Korean Job Discussion Forums

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

I was riding my motorcycle today and got in an accident. i turned left, and as i slowed down, a van behind me tried to pass me, not knowing i was going to turn. when i turned, he hit me. Luckily, the bike took the collision (the van didnt hit me at all, just the bike) and I rolled most of the impact off. And I had a helmet on, so I am almost fine. besides a couple of bumps and bruises, I am ok.

I dont know where the police were, but there was a police van at the scene by the time i had my bike off the road. Maybe he saw the accident, maybe he heard it, maybe he just happened to turn on the road.

The point is, he was there. He was very polite to me, was patient when i called a Korean friend to talk to him since my Korean is not great. The other guy didnt try playing a race card and tell him it was my fault. He was honest about what happened and made sure I was ok. The police made sure I understood all the information before he left and he had called the insurance guy to come asap.

The insurance guy got there in about 3 minutes. he told me to take my bike to the bike shop and went there with me. he also gave me a ride home and all the information i need. he also was very polite and helpful.

so, this is my only real encounter with the Korean Police, and there is so much KP bashing on this websight I wanted to post my positive experience.

I feel very luck too. obviously the accident is not good, but many things went well, like the bike taking the impact, me rolling to absorb impact, other cars not driving over me, the helmet, i had a big jacket. sometimes i drive with my dogs in a bag on the handle bars. i am so happy they werent there. i actually had just taken them to the dog shop. wow...

ahh, and i did go to the doctor to report the little aches, just in case they become serious problems later. so i believe everything will work out.

thanks for reading...

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

I got drunkenly lost my first week in Korea and couldn't find my apartment.Nor did I have my arc yet nor anyone's phone number on me.

I kept trying to explain where my apartment was with drawings of intersections,my building,the hill behind it,etc.In the end I remembered the driving test centre next door and started again with a charade.

They got it at last and gave me a lift home.They were all right.

If you're even-toned and polite with them from the start that can minimise your hassles.아이구.......

Kimchieluver · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

As far as most Koreans I know or have encountered, they are generally honest. Hogwan owners, recruiters and practically anybody to do with the Korean education system are the one's I find the most dishonest. Heck, my computer went on the fritz about 2 months after warranty. Samsung fixed everything for free as they were not just that busy at the time.

I went to take my car in for an oil change, GM Daewoo charge me 50% less because it took over 40 minutes (I didn't even have an appointment). My apartment supervisor gave me a new fridge because the tenants that moved out 12 stories up couldn't be bothered to sell it and didn't want to move it. It is now less than 2 years old. At a sushi restaurant, the owner gave us about a 1/2 a kg of Sushi for free because he wasn't sure on the exact weight of what the server gave us (mix up in orders) he also did the same to the smaller table.

This is typical in Korea. Maybe not in Itaewon or some foriegner districts in Busan.

Rigamarole · Joined: 29 Mar 2006

I've had two experiences with the police and both were pleasant. The most recent being when my computer was stolen and they were patient while I called a friend to help with translating and honest and kind.

And another time when I had been separated from friends in a drunken state, I was walking on the bridge towards Hapjeong station when the police pulled in front of me. I thought I'd be in horrible trouble, but they just gave me a lift to the bus stop and told me to be careful.

Natalia · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

The police were wonderfully friendly when I had a break-in.

But they were also absolutely useless.

For example, my doorknob was broken off, and pieces of it were all over the floor. But the police insisted they must have got in through the window. I am not on the ground floor, and there was no possible way this could have happened.

I would have thought the broken door was a dead give away...... Rolling Eyes

Dawn · Joined: 06 Mar 2004

I've never had occasion to ask Korean police for anything other than directions, but the ones I've interacted with have always been polite and helpful. My first month in Korea, one actually accompanied me to a bus stop, got me on the right bus, and told the driver where to let me out. Today, my fiance and I were wandering around Seoul, trying to find the Jong-Ro District Office so we could do our marriage paperwork, and again, a couple of police officers came to our aid. I had to chuckle, though, when (after giving directions in Korean), they called an English-speaking co-worker over to ask us whether we were getting married and to congratulate us. Razz

hellofaniceguy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: On your computer screen!

Homer · Guest

Ah Natalia...does your place have a window overlooking the balcony?

antoniothegreat · Joined: 28 Aug 2005 Location: Yangpyeong

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

In the summer of 2005 I took four newbies from my area up to Seoul for the weekend. I wanted to go party with my friends in Incheon so I set them up in a yeogwan, the sign of which one can see from Seoul Station. It was a dive but I chose it because it would be impossible not to find.

Except for Lisa from Saskatoon. You can read about her in the freakiest waygook thread. She got herself back to Seoul Station but somehow couldn't find the yeogwan that one can see from doors on the opposite side of the station from the subway. After wondering around in a daze until midnight she found some policemen who drove her all over Seoul for three hours before giving up and depositing her back at Seoul Station where she finally regained her bearings and found her room at 4AM. I don't know if that's a testiment to the police's dedication or to the fact that they really have nothing better to do.

Natalia · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

uberscheisse · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.

i've heard of the general indifference to our problems, and have witnessed korean cops opt in favor of "general calm" rather than justice when koreans are trying to take on a nigerian 10-on-1 while yelling the "n" word that sounds like "niger" with a short i.

but my only actual dealings with them were

1. to call them to deal with a guy who was beating the living crap out of his wife. the response time was about 5 minutes, and due to the fact that the streets in my neighborhood are rather labyrinthine, that's pretty fast.

2. a crazy lady calls them to demand that i move my scooter and park it elsewhere - i had been parking it there for over a year, she moved in and began demanding i park it elsewhere so she could turn left and right out of her apatuh, even though turning right was illegal on a one-way..

anyways, she is haranguing everyone in the neighborhood and shrieking "waegookin" every third word. the cops come, talk to my korean buddy, and say "oh, please... for tonight, please just move it to another place, jus t for tonight so this crazy woman will shut up... after that, you can park it wherever you like".

on the surface, when you see a korean cop actually doing something, it looks like they're trying to expediate matters.. "oh my god, i'm standing up!!! let's get this finished because i need to sit back down as soon as possible!" but most actual evidence suggests otherwise.