Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Benicio]

Split from the thread about the guy saying he was sort of arrested for assault.

I'm not really buying the guy's story because it just doesn't add up.

Anyway, I know most people know it, but after reading many of the comments, some just don't understand the concept that laws are different in Korea.

Korean law:
-You injure someone, you pay them!
-It does not matter who attacked first, if you injure them more than they injure you, you pay them! It's called "blood money".

Let's say some drunk idiot comes up and smacks me or my girlfriend:
If I lay him out and hurt him, he can get money from me.

Some waygooks just dismiss the thought because they say it's "just ridiculous!" or "it can't be true because it's so unfair!".

Is it ridiculous? Of course! In some situations, it rewards the attacker or the real guilty party. That goes against every idea we waygooks have about justice, but that's the way it is here.

Over a year ago, I was riding my scooter and a lady just bolted across the street(illegal jaywalking) without looking out. She ran right into the side of my scooter and fell over. She knocked her head, but was not seriously injured, even though she claimed near fatal wounds at the time!
Except for not having insurance on my bike, I broke no laws. I wasn't speeding. I wasn't riding dangerously in a pedestrian area. Nothing.
She was the stupid jaywalker, but because she was injured, I got fined 1 million Won. Was it fair? No.
The only lesson I learned is if something like this ever happens again, flee the scene as fast as possible. Don't be so arrogant or foolish to believe that the law is totally fair and will agree with your side.

In the other thread, it was amazing to read how people were treating the situation in the same manner as laws and agencies act back in their home countries.
In the case of very violent crimes or even drug busts, the suspects are detained in jail. In pretty much all other cases, the parties will be held in the station office while the police get statements to see what happened.
This is also a kind of "cooling off period" where they try to get the parties to negotiate with each other over an agreed settlement.
If no settlement is reached, they let both of them go. They know who you are. You will be contacted later.
Next, the parties are given a time to negotiate- 1 to 2 months usually.
If still no resolution is reached, they will go before a judge in civil court.
Sometimes, the judge will give one more chance to negotiate. Then, they will decide who owes who how much(there are no juries in Korea). They usually favor the person who was injured most.
Believe me, you will not be given adequate time to explain your side of the story in court.
When the fine is given, the loser is given an amount of time to pay it. This time can be extended if there are extenuating circumstances.
If you can't or won't pay the fine, you can be jailed or your wages can be garnished.
For cases like this, a basic retainer for a lawyer will start at 1 million Won. It's not even worth it for small, civil cases. Luckily, my good friend's fiancee is a lawyer, so he helped me in my case.
The cops can't be counted on to help. No matter how strongly you feel that the law and justice should be on your side, they will seem like useless slugs. They see their first and foremost duty as trying to facilitate negotiations for settlements(blood money). They will push or cajole you to try and settle and not bother them or the courts about it.

IF YOU GET INTO A FIGHT WITH A KOREAN, FOREIGNER, WHATEVER, FLEE THE SCENE AS FAST AS YOU CAN. DO NOT EXPECT THE LAW TO HELP YOU!

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Amen.

[poet13]

It's SOOOO counter-intuitive, considering that in many countries you can be charged with, "leaving the scene."....

[MikeJ123]

[Benicio]

In the case of vehicular accidents, you can be charged with "leaving the scene".
Not so in fights or other altercations.

Cops in Korea are best at doing one thing: keeping their thumbs firmly planted up their butts!

[stumptown]

[Benicio]

Well, stumptown, I'm certainly surprised at your story.
Usually the cops arrive late and just totally screw up the situation.

Wife beating is a popular pastime for ajosshis. The wife has to press charges and, most of the time, they don't.

I bet they took them to the cop shop and let them both go in under 2 hours.

You did the right thing. You didn't get into assaulting the guy and you called the cops right away. I'm quite surprised they showed up so quickly!
Of course, the guy who was beating his wife tried to play the race card and tell the cops they are wrong because you are a foreigner and you have no place here. Sadly, this tactic works sometimes.

Be careful in these situations. If you end up hurting the guy, everyone will blame you, including the wife sometimes. There are stories of guys intervening on wife beating- he takes the guy down. Then, the wife jumps on her savior and starts beating him for messing with her man. I've been told by cops back home that in a domestic dispute, restrain the wife first. Don't turn your back on her. Many a cop has been surprised with that one.

Stay strong!

[jajdude]

Stump, I think you did a good thing that few others would do. Usually no one gets involved in these things. Was the security guy going to call the cops or just restrain and try to calm down the drunk guy? Who knows?

Do you live in the same building as the drunk and wife?
It may be weird if you see them around.

[stumptown]

[Hater Depot]

[RACETRAITOR]

It is true. The number one rule to remember: if you mess someone up, even if they really deserved it, you should get the christ out of there. Even if he tried to rob you, he'll tell the police you attacked him. Just run.

[Benicio]

[charlieDD]

Reminds me of a guy who's teaching in Korea now, after having taught in the UAE (United Arab Emirates -- in Dubai) at a university in a freshman "prep year" program (they have to take a prep year to make up for all the education they don't get in high school).

He punched a student ! (Mind you, Arab young men - freshmen - are much more fully grown men than Asians / Koreans, and can be quite intimidating.) The student had spat on him.

He knew he could only lose in the situation - - and would likely end up in jail. So, he went directly home, got his passport, packed a minimal bag, and caught the first plane he could out of the country, leaving his car and other possessions behind.

It also reminds me of stories I have heard that in the 1960's and 70's in Korea a not so rare way of getting "rich" quick was to jump out in front of a moving car (this is when cars were only for wealthy people). Heard old men or women would "take one for the family" and do this.

[stumptown]

[stumptown]

double post