject: |
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There are work arounds to this problem.
When I want to swim, I simply jump in a bathtub...yes...a hard concept for you to grasp OP....but try....
If I encounter unexpected discrimination while trying to get into an establishment that doesn't want me coz I'm different...I apologize.
If I am going on out to eat and am refused service ...I ask to pay in advance...yes a hard concept for you to grasp OP...
If I have someone yell at me in Korean or make racist remarks, I chin up and move on with my life, not just sit there and whine like a little baby.
You can of course sit there and rave, foam at the mouth and piss about the fact you cannot access Korean businesses while abroad and just complain about it.
I prefer to find work arounds until the situation is resolved (i bring it up with my students).
You want to just whine in your soup then all the power to you.
I prefer to find a solution and move on.
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Homer Guest
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 6:25 am Post subject: |
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Imbroglio,
If you are going to copycat...at least do it well.
Whats the matter...unable to come up with your own ideas?
As for the OP: three choices.
a) Try to find another pool (might be tough in a small town)
b) Try to contact local government authorities to get something done.
c) Change locations to a bigger city.
It is a bad spot for you regardless and sorry it happened to you. |
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kermo

Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Location: Eating eggs, with a comb, out of a shoe.
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:51 am Post subject: |
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Imbroglio wrote: |
There are work arounds to this problem.
When I want to swim, I simply jump in a bathtub...yes...a hard concept for you to grasp OP....but try.... |
You've got a bathtub?
Neat! Me too, but whenever I attempt the front crawl, I bump my head.  |
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Adventurer

Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:53 am Post subject: |
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It would kind of be interesting if Westerners would comply their stories and send it to the media back home. That would seriously embarass Koreans for racist behavior towards Westerners. How about Westerners collaborating and writing down lists of Korean establishments that exhibit prejudice? Why isn't there some kind of Anti-Defamation League for foreigners over here. Foreigners should band together. I haven't been refused somewhere, because I am a foreigner. I would not take too kindly if someone acted that way. I would be a bit ticked off. I am sure you were. I wonder why there aren't laws allowing you to sue places that don't allow you in. If that was done back home, you would get sued. |
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Imbroglio

Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Behind the wheel of a large automobile
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 8:08 am Post subject: |
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kermo wrote: |
Imbroglio wrote: |
There are work arounds to this problem.
When I want to swim, I simply jump in a bathtub...yes...a hard concept for you to grasp OP....but try.... |
You've got a bathtub?
Neat! Me too, but whenever I attempt the front crawl, I bump my head.  |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 8:21 am Post subject: |
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Julius wrote: |
Most koreans are scared bigots and can't handle being around someone of a different race. This whole constant tension that emanates from them is the ridiculous and unforgiveable fact of korean society.That mixed feeling of Korean superiority and fear of foreigners that is apparent in many encounters.
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I'm not really disagreeing, but do you believe this applies to MOST Koreans? I'd say some of course. It seems to me that most Koreans are pretty much indifferent to my presence most of the time. They are getting more used to having us whities around.
I'd be too self-conscious in some situations, though, like in a swimming pool with dozens of Koreans and my big gut and hairy body.
A few years ago, or say in a smaller town, or definitely before 2000, I got a lot more attention, staring, negativity, etc... but nowadays I feel like a nobody, just another white guy strolling around in Korean society. |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:01 am Post subject: |
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Imbroglio wrote: |
If I am going on out to eat and am refused service ...I ask to pay in advance...yes a hard concept for you to grasp OP...
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why would you sucker yourself out like that? what in god's name would make you think that you should pay in advance for ANYTHING when the rest of the clientele don't have to?
i don't grasp this horse-shit at all.
Last edited by uberscheisse on Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:08 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Imbroglio

Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Behind the wheel of a large automobile
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:06 am Post subject: |
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Uber,
Friend...countryman....brother...
My post was a parody of 'HOMERESQUE- APOLOGETICA' posting style....it's not the way I really feel at all. I took his post from the debit card thread and changed a few words around.
LOL! |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:09 am Post subject: |
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Imbroglio wrote: |
Uber,
Friend...countryman....brother...
My post was a parody of 'HOMERESQUE- APOLOGETICA' posting style.
LOL! |
hm. i guess i don't pay attention to the vast multi-layered humor of this message board.
who is homeresque? |
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Imbroglio

Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Behind the wheel of a large automobile
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:40 am Post subject: |
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OK.
Homer is the guy who replied right after me on this thread. He even talks about me copying him.
Just scroll up and read it...
cheers
here is the original Homer posto:
Homer wrote: |
I provided the means I use to go around the atm card problem and the account access problem.
When I travel, I simply plan ahead...yes...a hard concept for you to grasp jitsu....but try....
If I encounter unexpected expenses while travelling...that is what the credit card is for....
If I am going on a vacation and will have local bills to pay while I am gone...I contact the companies or institutions and give them notice and ask to pay in advance...yes a hard concept for you to grasp jitsu.
If I have bills to pay home (ex: student loan payments or credit card) I make sure I can cover the payments before traveling and if I could not well then I guess you cannot afford to take that trip now can you? Local circumstances (int'l atm card problems) will limit your margin of maneuver. So deal with it. Try to change it through your banker or find work arounds...or just sit there and whine like a little baby.
You can of course sit there and rave, foam at the mouth and piss about the fact you cannot access your k-account while abroad and just complain about it.
I prefer to find work arounds until the situation is resolved (i bring it up with my bank representative).
You want to just whine in your soup then all the power to you.
I prefer to find a solution and move on. |
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dulouz
Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: Uranus
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Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 11:13 am Post subject: |
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Whenever I get discriminated against in Korea i say to myself - "Damn, I can't hang out with Koreans now. Damn Damn Damn!". |
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